No water will be allocated to irrigators in the Murray-Darling basin for the coming year unless there is substantial rain in the next six weeks, Prime Minister John Howard said yesterday.
Howard described the situation as "unprecedentedly dangerous", following a report of state and federal officials that examinedwater availability in the system.
"If it doesn't rain in sufficient volume over the next six to eight weeks, there will be no water allocations for irrigation purposes in the basin."
Howard stressed urban water supplies were not at risk. It would also be possible for some farmers, particularly those with riverside properties, to draw water for their own personal need but not for their stock.
Howard said the dire predictions were further reason for Victoria to sign up to the federal Government's A$10 billion ($11.32 billion) water reform package for the Murray-Darling, announced in January.
The Bracks Government is resisting pressure to agree to it, despite the agreement of NSW, Queensland and South Australia, believing it does not represent a good outcome for the state.
Irrigators warned that massive food price rises will result if no water is allocated to Murray-Darling Basin farmers.
"If it continues like this ... we will see food become increasingly scarce and it will be reflected in the price of it," the Irrigation Association of Australia's chief executive officer, Jolyon Burnett, said.
The Murray-Darling Basin contains about 75 per cent of Australia's irrigated crops and pastures and it accounts for an estimated 34 per cent of the nation's gross value in agricultural production.
