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Media Release - Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources Murray Murrumbidgee Regional Office Deniliquin: 1 August 2005 NO WATER CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR GENERAL SECURITY IRRIGATION IN THE NSW MURRAY VALLEY WATER AVAILABILITY FOR LOWER DARLING RIVER GENERAL SECURITY USERS REMAINS AT 50 PERCENT OF ENTITLEMENT Regional Director of the NSW Department of Infrastructure Planning and Natural Resources, David Harriss, today advised that the allocation for general security water users in the NSW Murray Valley will remain at 0% of entitlement. Mr Harriss said that the assessment of water availability in the NSW Murray Valley at the end of July identified that inflows during the month had not been sufficient to enable any water to be allocated for general security licence holders at this stage. High security water users, including town water supply and industrial uses have 100% water availability while high security irrigation users have 97% water availability. In the Lower Darling River Valley upstream of Ashvale Station to the Menindee Lakes, general security water users currently have access to 50% of entitlement. This will be reviewed when an assessment of inflows to the Menindee Lakes from rainfall in the catchments earlier in July is completed. High security users in the Lower Darling River Valley have access to 100 percent of entitlement. Mr Harriss said that a further assessment of inflows for the Murray and Lower Darling Valleys will be undertaken in the next two weeks and announcement of water availability made on the 15th of August.   MEDIA CONTACTS Murray Murrumbidgee Regional Office Bunty Driver 0407 403 234 8-20 Edwardes St PO Box 205 DENILIQUIN NSW 2710 Telephone (03) 5881 9210 Facsimile (03) 5881 5102 Top of Page List of Media Releases © NSW Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources