Extra water for Queensland Farmers

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Queensland’s Natural Resources Minister, Henry Palaszczuk, has reversed a ban on water use in the Lockyer region, reported Queensland Country Life
(27 October 2005, p.5). Lockyer irrigators have been under the
equivalent of level five restrictions because of the drought. A
spokesman for Mr Palaszczuk’s Department said the decision to rescind
water curbs in the Lockyer purely related to this particular catchment,
noting that all other restrictions remained in place.

Farmers apply political pressure: Queensland Farmers Federation
president Gary Sansom has argued that a more comprehensive water
planning approach is needed to ensure irrigated farms remain viable.
“Too often water planning leaves farms at the bottom of the water
priority list, and water is diverted from irrigation to prop up power
stations, mines, or other industrial and urban uses,” he said. The
State Opposition also says the Government is increasingly treating
rural water users as second class citizens.

Irrigators want self-management: The Lockyer Water Users Forum
(LWUF) currently is working on a regulatory framework involving a
self-management process for their water resource.

Queensland Country Life, 27/10/2005, p. 5

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