QUEENSLAND SENDS ONE-AND-A-HALF SYDHARBS OF WATER TO SOUTHERN MURRAY DARLING BASIN

The equivalent of one-and-a-half Sydney Harbours has flowed over the Queensland border into NSW and the southern Murray Darling Basin in recent weeks, Water Minister Craig Wallace said today.

A sydharb is used as a unit of volume of water in Australia. One sydharb is the amount of water in Sydney Harbour - approximately 562,000 megalitres at high tide.

Mr Wallace said since recent rain events, gauging stations on or near the border between the two states confirmed a total of 846,009 megalitres has passed the border through the various river systems.

This includes 425,539 megalitres in the Warrego river system, 7,270 megalitres in the Nebine/Mungallala system, 9,800 megalitres in the Lower Balonne and 403,400 megalitres in the Paroo.

Mr Wallace urged NSW irrigators to allow as much of the current flows as possible to pass through the whole Murray Darling system.

Last year, Queensland took around 3.5% of Murray Darling flows compared to over 50% by New South Wales.

“Stock and domestic water supplies in the Lower Balonne River system are being replenished, and further storms in the catchment this week should see further flows cross the border into New South Wales,” Mr Wallace said.

Mr Wallace said it was the first meaningful flow in the system for two years.

Mr Wallace said NSW irrigators and graziers had incorrectly said that Queensland was taking too much water from the Murray Darling Basin.

“The current flows passing into NSW show Queensland is a good water citizen,” he said.

Media inquiries: Paul Childs, Craig Wallace’s office, on 0407 131 654.