Showing posts with label Northern Rivers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Northern Rivers. Show all posts

Tuesday 19 March 2024

Youth crime and crime generally are always good ways to scare rural and regional communities and a scare campaign has been running hot and cold in 2024

 

Youth crime and crime generally are always good ways to scare rural and regional communities and a scare campaign has been running hot and cold since the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOSCAR) released the state's 2023 December quarter crime statistics.


The National Party members of the NSW Parliament have been beating up these figures and supporting any group who will drink the political Kool-Aid.


On 23 February 2024 the NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley in Budget Estimates described the Country Mayors Association calls for an inquiry into regional crime as calling for nothing more than a “talkfest”.


By 14 March 2023 the political situation but not the statistics had changed.


TheCountry Mayors Association of NSW has welcomed the NSW Premier’sannouncement that the NSW Government will implement new initiativesto start to address regional youth crime.


The mayors' law and order concerns were somewhat recent given the last annual survey conducted by the CMA saw the 69 rural and regional local governments who answered this survey placing law and order low on their priority lists.


Readers of Murdoch media and local Northern Rivers newspapers may also have noticed the sudden flurry of journalistic and National Party concern about local crime rates.


The Clarence Valley Independent of 13 March 2024 was a case in point:


News of an escalation in youth crime in the Clarence Valley has gone right to the top of the Coffs Clarence Police District, with the Commander, Superintendent Joanne Schultz involved in implementing prevention and intervention strategies to prevent re-offending....

Last month, Member for Clarence, Richie Williamson joined calls by the Country Mayors Association of NSW for the Minns Labor Government to launch a parliamentary inquiry into rural and regional crime, following a spike in crime in the Clarence and Richmond Valley’s.

The most recent data from the authorities show that youth crime continues to rise, especially for stealing motor vehicles and break and enter offences,” Mr Williamson said.


So what had changed for the Minns Government?


Well, firstly the state electorate is now only six months away from the NSW Local Government elections on Saturday, 14 September 2024 and both incumbent governments and their political opposition like to play the 'laura norder' card in an election year which sees party politics playing a significant but rarely openly stated role in council elections.


Secondly, the NSW Premier has announced new punitive legal measures aimed at youth offenders when it comes to matters like consideration of bail applications and certain increased penalties and, what better way to win support for this move and a policy of "proactive policing" of vulnerable groups than to further demonise young offenders.


Thirdly, a 'helpful' study was released by BOSCAR this month titled "Crime in Regional and Rural NSW in 2023: Trends and Patterns".


While this study openly admitted that in the last 20 years property crime had fallen by 48 per cent in regional NSW, this was seen as deficient because property crime had fallen by 67 per cent in Greater Sydney over the same period and as due to the different rates of decline, in 2023 the rate of recorded property crime was 59 per cent higher in Regional NSW compared to Greater Sydney. A most unfortunate statistical clash.


The study also stated: In 2023 the aggregate rate of recorded violent crime in Regional NSW was equivalent to the recorded rate in 2004. In Greater Sydney, however, violent crime declined significantly in the two decades to 2023 (down 20% from 2004 to 2023). The long-term decline in violence in Sydney and relative stability in Regional NSW has increased the disparity between the rate of violent crime in the regions versus the capital city. In 2023 the rate of recorded violent crime was 57% higher in Regional NSW compared with Greater Sydney.


Leaving a distinct impression that the comparisons being made are beginning to resemble the apple and orange variety and are unhelpful to anyone except state and local government politicians on the make in a local council election year.


The icing on the cake was the following paragraph, which totalled five years of crime statistics to achieve impressive numbers which are broken down in red annotations:


Four major offences, however, significantly increased in Regional NSW over the five years from 2019

to 2023:

o Motor vehicle theft (up 20% or 1,239 additional incidents) An est. average increase of 248 offences per year across 95 regional local government areas. In this category and unspecified number of youth offenders are alleged to be found.

o Non-domestic assault (up 14% or 1,825 additional incidents) An est. average increase of 365 offences per year across 95 regional local government areas. On a yearly average est. 204 were youth offenders.

o Sexual assault (up 47% or 1,505 additional incidents) An est. average increase of 301 offences per year across 95 regional local government areas. In this category it is solely adult offending.

o Domestic violence related assault (up 24% or additional incidents)

An est. average increase of 659 offences per year across 95 regional local government areas. On a yearly average est. 86 were youth offenders.


