Minister announces rural water meter installation

25 January 2012 

The Nationals Member for Burrinjuck and Minister for Primary Industries, Katrina Hodgkinson, announced today that the first of 600 new rural water meters has been installed on a Gundagai property.

This installation is part of the Murrumbidgee Computer Aided River Management (CARM) Project that will inject $65 million into the upgrade of river management infrastructure along the Murrumbidgee River.

"These new rural water meters will improve the management and monitoring of water flows along the Murrumbidgee system," Katrina said.

"The installation of these meters the first of five stages which will also include capital works and technology upgrades throughout the Murrumbidgee river system.

"The CARM project will improve the measurement and monitoring of water flows in the Murrumbidgee and assist with the reduction of water losses, significantly improving water efficiency in the area.

"Licence holders are not required to pay for the new meters the upgrading of existing metres, or installation of telemetry equipment, but there will be an annual service charge to cover ongoing operation and maintenance of the meters."

Katrina said the CARM project has focussed on communication to identified landholders. Locally recruited field liaison officers have been working to identify licence holders and keep them closely informed about the project.

"I have ensured that communication and consultation with landholders has been a key priority for this project," Katrina said.

"Upgrading these metres will contribute to NSW meeting the National Water Initiative's requirements that all water licence holders install meters that meet national standards by 2016.

"Work to install the new rural water meters in the Murrumbidgee River system is expected to be finished by June this year."

Local State Water licence holder, Brendan Daley who has been identified as receiving a new water meter as part of the program, commented "The CARM Project is a good idea, it will ensure more accurate accounting of water used".

"This project is part of the NSW Government's commitment to get on with the job of improving infrastructure in regional NSW," Katrina said.

Media Contact: Beth Stanford 6226 3311 or 0417 802 943