Mayor's Message - Council Connections 17 October 2018

Meeting with Deputy Prime Minister

Council recently had the opportunity to brief the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Michael McCormack, on development being pursued in our region and general issues affecting same.  We discussed constraints to our community lifestyle and tourism potential by the lack of deep water access at Dungeness and Forrest Beach.

We discussed the need for more infrastructure to assist us grow alternate crops in rotation to our cane, the need to address our ability to irrigate for alternate crops and the rising costs of electricity as a barrier to irrigation and new industry. 

No promises, but an acknowledgement that all matters were within the scope of the Developing Northern Australia agenda and would be pushed as part of the greater regional agenda.

Photo: Mayor Ramon Jayo with the other regional Mayors met with Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Michael McCormack to discuss development being pursued in the region.

Water Resource Information Forum

The Water Forum organised by Council addressing the legalities surrounding irrigation activity, held on Monday 8 October 2018, was well attended with attendees gaining a better understanding of the current licensing regime in place.

The take home message was the need for property owners possessed of existing unlicensed bores in regulated areas to register same to ensure their rights to future taking.

Whilst current legislation establishes an offence to take water in regulated areas from unauthorised water points, the department has allowed a moratorium for owners to register infrastructure.

There is a belief that the information is being sought so that the department can start charging.  That is not the intent at the moment, but rather, the information is needed to allow the department to plan their resourcing.  The fact that the department is ignorant to what is currently out there and how much water is possibly being taken at present is resulting in new applications for licences being refused to the detriment of landholders wishing to irrigate.

There is no charge at present for water used and the government has not signified any intention to do so.  An administrative charge for the granting of a licence is imposed, not unlike your car or gun licence.

The threat however is, that if you don’t register you will at some point lose your pre-existing rights as the State moves forward with the granting of new licences.

At the end of the day, the water available to this district for irrigation is not infinite and therefore quota systems apply.  That is why information is required.

Attendees were also informed that holders of licences or water allocations, and who do not require same either permanently or temporarily, may trade with same in certain circumstances.  Trading includes the right to sell or lease for defined periods.  If you are interested in trading please let me know.

If you need assistance or further clarification, contact the department on 4763 0771 or Council on 4776 4602 at your convenience.

Cr Ramon Jayo
Mayor