South Australian River Murray water users will start the water year with 100 per cent of their allocation due to good inflows over the past three months.

The wet conditions have boosted Murray-Darling Basin storages to 94 per cent of their capacity which is 27 percent above the long-term average for the end of June.

In line with the River Murray Water Allocation Plan, private carryover will not be available in 2022/23 as the projected minimum opening allocation announced on 14 April 2022 was greater than 50 percent.

Recent rains also mean irrigators won’t need to draw as much water from the River as they would in dryer periods.

But despite the recent rains, South Australia has still only received 2 gigalitres of the 450GL promised under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

If our natural environment is going to survive the next drought, we need the 450GL promised under the Plan which is enshrined in federal legislation.

The Malinauskas Labor Government is poised to honour its election commitment deliver on its plan to save the River Murray including appointing a commissioner for the River Murray in SA.

Labor will reverse the former SA Liberal government’s endorsement of the complex efficiency measures criteria which only benefits upstream states and was described by the Royal Commission as a “capitulation”.

For more information visit the Department for Environment and Water’s website and the Murray-Darling Basin Authority website.

Quotes

Attributable to Susan Close

I’m pleased that the state’s water users will begin this water year with the security of a full allocation.

Much of our state’s prosperity and environmental sustainability comes from the River Murray which is why our government is committed to making the Murray a priority for South Australia again.

I also look forward to working with the Albanese Government to deliver the Murray-Darling Basin Plan in full, including delivering the final 450GL which federal Labor has also committed to.