Torrential downpours have saved one of the country's biggest blueberry growing regions from the brink of collapse.
Torrential rain along the New South Wales Mid North Coast has saved one of the country's biggest blueberry growing regions from the brink of collapse.The growers want to access to an old town water supply in times of droughtBefore the rain, industry body Berries Australia said drought in the region had left growers out of water and forced many to stop watering crops while the region's workforce was slashed by 35 to 50 per cent.
Association chair Peter McPherson said recent downpours had replenished dams, bringing widespread relief to the region, where more than half of Australia's blueberries are grown.But he said he was"extremely disappointed" that during the worst drought in the region's history, the sector could not tap into an old town water supply to help it stay afloat until the rain came.
Before Christmas, the state's water regulators halted plans by Coffs Harbour City Council to sell most of Woolgoolga Dam's supply to assist ailing growers because the supply was not licensed for agricultural or irrigation use.
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