Member for Northern Tablelands Brendan Moylan has warned the recent increase to rural water prices threatens the state’s agricultural sector.
The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) has approved the maximum prices WaterNSW can charge for provide regional and rural bulk water services from 1 July, 2026.
Rural water prices will rise by up to 46.4 per cent over the next four years in the Border, Gwydir, Peel, Lachlan, North Coast and South Coast valleys.
Mr Moylan said the price rises could cripple landholders.
“Farmers are already drowning in rising costs to fuel, fertiliser freight and compliance and now they are facing unaffordable water bills,” he said.
“These water price hikes aren’t just small increases; they have the potential to force producers to reconsider their future in agriculture, which would have dire consequences for local, regional, and the wider NSW economy.
“These decisions have the potential to flow-on to food prices, supply chains and the cost of living for the entire country.
“We need pricing that supports farmers rather than costs that could force them out of the industry.
“IPART’s own report recognised that customers cannot readily absorb higher costs and rising water charges will drive more farms out of operation but it still approved a pricing trajectory that significantly raises them.
“Every additional dollar spent on unavoidable water fees is a dollar taken away from hiring local contractors, upgrading equipment, supporting nearby businesses, or investing in regional areas.
“This pricing model punishes productivity, and we need one which actually supports it.”
Media release: Member for Northern Tablelands Brendan Moylan
