A number of irrigator groups have condemned a recent Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) monitoring report that showed full or partially-full water storages in western New South Wales during the pumping embargo in April and May. 

According to Australian media, the minister for water resources, David Littleproud, has asked the Murray-Darling Inspector General to investigate the publishing of the report, saying it was released "prematurely" and the information is "incorrect".

The report documented the analysis of satellite imagery in the Namoi and Macquarie valleys during an embargoed ‘first flush’ event in March-April 2019, identifying a number of dams that had partially filled during the event — some of which were flagged by the MDBA to require further investigation by the Natural Resources Access Regulator.  

Cotton Australia put out a statement condemning the timing of the report’s release and its content, stating that the information contained within the document implied wrongdoing without investigation and unduly identified properties, thereby affecting privacy.

The original report was released 17 October. The MDBA website published a replacement report at 8:30pm the following day, saying that they had “inadvertently published a draft version of the report Monitoring first flush flows in the Namoi, Macquarie and Warrego River”.

The statement also said: “The MDBA acknowledges publication of an earlier version may have caused unnecessary concern and confusion to landholders. Satellite images alone are not evidence of illegal activity, they indicate areas for further consideration and possible compliance investigation. The MDBA has uploaded an updated version of the report, and will now review its publishing practices.”

Image: An example of the imagery captured in MDBA’s  report.