Water Prices Threaten NSW Farmers

WaterNSW is pushing through steep water price hikes for farmers to stay afloat financially, risking a “death spiral” where rising costs kill demand and deepen the crisis. With average annual increases of 6.5% over four years—and some regions seeing jumps over 40%—farmers are struggling to afford irrigation, questioning whether growing their own feed is even viable. One dairy farmer wonders if he should just buy feed instead, highlighting how reduced local production shrinks WaterNSW’s revenue stream. WaterNSW claims it had no choice, citing near-insolvency after last year’s pricing decisions and a shrinking customer base. They’ve deferred major projects and plan cost-cutting, while IPART urges a government review to explore long-term funding and subsidies. The NSW Irrigators Council calls the current pricing devastating, saying IPART merely shifted the burden to farmers—and their own data confirms that at low allocations, irrigation isn’t profitable anymore. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/2b713f25ece27c26