DoW under fire

WAFarmers has criticised the Department of Water's (DoW) approach to changing the State's water allocation policy.

DoW compiled a policy review document aimed at dealing with water resources that had reached more than 70 per cent of their allocation.

At last Friday's closing date for public comment, DoW had received more than 40 submissions.

The review outlined a number of alternatives to the current first-in, first-served water allocation policy, including auctions, merit selection, direct sale and random ballots.

In its submission, WAFarmers said none of these alternatives would ensure the best management of WA's water sources.

WAFarmers' policy director Alan Hill said every bit of a water resource should be seen as valuable.

"We have not seen any justification as to why 70 per cent is more significant than 60 per cent when it comes to water allocations," he said.

He labelled the review as a knee-jerk reaction to Karara Mining's water licence for the more than 80 per cent of the Parmelia aquifer, granted earlier this year.

The granting of Karara's water licence in September angered landholders in the Mingenew district, who argued the DoW was taking away from potential food production.

Mr Hill said DoW should engage in a greater level of public consultation when it came to allocating WA water sources.

"The Department of Water has to work much more closely with people within the catchments," he said.

WAFarmers submission rejected the idea of putting a price on water because this would put financially worse off parties at a disadvantage.

The farm lobby group supported the controversial first in, first served policy, but said the trading of water resources should be allowed once water resources reach their allocation limits.

"WAFarmers does not believe the Department of Water's proposed policy options offer anything more than a flawed attempt at developing a 'solution' to a number of much broader, unresolved issues in the State's water management," it stated in its submission. "We believe that simply adding costs to water users under the guise of it being the 'efficient allocation of resources to the highest value use' is unacceptable."

WAFarmers called for a clearer approach to how changes to the state's water policy would occur.

A DoW spokesman said DoW would formulate a statement of response to the public submissions once the policy review is completed.

He said the review would have no impact on pending water applications.