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All Current and Past Media Releases
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Media Release - Department of Water and Energy Date: 1 December 2008 PATCHY RAINFALL BRINGS SOME RELIEF TO SOUTHERN BASIN WATER USERS The NSW Department of Water and Energy today announced an increase in water availability for general security licence holders in the Murrumbidgee and Lower Darling valleys. However, the water allocations for Murray Valley licence holders remain unchanged.
The Department’s Deputy Director-General, David Harriss, said that the water allocation for Murrumbidgee Valley general security licence holders has increased by 2 per cent to 9 per cent of entitlement and may be taken immediately. A further two per cent of entitlement is available after February 2009.
“This increase is the result of some good rainfall in the upper Murrumbidgee catchment over the second half of November,” he said.
“However, inflows in the Murray Valley over the past two weeks have not been sufficient to enable any increase in water allocations.
“The small inflows that have occurred will be kept in reserve to meet stock and domestic needs in the first half of next year, if conditions stay dry, and to meet critical human needs in 2009/10,” Mr Harriss said.
The water allocation for Lower Darling River Valley general security licence holders has been increased by 10 per cent to 40 per cent of entitlement.
Water will continue to be released to the Lower Darling River from Lake Pamamaroo at a rate of 2,900 megalitres per day until January 2009.
Mr Harriss said that without significant summer rainfall, the Southern Basin is facing another very dry year.
“The NSW Government is urging all water users to be as conservative as possible with all water use, including water for domestic purposes,” he said.
“Just because you have access to water doesn’t mean you have to use it.”
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