Agriculture industry has input on water management policy

By Belinda Varischetti

After years of pleading, a group of key agricultural interest groups has convinced the the Department of Water to work in partnership to develop key water management policies for the state.

The Agricultural Industry Water Policy Group includes members of the WA Farmers Federation, Pastoralists and Graziers Association, Fruit West, Harvey Water and the Vegetable and Potato Growers of WA among others.

One of the main talking points is sure to be the proposed $5.8 million in new annual charges for farm dams and bores that's been put forward by the Minister for Water and appears in the latest State Budget papers.

Steve Dilley is a third generation apple orchardist at Donnybrook in the south west and he's also the WA Farmers' water spokesperson.

"WA Farmers Federation has been basically pleading with the Department of Water and various governments over the last six or seven years that we'd like to have the opportunity to actually work with them in partnership to develop policy rather than in the past practice of where, and all government departments do it, they develop policies in isolation and then send out their documents for ratification under a public consultation process and then very little change is usually at the end of that consultation process and you finish up with a lot of dissatisfied industry groups so what we've said all the way along is we'd like the opportunity to work with the Department of Water in developing that policy."

He says the group is very keen to discuss the proposed $5.8 million annual charges that appear in the latest budget papers.

"It's something that I think most growers were very surprised with, we weren't aware that $5.8 million was actually in the budget papers until it was brought to our attention so disappointing that it is actually there ... we're just starting to build some good will again ... it won't be a strain it's certainly one of those little challenges that we'll have to get over, but I think the fact that it's actually in the budget papers and unfortunately it's not really the Department of Water's fault, it's probably a Treasury issue and I suppose ultimatley we'd support the calls that are being made at the moment for the government to come clean and let everybody known what their intentions are."

"The $5.8 million was over the top, that was obviously including new licence applications as well ... so I think we'll have an opportunity to work through it. So we obviously need to understand the Department of Water's position and they need to understand ours a lot better as well, so we've got some hard yards to do yet but certainly it's a real breath of fresh air the fact that the Department of Water is actually willing to work in partnership instead of in isolation which was done in the past."

Neil Bartholomaeus is the Convener of the Manjimup and Pemberton Landowners Group, which is concerned about the proposed $5.8 million in annual charges applying to farm dams and bores.

Neil is not confident this new agricultural policy reference group can influence the Department of Water's decisions, particularly when it comes to these proposed new charges in the budget papers.

"We don't see an adhoc committee, an informal committee having any real impact on the behaviour of the Minister for Water and the Department of Water."

He says the proposed charges would mean the owners of farm dams in his area would be required to pay $1670 per annum.

"It's tough making a living off the land and each time there is an additional government fee or charge it adds to the bottom line and reduces competitiveness of agriculture into the highly competitive national and international markets."

The Minister for Water Bill Marmion says "The forecasted increase in the Department of Water's income from 'Regulatory fees and fines' of $5.799 million is based on a fee structure to recover water license administration fees proposed by the previous Government in their 2007-08 Budget Papers.

"The Department of Treasury has kept the same figure as a line item in the Budget Papers since 2008 in the budget out years, pending consideration by Government of the introduction of water resource management fees.

"Consistent with the State's obligations under the National Water Initiative (NWI), Government continues to consider the implementation of water resource management fees around water resource management legislative reforms.

He says "No decision has been made on cost recovery."

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