The state’s largest farming organisation iswarning government against introducing more red tape for farmers with a newreview into stock and domestic water rights getting underway.
The Department of Planning and Environment is conducting a review of stock anddomestic water rights saying it wants to know more about how water is beingextracted by farmers and whether changes are needed to the ways its regulated.
President of the NSW Water Taskforce, Richard Bootle, is urging the NSWGovernment to remember the basic right for landholders to access water isabsolutely essential.
“While urban citizens have water delivered to their kitchens, in the countrythe basic human right to supply of quality water is now being examined.
“Since this important right was introduced, farming has evolved in its needs,but the basic right to an adequate supply of water for normal operations mustcontinue.
“This right is not about irrigation or broad scale production, but aboutensuring country people can be secure in their remote locations without moregovernment red tape to justify their daily lives.
“There are many challenges to living in regional NSW, with poorer facilities ofhealth care, transport options and education options, however one challengeshould not be governments taking away the security of allowing farmers accessto adequate water,” Mr Bootle said.
NSW Farmers has written to the Department outlining that current levels ofregulation of stock and domestic rights are sufficient.
