South Australian irrigators say they are pleased with the projected high opening water allocation of 82 per cent for the 2021-22 water year, but are frustrated to lose their carryover water.Irrigators are frustrated to lose their water volumes from carryoverThe minimum water allocation figure, released today by the state government, gives irrigators an indication of how much of their water entitlement they can use.
However, carryover water will not be available in the 2021-22 water years as the projected minimum opening allocation is greater than 50 per cent. Renmark Irrigation Trust general manager Rosalie Auricht says irrigators have lost their carryover for a second year. This means water volumes rolled over from a previous year into an irrigator's account will no longer be available.South Australian Murray Irrigators chair Caren Martin said while she welcomed the projected minimum water allocation of 82 per cent, the state's carryover policy was still "not fit for purpose" and needed to be overhauled.
I'm puzzled. How does an irrigator 'bank water' for use in following years? Does it get stored in a dam? If not, from whose allocation must it come in a following year when an irrigator wants to make that 'withdrawal'? The 'bank of last resort' isn't environmental water, is it?