For those interested BOSCAR released a set of graphs which breakdown the trends into more specific crime categories at:

https://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/Publication%20Supporting%20Documents/RCS-quarterly/Supplementary%20charts%20-%20Recorded%20Crime%20Charts%202019%20to%202023.pdf


As for "stealing motor vehicles and break and enter offences" the Nationals MLA for Clarence points to in relation to youth crime, BOSCAR data for January to December 2023 show NSW Police proceeded against a total of 27 vehicle thefts in the Clarence Valley LGA, with 9 of these thefts alleged to be by young offenders aged between 10-17 years of age. While break and enter offences proceeded against totalled 33 offences, with 9 of these break and enters alleged to be by young offenders aged between 10-17 years of age.


As for motor vehicle theft and break and enter statistics for the Coffs Clarence Police District, BOSCAR shows Coffs-Grafton statistical district was considered "stable' over the last five years. With the change in motor vehicle theft being +113 thefts between 2019 and 2023 totals. While break and enter dwelling fell by -145 incidents and break and enter non-dwelling fell by -9 incidents between 2019 and 2023 totals.


From a personal perspective - yes let's all insist on higher numbers of police in all regional areas to improve crime clear up rates and because police are often spread thin on the ground during emergencies and, in the Northern Rivers region in particular we now have such events far too often.


However, does the desire to have more police in our towns mean that we need to endorse a more punitive response to young offenders by a state government and its police force?


ABC News, 18 March 2024:


Some of the country's top legal and criminal justice experts have written to NSW Premier Chris Minns about proposed bail changes. Sixty organisations signed the letter, including the Aboriginal Legal Service and the Sydney Institute of Criminology....

Amnesty International, Save the Children and the Human Rights Law Centre are also signatories to the letter, which states the premier's bail changes will "make crime worse in regional communities, not better".

"Your new policy to increase youth incarceration is a betrayal of your Closing the Gap commitments," they tell the premier....


Saturday 2 March 2024

Tweet of the Week

 

 

Friday 1 March 2024

Only two of the seven local government councils in the NSW Northern Rivers regions have made a genuine effort to divest themselves of fossil fuel industry investments

 

ECHO, 28 February 2024:



Byron Shire Council investments in fossil fuel projects as of Jan 2024 PIC Byron Shire Council


Byron Shire Council investments in projects linked to fossil fuel production decreased significantly after the NSW Treasury Corporation (TCorp) relaxed rules last year.


Investment reports included in last week’s agenda for the council’s ordinary monthly meeting showed the council had 56% of its investment funds lodged with fossil fuel aligned projects by the end of January 2024.


The figure was a decrease compared to 71% at the end of December 2023 and 85% at the end of the 2022-2023 financial year.


Staff credited the removal of a state covenant requiring local governments to invest TCorp loans mostly in institutions with A+ credit ratings or stronger.


Institutions offering investments in the ‘ethical’ area still mainly had lower credit ratings of BBB, or weren’t rated at all, staff said, citing credit unions as an example.


Staff noted the council’s diversified approach to investment was aimed at achieving short, medium, and long-term results.


Investment was regulated by TCorp, which until late last year effectively forced NSW local governments to bank at least a quarter of their low interest TCorp loans in A rated institutions or higher.


The council wasn’t allowed at the time to invest any more than 40% of the loans in A- rated institutions, 30% in BBB+ rated institutions and 5% in institutions rated BBB- and below.


Credit ratings allowed ranged from BBB- and below, or not rated, to AAA, with councils also encouraged to invest in TCorp itself.


End of financial year 2022-2023 figures from the council showed of nearly $65 million invested at the time, 85% was helping support fossil fuel aligned projects via various bonds, term deposits and other accounts..... [my yellow highlighting]


Read the full article here.


At the end of the 2022-23 financial year Richmond Valley Council had a cash held in banks & investment portfolio of $90.668 million. Of which $48.087 million or 53 per cent of the total was invested with financial institutions which do not invest in or finance the fossil fuel industry.


