G-MW water delivery general manager Warren Blyth said it was important customers understood the options available to them, before the annual three-month winter shutdown across the Goulburn Murray Irrigation District.
“I urge all customers to take responsibility for management of any unused water and carefully consider the best option for your farm business,” Mr Blyth said.
“This includes using your unused water before Friday, May 15, carrying over water into the next irrigation season, selling, trading or relinquishing water.
“By choosing to carryover, customers will have access to water early next season when the system reopens on Saturday, August 15.”
If water entitlement holders do nothing, they risk losing their unused water allocation, and it being returned to the consumptive pool for reallocation in the next irrigation season.
All G-MW customers have been invited to join an interactive webinar to further explain options on unused water and discuss the outlook for the next irrigation season.
“The webinar is a chance for irrigators to ask questions direct to our team on managing unused water, with themes covering all the options, dates and requirements,” Mr Blyth said.
He said G-MW could not guarantee access to irrigation or domestic and stock water from the channel system from May 15 to the opening of the irrigation season on August 15.
“We are mindful some gravity irrigation customers may wish to water beyond Friday, May 15, and formal out-of-season arrangements with a small number of irrigation customers may be made for water delivery in the irrigation off-season.
“But the vast majority of our customers will not irrigate during winter and now need to consider their options for any unused water allocation.”
The webinar will be held using BlueJeans video conference software at 2 pm on Friday, May 15.
To register or to download the annual end-of-season newsletter, visit www.gmwater.com.au or phone 1800 013 357.
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