VICTORIAN farmers are calling on the State Government to deliver a stock and domestic water plan in the wake of long-term decline in south-east Australia’s rainfall runoff.
“Since the early 1990s we’ve seen a decline in rainfall runoff that has led to more frequent water shortages, forcing farmers to cut stock numbers, cart water or put in emergency pipelines,” VFF Stock and Domestic Water Taskforce Chairman Peter Delahunty said.
“We’re grateful that the State Government has stepped in to fund a number of feasibility studies into stock and domestic water pipelines across the state. But now we need to take the next step and deliver a stock and domestic water strategy for the state.”
The State Government needs to ensure the State Water Plan currently being developed considers stock and domestic water shortages. The draft plan released in May did not do this and the VFF believes a stock and domestic water strategy is the way to do this.
The VFF’s call for a stock and domestic water plan follow a VFF survey which showed stock water shortages had forced farmers to reduce stock numbers, sell stock when the market is not ideal and expend resources on sourcing alternative water supplies.
Nearly 300 farmers across Victoria completed the survey in the month between May 6 and June 6, underlining the importance of the issue among primary producers.
Western and Central Victoria were revealed as areas most vulnerable to shortages and have been hit hardest in recent times, but farmers across the state have experienced shortages in the past 24 months.
VFF Stock and Domestic Water Taskforce Chairman Peter Delahunty said the survey results supported the organisation’s call for a stock and domestic water strategy.
