ABARES Weekly Australian Climate, Water and Agricultural Update

online portal to make it easier to submit your information - or if you can’t access our online services, there’s still time to post back your return this week.

Submitting your Annual Land and Stock Return is just as important for landholders who don’t own livestock.

“By letting us know you don’t have any livestock you can save money on your Local Land Services rates next year,” he said.

“Livestock owners are charged an Animal Health rate and Meat Industry Levy. If you don’t have any livestock, please complete your return and tick ‘no livestock’then this additional rate will not be applied to your next rates notice.”

We appreciate the more than 70,000 landholders across the state who have already completed their returns this year.

It’s easy and quick to do online via our dedicated web hub: http://www.lls.nsw.gov. au/alsr

Don’t forget to submit your return by 31 August – it could help you avoid additional fees and levies being applied to your rates.

• For the week ending 23 August 2023, frontal systems and a trough brought showers to southern parts of Australia. Up to 50 millimetres of rainfall was recorded in parts of Western Australia, eastern New South Wales and in western Tasmania. A highpressure system kept the remainder of the country dry and clear.

• Across cropping regions, rainfall totals of up to 25 millimetres were recorded in central New South Wales and southern and central parts of Western Australia. Little to no rainfall was recorded in the remaining cropping regions and these regions will require suffcient and timely rain in the coming weeks and months to maintain current levels of winter crop production, following a gradual decline in soil moisture reserves.

• Drier than normal conditions are expected in September for large areas of Australia. Across cropping regions, during September there is a there is a 75% chance of rainfall totals of between 10 and 25 millimetres across eastern New South Wales, southern and central Victoria, western and central South Australia and western and southern Western Australia. If realised, this poor September 2023 rainfall outlook represents a signifcant downside production risk for both winter and summer crop production as well as pasture growth.

• During September to November 2023, there is 75% chance of receiving between 25 and 100 millimetres across most winter cropping regions, except for northern cropping regions in Western Australia where falls are expected to be below 25 millimetres. If realised, these falls may be suffcient to support close to average plant growth, in areas with average or better levels of soil moisture. In areas with low soil moisture, such as southern Queensland, north-western New South Wales and northern and eastern Western Australia, these probable low three-month rainfall totals are unlikely to be suffcient to sustain average levels of crop and pasture production.

• On 23 August 2023, the Australasian Fire and Emergency Services Authorities Council (AFAC) released its Seasonal Bushfre Outlook for spring 2023. An increased risk of fre is expected for large areas of New South Wales, Queensland and the Northern Territory, as well as parts of Victoria and South Australia. This increased risk of bushfres represents a signifcant localised risk to crop and livestock.

• Over the 8-days to 31 August 2023, fronts and troughs are expected to bring isolated showers to south-eastern parts of the country. Across cropping regions, minimal rainfall totals of up to 5 millimetres are expected across much of New South Wales and Queensland, in central South Australia and southern Western Australia. No rainfall is expected remaining areas. These falls are likely to be of little beneft to crops and pastures as they are unlikely to be suffcient to offset evaporative losses.

• Water storage levels in the MurrayDarling Basin (MDB) increased between 17 August 2023 and 24 August 2023 by 34 gigalitres (GL). Current volume of water held in storage is 20 983 GL. This is 2 percent or 507 GL less than at the same time last year.

©Commonwealth of Australia 2023, Australian Bureau of Meteorology Issued: 23/8/2023

• Allocation prices in the Victorian Murray below the Barmah Choke increased from $152 on 10 August 2023 to $155 on 17 August 2023. Prices are lower in regions above the Barmah choke due to the binding of the Barmah choke trade constraint.

Government hits self-destruct button on Basin unity

Farmers have responded with dismay at the Government’s decision to reach prematurely for water buybacks, before alternative options have been considered.

National Farmers’ Federation President, Fiona Simson, said today’s announcement to deliver the MurrayDarling Basin Plan in full with buybacks squarely on the agenda would be met with disbelief given the Government’s recent consultation.

“Just a few short weeks ago the Government sought and received over 100 submissions from stakeholders, outlining innovative and smart solutions to deliver the plan without the need for buybacks,” Ms Simson said.

“The NFF’s was just one of these groups that engaged in good faithputting up over 1,000GL of buyback-free water recovery projects.

“The Minister has just admitted these are yet to be fully considered. To fre the starting gun on harmful buybacks while sitting on an unread stack of alternatives beggars belief.”

The Commonwealth has failed to bring Victoria into the new Basin agreement –ending more than 16 years of fragile cooperation around the Plan.

“Maintaining a degree of unity between the states and the Commonwealth has been a major achievement of the Plan to date. Today unity has been pushed to the wayside with what looks like a rushed and clumsy attempt to override states’ genuine concerns about buybacks.

“States have a right to stand up for their communities and say no to buybacks. Accepting buybacks shouldn’t be a precondition for amending the deadlines – that’s just politically conniving.

“Buybacks have hurt Basin communities in the past and they’ll infict more pain if they start again.

“This isn’t just an issue for farmers. It’s a bill every Australian gets to pay not once, but twice – frst as their taxes bankroll costly buybacks, then again when their grocery bill goes up.

“You cut production in our food bowl and everyone who eats foots the bill.”

Ms Simson called on the Opposition and members of the crossbench to hold the Government to account on this issue when legislation comes before Parliament.

“Right now, there are too many unanswered questions to wave any legislation though.

“Why has the Government ignored the alternative options it asked for? How much will this unnecessary spending spree cost the taxpayer? And what will be the impact on Basin communities, and do the socio-economic tests still stand?

“We also don’t want to see an end to bipartisanship. The Government should engage meaningfully with the Coalition to give communities confdence going forward.

“Farmers and communities deserve the chance to engage meaningfully before these laws that will affect them are passed. We look forward to engaging constructively and decisively to ensure their views are heard.”