Community & Business
21 October, 2022
Key water group feeds into Barron River Plan review
THE Far North’s key water stakeholder group has tabled a submission into the review of a major water catchment which supports the highly productive horticulture and cane industries on the Tablelands.
Tinaroo Water Committee has provided a detailed submission to the draft Water Plan (Barron) 2022, which defines and governs how water from the Barron River catchment is used.
Water harvesting and changing the threshold height of the low and medium water zones were key issues raised by the committee which represents irrigators who hold water allocations or licences on the Atherton Tablelands.
Tinaroo Water Committee chairman Joe Moro said the committee welcomed the opportunity to provide a submission to the review.
“TWC represents a significant stake-holder group, whose agricultural busi-nesses are reliant on the reliable, affordable and equitable access to water, and provide an enormous economic boost to a number of rural and regional economies in the Far North region,” he said.
“Water is the lynchpin of agriculture in the region.
“Without reliable, affordable and equitable access to this resource, the growth and productivity of our existing and potential new industries is under threat.”
Mr Moro said the submission sought mechanisms in the water plan to support high flow water harvesting for the Walsh River and streams flowing into the Mitchell River.
“With the proper pre-harvesting assessment and investigations, TWC believes water harvesting would allow irrigators to capture water during periods of peak river flows, traditionally during the wet season, and store in off-stream storages on property,” Mr Moro said.
“There are wide-reaching benefits, not only in supplementing existing water allocations and providing water security during dry times, but also relieving pressure on Tinaroo Dam.”
Among the other issues raised included changing the threshold height of the low and medium water zones in the Mareeba Dimbulah Water Supply Scheme, converting groundwater licences to allocations in the Atherton Groundwater Management Plan and maintaining non-regulation of overland water use.
Tableland Canegrowers chair Claude Santucci said Tableland Canegrowers supported efforts to secure long-term water supplies for the region.
“Secure and reliable water is critical in the long-term to retain the existing high-value agricultural production in the region but also foster expansion in various crops,” Mr Santucci said.
Mr Moro said the committee would continue to lobby Sunwater and the Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water, for the carryover rule to be retained when Tinaroo Dam overflows on or after the start of the new water year on 1 July.
“This would allow irrigators with unused water allocations to continue to use carryover water in the current water year under the current rules,” he said.
The new water plan is expected to come into effect at the end of the year.
