Irrigators Frustrated at Cost-Benefit Study into Desalination Plant

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Irrigators Frustrated at Cost-Benefit Study into Desalination Plant

Irrigators Frustrated at Cost-Benefit Study into Desalination Plant

South Australian farmers believe the State Government missed the bigger picture when it decided it would not be economically beneficial to give irrigators access to desalinated water during dry times.

 

A cost-benefit analysis released on Tuesday considered using desalinated water during drier periods to offset cuts to River Murray irrigator allocations.

But the report found the costs to metropolitan water users would exceed likely productivity gains to farmers.

1923748-3x2-940x627.jpgThe Central Irrigation Trust is an organisation that acts as an intermediary between South Australia's water department and irrigators.

Chief executive officer Gavin McMahon is in close contact with irrigators in the Riverland.

He said more needed to be done to help all South Australians during dry times.

"During the Millennium Drought our communities were out leasing water and investing in their businesses to keep them afloat, yet the metropolitan area was unaffected by it," Mr McMahon said.

"We want to have further discussions with the State Government on a broader scale to see what is best for the state as a whole."

South Australian Water Minister Ian Hunter has stood firm on his assertion that the Adelaide desalination plant was built to meet the critical water needs of the city.

"We were faced with the very real prospect of not having water for Adelaide, and to solve that problem we built the desalination plant. That's why it was built, not for any other reason," he said.

The Adelaide desalination plant is currently running at 10 per cent capacity, while irrigators are facing their lowest allocations in several years.

Farmers important to state's economy

Riverland citrus grower Mark Doecke thinks the desalination plant should be switched on, despite the cost-benefit analysis saying it would be too expensive. 

Mr McMahon said there were economic reasons for allowing South Australian irrigators access to the desalination plant.

"We produce a lot of export-earning produce, which brings money into South Australia and the nation as a whole. We're a pretty big employer as well," he said.

"From a state perspective, if you can make a resource available that keeps an area productive, then that's what we should be looking at.

"That's what we've been asking of the Government — can we utilise the resource for the benefit of everybody in the state?"

Source: ABC

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