WATER — VARIABLE
TAKE LICENCES
1367. Hon COLIN de GRUSSA to the minister representing the
Minister for Water:
I refer to the determination of
spring rights as it applies to surface water irrigators in the Manjimup–Pemberton
irrigation district.
(1) Why are some farmers, with previously approved
spring rights, now being told they no longer have spring rights?
(2) Why are
farmers with an A-class water licence now being told they need a licence again
when they were previously told they did not need a licence due to spring
rights?
(3) Given that
catchments are fully allocated in the region, when will this quagmire of
uncertainty be resolved and how will this be communicated to all in the region?
Hon
ALANNAH MacTIERNAN replied:
I thank the member for the question.
The following information has been provided by the Minister for Water.
(1)–(3) The
questions contain a certain number of misconceptions. Firstly, one of the
deficiencies of the current legislation, which was not remedied by the previous
government, is that there is no formal process for farmers to get a definitive
declaration that they have a spring right. The Department of Water and
Environmental Regulation has put in place a voluntary process to assist
farmers. The government believes that it will be necessary to modernise water
management in Western Australia, including improving the processes around
establishing a spring right.
Minister Kelly has advised that his
office is willing to meet with anyone who is concerned. I would be more than
prepared to organise a briefing with Minister Kelly for the member.