Jennifer Marohasy

According to the Environment Australia website, Macquarie Marsh grazier’s have a saying “Fat ducks mean fat cattle”. Of course all this is dependent on water.

Across Australia there is an expectation that we will all have to pay a bit more for our water, and use water more efficiently.

Interestingly Macquarie Marsh graziers get their water for free as environmental flow.

In contrast the NSW State Water Corporation expects the upstream irrigators to pay for their water and significantly more from next year.

The price of water may increase from $6.6 $8.24 per megalitre to $16.53 $19.49 per megalitre next financial year for the Macquarie Valley.

If the Marsh graziers paid the same as irrigators for their average annual water useage I calcuate they would be up for $2.55 $3.19 million dollars this year and $6.4 $7.55 million dollars next financial year.*

Under current arrangements, however, they pay nothing as the water for the pasture for their cattle is delivered as an environmental flow allocation.

This is on the understanding that “fat cattle equals fat ducks”.

This assumes the graziers are looking after the marshes and the “duck habitat”.

I suggested at my post last Thursday titled Cattle Killing the Macquarie Marshes that there was evidence of severe overgrazing.

Following that post, Ian Mott’s commented that my “single photo of a self selected point in time tells us nothing about sustainability”.

Fair comment. So I am posting a second picture.

I have been given permission to republish a picture from Australian Geographic (volume 77). The photograph was taken in 2002 at the same site as the photograph I showed in the earlier post.

To see photograph taken in 2002,click here.

To see photograph taken in 2005, click here.

Both photographs are of the south western boundary of the North Marsh Nature Reserve. The fence is the line of demarcation between an overgrazed private property and ungrazed nature reserve.

It seems reasonable to conclude that, at least at this site, overgrazing has been occuring for a few years.

It begs the questions, should there be some controls on stocking rates in the marshes and should the graziers get all their water for free?

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* My calculation is based on the following: Irrigation water in the Macquarie Valley is currently priced at $6.6 per megalitre ($2.81 general security and $3.79 usage) next year the price may increase to $16.53 ($3.45 general security and $13.08 usage) based on water corporation submissions to IPART Bulk Water Price Review. The average annual inflow to the marshes is 440,169 megalitres. 88% of the marsh area is privately owned and grazed.

Update 26th October 2005, 7.30pm.

* My calculation is based on the following: Irrigation water in the Macquarie Valley is currently priced at $8.24 per megalitre next year the price may increase to $19.49 based on submissions to IPART Bulk Water Price Review. The average annual inflow to the marshes is 440,169 megalitres. 88% of the marsh area is privately owned and grazed. These values relect State Water and DNR charges for general security water. Permanent licences for general security water are being traded at between $1200 and $1500 per megalitre.