THE NSW cabinet agreed yesterday to pay half the costs for the emergency trucking of water to towns and properties near the Lachlan River in western NSW, which is about to stop flowing due to critical drought conditions.
A crisis meeting last month decided to slash water flows from the region's main water supply, Wyangala Dam, after it reached the record low level of less than 6 per cent.
The Government also agreed to subsidise the drilling of bores in Forbes, Condobolin, Lake Cargelligo, Ivanhoe, Euabalong, Euabalong West, Booligal and Oxley.
"Drought conditions in the Lachlan Valley have reached crisis point," said the Water Minister, Phil Costa. "In recognition of just how serious the situation in the Lachlan is, the Government will deliver a package of relief measures to help local communities and water users."
Some water charges for farmers would be waived, because there was no water to extract.
"Lachlan general security water users have received zero allocation for five years out of the past six. This is unprecedented anywhere else in NSW," Mr Costa said.
In all, about $4.5 million has been allocated to help with the water supply crisis in the region.
The water flow from Wyangala Dam was cut on Saturday for the first time since it was built in 1935.
The use of water along the river has been restricted to just cover "critical human needs", which means drinking and showering.
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