It was despite growing pressure from Riverina politicians and local leaders for urgent action before the rice planting window closed today.
Federal Member for Farrer David Farley said the region was ready to commence planting, with paddocks prepared, seed secured and the supply chain in place, but warned the season was being jeopardised by delays in government approval.
He called on Federal Environment and Water Minister Murray Watt, NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe and NSW Water Minister Rose Jackson to authorise the release of water before the planting window closes.
He said failure to act could see between 80,000 and 110,000 tonnes of rice production lost, with potential losses rising to 150,000 tonnes in peak conditions.
He also warned of significant economic consequences, estimating 230 to 270 jobs across farms, local businesses and rice processing could be affected.
NSW Member for Murray Helen Dalton backed the call, arguing governments were holding more environmental water than required under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan while farming communities faced reduced production and economic hardship.
The Southern Riverina News sought comment from each of the relevant NSW and Federal ministers.
One NSW Government spokesperson responded and said environmental water was not a reserve that could simply be redirected to agriculture.
“We understand the concerns of Riverina workers, growers and businesses facing the impacts of drought and reduced rice production, but environmental water is not a spare reserve that governments can simply switch to another use.
"Environmental water is held under the same legal framework as other water entitlements and must be used for its legislated purpose of keeping our rivers, wetlands and floodplains healthy, particularly during dry periods when those systems are under the greatest pressure.”
The spokesperson said healthy rivers were critical to regional economies and noted the government had already acted to assist farmers this year by providing an additional 20 per cent allocation to supplementary licence holders.
When announcing that decision last month, Ms Jackson said the measure was designed to provide temporary access to water that could not be captured and stored.
“We know farmers in the Murray are doing it tough and when there is water available in the system that cannot be captured and stored for future use, we should look at how we can make the best use of it,” she said.
“This is water that is available in the river now and can be accessed without compromising important environmental requirements.”
Ms Jackson said she had also requested a review on longer-term supplementary water access settings to ensure an appropriate balance between communities, industry and the environment.
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