CICL Update July 2022
Dear Members,
This newsletter provides Members with an update on key water issues affecting CICL and its Members’ businesses.
In this month's newsletter -
Department of Planning & Environment Allocation announcement
15/07/2022
High Security 95%
General Security 38%
Groundwater 100% (Lower Murrumbidgee)
CICL announcement and offer
Member Benefit 10%
Waterways
P: 1300 850 105
Water statements are available on Waterways but its Water Ordering functions are currently switched off.
The WaterMart platform can be accessed here.
The WaterMart temporary water trading platform commenced operation for the 2022/23 water year on Friday 1 July 2022.
If you would like to discuss how to register, please contact Therese Chauncy on T: 02 6954 4003 or E:ea@colyirr.com.au
Inter-valley trade
Up-to-date information on the IVT is here.
You can register for WaterNSW IVT alerts here.
Water Operations start of season
To assist with planning the commencement of water delivery for the 2022/23 season, please contact Water Operations if you are intending to place a water order in August.
At this stage CICL is planning to have water available by mid-August. Weather conditions and demand may influence the start date for water deliveries.
All early season water orders must be lodged by phoning the office T: 02 6954 4003 or M: 0427 544 269.
Crop form
Before a water order can be placed, members are required to complete a crop form with intended crop areas per farm. Crop areas can be updated at any time throughout the season if your plans change.
The crop form is available on our website here or from reception, and the completed form can be submitted via email to enquiries@colyirr.com.au or in person at reception.
2021/22 Invoices
Invoices are due for payment by Sunday 31 July 2022. Failure to pay will result in the suspension of water supply unless payment arrangements have been made.
Member benefit
CICL has announced a member benefit of 10 percent of delivery entitlements at no cost to members.
This offer is for members who are financial as of Sunday 31 July 2022.
To be financial, a member must have paid their 2021/22 invoices, or entered into a payment arrangement to the satisfaction of CICL before Sunday 31 July 2022. As the 31 July is a Sunday it is recommended accounts are paid or a payment arrangement entered into by Friday 29 July 2022.
The megalitre amount of the member benefit will be added to Water Statements by COB Monday 1 August 2022.
CICL Schedule of Charges
CICL has provided all members with our Schedule of Charges for 2022/23. The Schedule is produced to meet the requirements of the Water Charge Rules 2010 (Cth).
CICL Board Elections
CICL will call for nominations from Monday 22 August 2022 for one member director because of the retirement by rotation of Keith Burge. As previously advised Keith has confirmed he will not be seeking re-election to the CICL board, creating a vacancy for a new member director. The call for nominations closes at 12 noon on Wednesday 21 September 2022.
CICL AGM
The CICL Annual General Meeting is planned for the morning of Thursday 27 October 2022.
CERC
CICL called for nominations to the Community Environmental Reference Committee in June. Nominations are still being sought for Coly and Argoon regions with Nick Morona nominating for the vacant West Coleambally Channel position. If you are interested in nominating please contact the Company Secretary via Reception on T. 02 6954 4003.
Annual water allocation account limits
The water account rules which members need to be aware of are:
Carryover is limited to 30 percent of general security water entitlements.
Carryover plus the announced allocation cannot exceed 100 percent of general security water entitlements. Member benefit and allocation trade in is in addition to the 100 percent.
General security water entitlement holders can access off-allocation water in supplementary events when the announced allocation for general security is less than 70 percent. Any off-allocation usage is included in the account limit of 100 percent unless History of Use (HOU) supplementary water entitlements are held.
If you have used off-allocation water and an increase to general security announced allocation would cause you to breach the account limit of 100 percent, the off-allocation usage above the account limit is converted to normal (non-supplementary) usage.
HOU supplementary water entitlement holders can access off-allocation water in supplementary events up to the volume of their HOU entitlement.
Supplementary water is not available for high security water entitlement holders or delivery entitlements.
Water use intensity policy
Members are reminded that total farm water use (including on-farm bores) should not exceed 8ML/ha for the 2022/23 water season unless they have entered into Water Use Averaging Agreements with CICL. These agreements allow for averaging water use between unconnected farms and exempting farms from water use limits for horticulture, permanent plantings and other approved primary industries. Members must make an application in writing to CICL for a Water Use Averaging Agreement and the Agreement must be finalised before the mid-December allocation announcement for the Agreement to apply for the current season. Please contact Keith Thompson via reception on T: 02 6954 4003 for further information.
New staff
CICL is pleased to report it has contracted three new staff to fill vacancies. Members are encouraged to support and welcome these new staff to Coleambally.
Jacob Breed has been engaged as a Maintenance Office working in the Asset and Maintenance Division.
DanQing Xie has been engaged as an Environmental and Compliance Officer in the Environment and Compliance Division. DanQing comes to CICL with excellent environmental qualifications will be working with CICL’s environmental compliance team including learning from Mark Robb before he leaves CICL later this year.
Caitlin Edwards has commenced as a Water Systems Operator working in the Water Operations Division. Caitlin is a welcome addition to Water Operations which has operated with reduced resources for some time.
Allocation update, save the date and farewell Eric
The NSW Department of Planning and Environment, (the Department) in their Water Allocation Statement (15 April) was forecasting carryover of 680GL or approximately 30 percent of general security and conveyance entitlements and indicative starting allocations for general security of 25 percent.
Assuming median inflows, the forecast 1 November general security allocation is 51 percent. If wet conditions persist, a situation similar to earlier this water year is likely to arise where, due to full storages, allocations stall, as there is no space available to capture new resource. Only when liabilities reduce through water usage, and that airspace is refilled, can allocations increase.
Conclusion
CICL has written to the new Water Minister, Tanya Plibersek, inviting her to visit CICL and both NSWIC and National Irrigators have provided the new minister with briefing material.
The Commonwealth Parliament resumes at the end of July and in the coming months the new government’s approach to implementation of its Murray-Darling Basin Plan commitments will become clearer. CICL’s next newsletter will provide a more detailed external issues update.
I encourage members to attend the allocation update with the Department on Thursday 18 August. I am pleased Eric is able to attend this meeting, giving members a chance to thank Eric for his service.
Clifford Ashby
CEO