As of 30 June 2023 Clarence Valley Council investment portfolio stood at $156.357 million. 

Of which only $12 million is invested with financial institutions which do not invest in or finance the fossil fuel industry. Representing a paltry 7.67 per cent of council's investments. 

At the ordinary monthly meeting of 25 July 2023 all nine councillors voted to simply note Clarence Valley Council's investment position. Which appears to indicate that this local government is not overly interested in living up to rhetoric expressed in the past.


On 30 June 2023 Ballina Shire Council's investment portfolio stood at $104.300 million, of which only $8 million or 7.67 per cent was invested with financial institutions which do not invest in or finance the fossil fuel industry. As councillors there also voted to note the report without comment, there is no indication that council will be increasing its green investments anytime soon.


Tweed Shire Council valued its investment portfolio at $431.958 as at 30 June 2023. None of the investments listed were identified as being invested with financial institutions which do not invest in or finance the fossil fuel industry.


Lismore City Council listed the face value of its investment portfolio as $133.719 million. Council also had approximately $1.9 million held in various bank accounts which were deemed as transactional accounts and are not included in the investment portfolio. Council takes care to note that it holds no funds in fossil free investments or 0 per cent.


Finally, Kyogle Council published its 2022-23 financial statement in December 2023 and did not identify investments as a single line item, so nothing was to be gleaned as to what if any money it had invested with financial institutions which do not invest in or finance the fossil fuel industry.


Saturday 3 February 2024

Saturday's Mood: HOT!


Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Northern Rivers Forecast, issued at 4:30 pm EDT on Friday 2 February 2024:


Weather Situation

A high pressure system over the Bight extends a ridge into southern and western New South Wales today, while a trough of low pressure lies over the northeast. This trough will decay early Saturday as the high moves to the Tasman Sea, although a new trough is forecast to develop in the west during the weekend. This pattern will direct hot air from central Australia across New South Wales, peaking in many areas during Sunday. The remnants of Ex-Tropical Cyclone Kirrily look set to be drawn into the inland trough during Monday, potentially bringing significant rain to some western areas, before the whole system weakens and shifts to the state's east on Tuesday.


Heatwave Situation for 3 days starting Saturday 3rd February 2024 

Click on image to enlarge

NOTE: Heatwave mapping for this cycle commenced Wednesday 31 January 2024.


Sunday 21 January 2024

A lost and found story playing out on little island near Chinderah Bay on the Tweed River in north-east NSW

 

Small island flood refuge
IMAGE: Google Earth, 19.01.24





First there was a cow caught up in the Northern Rivers flood waters in 2022 which managed to swim to safety on a small island in Boyd's Channel, rather than being swept further down the Tweed River.


Then in January 2024 a handsome black bull was sighted on the island as well.


IMAGE: ABC News, 17 January 2024


When the cow first stepped on dry land was she hiding a pregnancy or did that black bull arrive on the island in recent months with amorous intent?


ABC News, 17 January 2024:


Authorities are working to solve a mystery involving cattle thought to have been washed onto a small island in the Tweed River by floodwater.


Fisherman Nathan Hall told the ABC he spotted a brown cow on the 5.67-hectare Chinderah Island about two weeks after catastrophic flooding in northern New South Wales in February 2022.


He has been keeping an eye on it ever since.


"Looking at the island it's living on, there's only a very small amount of grass area, and the rest is all mangroves and mud," Mr Hall said.


"It's not really the sort of grass that I'm used to seeing cows live in."


The island is close to the mouth of the Tweed River, and the water surrounding it is usually salty.


Mr Hall said he had been making regular deliveries of fresh water "for the last six months, at least".


"I've got three 20-litre drums, and every time I go down that way in the boat, I stop and pour 60 litres of water into a half-drum tin we've got down there," he said.


Recently, Mr Hall discovered a new resident.


"I have stopped in and visited [the cow] over the time until now, but then seeing the black bull a few days ago was a bit of a shock to me," he said.


How the bull arrived on the island is a mystery and no-one has claimed ownership of either animal.


