IRRIGATORS in the Lower Balonne have welcomed the prospect of greater control over their water allocations, thanks to local resource rule changes.
Under proposed changes to the Condamine and Balonne Resource Operations Plan 2008, expected to take effect by the end of July, Lower Balonne irrigators will be able to legally trade water entitlements linked to on-farm storage.
The increased flexibility would mean irrigators could choose to trade allocations to the Commonwealth Government, delivering environmental quotas through the Murray-Darling Basin Program's water recovery process, instead of pumping from a river flow for on-farm storage.
The rule change would also enable Lower Balonne irrigators to trade between other water harvesters within their zone.
Minister for Natural Resources Dr Anthony Lynham made the announcement last Thursday during a visit to south-west Queensland irrigation communities - his first since taking office.
"The changes will only apply to the Lower Balonne Water Management Area and similar changes are not necessary in other areas of the Murray Darling Basin," Dr Lynham said.
He said that "this amendment will not result in an increase in long-term average annual water take from the Murray-Darling Basin."
Hebel irrigator and Smartrivers chairman, Frank Deshon, said the change would prove most beneficial in managing "low flows" released from Beardmore Dam - any flow under or around 30,000 megalitres.
"It's about making the most efficient use of the water available," Mr Deshon said.
"This is a good move in getting better, more efficient management of water between irrigators and the environment."
Mr Deshon said the announcement followed many years of hard lobbying by local water harvesters, who saw illogic in pumping allocations at times when they could not "use the water economically or efficiently".
This situation was faced by Lower Balonne irrigators as recently as January this year, Mr Deshon said.
Irrigators' storage dams were dry and the cotton crop that was in the ground "had enough water to get it through".
So when a low flow came, irrigators saw it as an appropriate time for environmental water recovery and attempted to negotiate a trade to deliver resources back to the environment.
By the time the basin Environmental Water Holders responded, it was too late.
The river had risen and dropped.
Irrigators opted to pump water rather than miss out on their entitlement altogether.
"Because we're the lower Balonne we have a window of nought to five days [from when the water is released from Beardmore Dam], which is when the environmental water holder needs the framework so we can make the decision as to what we do," Mr Deshon said.
There are nine licenced water harvesters remaining in the Lower Balonne, falling across seven water zones between St George and the Queensland/New South Wales border.
