Desperate Australia farmers volunteer to sell water entitlements
By DEBRA JOPSON
March 30, 2010 SIXTY drought-affected farmers living on more than 100 kilometres of an irrigation channel in the state’s south-west, who have volunteered to stop growing rice and thirsty cereals, expect an offer this week from the federal government for their water entitlements. In a desperate move, which for many will end their lives on the land, the farmers from the Wakool area, west of Deniliquin, will take a drop in property value once they sell their 40,000 water entitlements, the chairman of Murray Irrigation, Stewart Ellis, said yesterday. ”They are permanently selling all their water entitlements and they will be disconnecting from our channel system,” he said. ”All the irrigation infrastructure – road bridges and culverts – will be moved and the channels filled in.” While Mr Ellis would not say how much the deal is worth, the Herald understands it is between $50 million and $60 million. The federal government would buy the water back to improve the environmental health of the Murray River, if the deal proceeds. … Most of the Wakool farmers seeking to sell out of irrigation have substantial debt after at least five very tough years, Mr Ellis said. ”West of Deniliquin, crop failure has been almost 100 per cent over the past four years. ”There has been virtually nothing planted in the way of rice because with such low water allocation, you cannot consider [it].” …
