NSW Farmers’ Association President Charles Armstrong says many Members in the region have not had positive cash flow for several seasons, which has serious economic and social ramifications for their families and communities.

“The NSW Farmers’ Association has been lobbying tirelessly for the NSW Government to waive the general security fixed water charges in the Lachlan Valley for the full 2009/10 water year,” Mr Armstrong said.

The Association is sending a delegation to the region later this week to discuss the impacts of the Lachlan River ceasing to flow beyond Condobolin, including the impost of fixed water charges and future access to stock and domestic water.

“Drought conditions in the Lachlan Valley are unprecedented, with general security water users having received zero allocation for five out of the past six years. The region is experiencing its ninth consecutive year of drought,” he said.

Entitlement holders are subject to a two-part tariff pricing regime.

Fixed water charges apply irrespective of the level of allocation received, meaning that irrigators had been expected to pay the fixed charge portion of their two-part water tariff, even though they had not received a drop of water.

“The burden of fixed water charges that can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars every year is exacerbating an already difficult situation in an area where water supplies have been described by the NSW Water Minister as dangerously low,” Mr Armstrong said.

“This move will help alleviate the adverse impacts of the ongoing drought on regional communities dependent upon the irrigated farming sector, as well as farm families struggling through this unprecedented drought,” he said.