Gwydir Valley Irrigators Association executive officer Zara Lowien has handed down her verdict on the proposed water metering framework that was put forward last week at a local, community consultation.
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“Generally speaking from the feedback that I’ve heard and from what I’ve read in the proposal, I think it’s a fairly practical application of the policy,” Ms Lowien said.
The NSW Department of Industry-Water hosted a public meeting last Thursday, to garner feedback on its non-urban metering proposal.
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While Ms Lowien said she was generally happy with the proposal, she would like to iron out a few key points.
Under the proposal, surface water users with 500 mm and larger works would have to meet the new meter requirements come December 2019.
“The majority of off takes in the Gwydir region are 500 mm or larger. That puts us [farmers] into the large installation category,” Ms Lowien said.
She said the low number of pattern-approved meters on the market and low number of suppliers will make it a challenge to reach the 2019 target.
“Also if a meter needs replacing prior to that date, it must be pattern approved and that makes that condition, almost impossible to meet for some installations,” Ms Lowien said.
“I believe we should have at least two manufacturers, a choice of three would be better. This would ensure competitiveness in the market and the availability of supply. I am concerned that we will be at the mercy of only one manufacturer.”
Under the proposal, meters would also be privately-owned, rather than government controlled.
“It is a preference for us to maintain a private ownership of the model,” Ms Lowien said.
“It’s important for clarity of responsibility but that we look at other protocols in place, such as minimum accuracy standards, the validation of the site and maintaining tamper-evident seals.
“From our perspective, we need to look at the package as a whole. With an effective compliance agency will lead to confidence in the overall system.”
In terms of the telemetry add-on and cost effectiveness, Ms Lowien said price was a minor concern.
“Around 20 per cent of farms in the Gwydir region already have a telemetry system in place. The challenge is whether the government systems are ready to incorporate that data.”
Ms Lowien noted that despite the finer details, the proposal was practical.
“The approach appears fairly practical because of the high standard of metering we already have within the valley.”