The cotton industry has welcomed the allocation of nearly Australian $620 million in the New South Wales Budget for infrastructure that would help secure the water supply of rural towns in the state, Cotton Australia said on its website. Cotton Australia General Manager, Michael Murray, said the allocation of $53 million to fix the water supply for Broken Hill was particularly appreciated. “For many years the lack of a permanent water solution for Broken Hill has heavily impacted cotton growers, and the businesses and communities that rely on them,” Murray said. “The water situation has been critical for Broken Hill’s citizens and irrigators in the region for many years. Cotton Australia and other irrigator groups had called for a long-term solution to this issue for quite some time, and we are pleased the NSW Government has taken these positive steps to secure water not just for the people of Broken Hill but also for struggling farmers.” The announcement is the second time in recent weeks that northern NSW farmers have received positive news on water security. In late May the NSW government announced it would lift temporary water restrictions which had been imposed on irrigators in the region at Easter time. “After the embargo was lifted some irrigators had been able to undertake limited pumping, which was very welcome,” Murray said. “We appreciate that NSW minister for lands and water, Niall Blair, has been meeting people in the region in recent weeks, hearing the concerns of farmers first-hand. We look forward to working with the government to implement its new water infrastructure plan,” he said.
