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All Current and Past Media Releases
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Media Release - Department of Water and Energy Date: 21 August 2009 MURRUMBIDGEE ANNUAL WATER TRADE EMBARGO RELAXED The NSW Office of Water announced today the relaxation of the temporary embargo on the annual trade of water from the Murrumbidgee Valley into the Murray Valley.
NSW Commissioner for Water, David Harriss, said that the interim embargo on annual trade announced on 1 July 2009 had been necessary, as over 230,000 megalitres had been carried over and was required to be delivered into the Murray Valley during 2009/10.
“Any additional water required to be transferred as a consequence of additional annual trades would add to excessively high transmission losses, reducing water availability for other users, including environmental transfers,” said Mr Harriss.
He said that an agreement with Snowy Hydro Limited would enable a minimum of 200,000 megalitres of water from the Snowy Mountains storages that would have otherwise been diverted into the Murrumbidgee Valley, to be delivered into the Murray Valley at Khancoban.
“This water can then be passed onto users downstream of the Murrumbidgee junction during the year without incurring significant transmission losses.”
“Through this agreement, we can guarantee the delivery of water without reducing water availability to other users in the Murrumbidgee Valley or to users in the Murray Valley in NSW, Victoria or South Australia.”
Mr Harriss said that because of the agreed arrangements there is now also the capacity to allow an additional 70,000 megalitres to be traded out of the Murrumbidgee Valley this season.
“Water is now in high demand to meet the immediate needs of industry and irrigated permanent plantings in the Murray Valley, and to secure the critical needs of cities and towns in the coming two years.”
“As the demand for trade is likely to exceed the 70,000 megalitre limit, the NSW Office of Water, together with NSW State Water Corporation, will introduce a ballot system, whereby users, may trade up to 15 percent of their entitlement and prospective purchasers will have an equal opportunity to participate,” Mr Harriss said.
Details of the ballot will be available from Monday 24 August 2009 on the NSW Office of Water website - www.dwe.nsw.gov.au . Forms for participation in the ballot are available at State Water Corporation website - www.statewater.com.au/Customer+Service/Forms or by calling the Deniliquin office of State Water Corporation on 03 58983923 or 03 58983926
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