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Thursday, 14 September 2006 The Ricegrowers Association of Australia Inc (RGA) today expressed concern about the bulk water determination handed down by IPART this week. “Whilst IPART has amended its draft determination, the outcome for irrigators is still unsatisfactory, said Mr Laurie Arthur, President. “For the Murray and Murrumbidgee Valleys, the MDBC costs remain the most contentious issue. IPART’s Determination is an improvement for Murray irrigators, but delivers increased costs for Murrumbidgee irrigators and more importantly, this comes at the cost of transparency and a full and thorough analysis of all MDBC costs, “IPART’s statement that both the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and State Water Corporation (SWC) have made little progress in the last ten years in addressing deficiencies supports long held concerns of irrigators. Yet IPART’s Determination is a perplexing outcome delivering unjustified rewards to inefficient government agencies, said Mr Arthur. “IPART has failed to recognise that the services provided by DNR and SWC, if open to contestability, will deliver a more efficient robust cost base and therefore reduced costs to irrigators, “In gazetting bulk water prices over the next four years, RGA calls on the NSW Government to set a bulk water charges below the maximum price path set by IPART, said Mr Arthur. CONTACT |
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