Water deficiency declared in the Shire of Kent

WA Water Minister Dave Kelly has declared a water deficiency in the Hollands Rock area in the Shire of Kent, and announced the WA Government will begin carting water tomorrow (June 5 2019) for emergency water supplies for animal welfare needs.

The official declaration follows an application from the Shire on behalf of seven farmers in the Hollands Rock area. A declaration is made as a last resort after continued dry conditions due to climate change have depleted on-farm and State Government managed community water supplies.

The declaration will see the State Government cart an estimated 350,000 litres of water each week from the Water Corporation’s scheme at Newdegate and the old Lake King town dam. Water will be delivered to the Hollands Rock tank on Hollands Rock Road, reducing the distance farmers need to travel to source emergency livestock water. Water carting will commence tomorrow (June 5 2019).

Water carting arrangements are being managed by the WA Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) with support from the WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and the Water Corporation.

This is the third water deficiency to be declared in Western Australia in 2019, as dry conditions continue in the south-west of the State due to climate change. Water deficiencies have also been declared in the shires of Ravensthorpe and Lake Grace.

DWER is liaising with local government authorities and farmers in other dryland areas to monitor their on-farm water storage and water requirements, and encourages Community Water Supply Program grant applications in areas of need.

Source: WA Government