The NSW Department of Water and Energy announced an Available Water Determination (AWD) of 30 per cent for high security users in the Murrumbidgee Valley and 25 per cent for the Murray Valley at the end of July.

The announcement marks the first time high security users have received an allocation since last year, although general security users are still on zero allocations.

The Department of Water’s

deputy director-general, David Harriss said recent rains had meant more water is available for the state’s users.

“While both valleys remain in the grip of severe drought, rainfall in the upper catchments in July generated enough inflows to make some water available for the region’s high security licence holders,” Mr Harriss said.

Mr Harriss explained that

as water for critical human

needs had been secured for 2008/09, the department’s continued

priority is to provide water to high security licence holders and to reserve water for stock and domestic users.

Chairman of the Southern Riverina Irrigators Ted Hatty said although there was no joy for general security users, the allocation could be traded by high security users.