Latest water audit finds more than 100 NSW properties extracting too much

Water over-extraction can have huge consequences' as seen in the Menindee Lakes fish kills, says academic

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New satellite technology has enabled the New South Wales water regulator to identify more than 100 cases where farms have taken more water than they are entitled to, including 13 that merited serious enforcement action.

The first comprehensive audit of overdrawn accounts by the Natural Resources Access Regulator (NRAR), the state government initiative responsible for the enforcement of water laws, found that out of 263 properties audited from the 2020-21 financial year, there was no breach in 149 cases and 101 accounts had been overdrawn to a minor degree, in addition to the more serious cases.

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