WATER ALLOCATIONS INCREASE FOR ST GEORGE AND MARY RIVER AREAS

St George Water Supply Scheme

Bulk share customers in the St George water supply scheme will benefit from the recent boost to water levels at Beardmore Dam, Water Minister Craig Wallace said today.

Mr Wallace said he had been advised by SunWater that a review of recent inflows into the dam meant 79 stock and domestic customers supplied by the scheme had been given a 10% increase to their allocation.

Allocations for those stock and domestic customers have gone from 86% to 96%.

“I’m very pleased that benefits of the ongoing wet conditions recently afforded to larger irrigators in the region are now being extended to smaller water users,” Mr Wallace said.

“While only holding a total of 420 megalitres of allocation, the fact that this volume is now almost fully available is great news for those water users.

“All water users in the St George region are now in a far better position than they were a few months ago thanks to some good flooding rainfall in the west.

“They have a range of water options which they did not have just a short time ago,” Mr Wallace said.

Beardmore Dam is currently at 98.3% and holding just over 80,000 megalitres.

Mary River Water Supply Scheme

Recent inflows to the Mary River catchment have further increased storage levels at Borumba Dam, meaning good news for water allocations.

Water Minister Craig Wallace said that Borumba Dam was currently storing 100%, causing SunWater to revise the announced allocation for the Mary Valley Sub Scheme (Upper Mary) in the Mary River Water Supply Scheme.

“Medium Priority water allocation in this Sub Scheme has risen to 100% from 60%, with High Priority water allocation remaining at 100%,” Mr Wallace said.

“This is great news for irrigators in that scheme who can look to the future with renewed confidence,” he said.

Minister Wallace said that SunWater will be advising its customers of these increases to their allocation.

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