Hunt for owner


Speaking on condition of anonymity, a farmer with cattle agisted on nearby Dodds Island said he had 30 cows wash away in the 2022 floods.


He said 20 of those animals were still unaccounted for and that the cow could be his.


He suggested the bull may have washed onto the island during last week's floods or that the cow may have calved him on the island.


Mr Hall said that both seemed in good condition.


"When I saw them the other day, the floodwater was still very fresh and they were drinking straight from the river," he said.


"They came within six feet of the boat like they wanted to hop in with me."


Mr Hall said he would like to see the cattle brought back to the mainland.


"The best way to do it would be when the run-out tide is, and the animals could swim with the water rather than against it," he said.


"There's been plenty of interest, and give us another week and we'll get them off the island and get them back to living where they should be."....


Wednesday 10 January 2024

Lismore City - life is bouncing back

 

A month short of two years after Lismore City made national and international news for all the wrong reasons - a record breaking climate change-induced flood in a region being devastated by widespread unnatural disaster - it is back in the news in a happy and upbeat way.


 ECHO, 9 January 2024:


Lismore has been named as one of the world’s ‘Coolest Places to visit in 2024’ by the Qantas magazine.


The town was listed alongside New York, Shanghai, London and Venice as one of the world’s 25 must-see tourist destinations.







Acting Mayor Jeri Hall said it was a humbling but not surprising accolade which spoke to the renowned experiences Lismore offered through its vibrant arts and culture scene, and stunning natural environment.


I was not surprised to see Lismore up there with some of the world’s most popular destinations,’ Acting Mayor Hall said.


Lismore is becoming more and more vibrant with its ever-evolving dining scene, creative arts, culture and unique venues offering everything from live music to theatre and performance.


Lismore City recently hosted thousands of festival goers from right across the country who travelled here specifically for the legendary Tropical Fruits New Year’s Eve Festival. They all left with smiles on their faces and plans to return.’......


Wednesday 3 January 2024

New South Wales might still be in the grip of drought, however December rains did some good

 

Those rolling thunderstorms, wind, rain and flash flooding that plagued the state in December were not just uncomfortable - at times they were dangerous. 


Even now in the first two days of 2024 the NSW State Emergency Service (SES) has responded to more than 115 incidents in the past 24 hours, in response to the impacts of storms and flooding in the north east of the state.


However, all that weather has produced one set of images to bring smiles to the faces of some people in a number of coastal districts.


It's not enough to come out of drought but areas of intense drought have shrunk somewhat.


The Northern Rivers region has seen the Intense Drought category sink back down to 14.5 per cent from a Spring high of an est. 42.8 per cent of all land. While the Drought category fell from 41.6 per cent to 29.1 per cent, with those decreases moving over to being Drought Affected land sitting at 56.3 per cent of the region. 


This of course is 2024, the year of accelerated global warming and erratic weather patterns, so it feels like a coin toss as to whether the Australian east coast and the Northern Rivers in particular have three months of destructive storms ahead or a return to below average rainfall until Winter arrives.




NEW SOUTH WALES DROUGHT PERCENTAGES 29.12.23

NSWDPI Combined Drought Indicator

























Monday 27 November 2023

John Langley: an artisan fisherman of the Northern Rivers region

 


A large wild Australian bass, caught in the freshwater reaches of an East Coast river. Caught in late March (early autumn), on a lure with a barbless hook, this female fish was making her way down to the estuary for winter spawning. She was carefully released after the photo. [IMAGE: Codman at the English Wikipedia, 19 March 2007, retrieved 26.11.23]



ABC News, 26 November 2023:



John Langley still makes and sells hundreds of fishing lures each year.  (Hannah Ross)



Necessity is the mother of invention, and in 1949 John Langley was in dire need of some fishing lures.


Then aged 17, he was working for his grandfather feeding the pigs on the banks of the Richmond River, and the waterway was brimming with bass.


He had with him his father's oldest and best two lures.


"I didn't want to lose them because they were so old so I decided to try to make a lure," he said.




John Langley spends many happy hours in his workshop at Geneva, near Kyogle in northern NSW.(ABC North Coast: Hannah Ross)



Like a scene from Huckleberry Finn, the lad used his pocket knife to strip down some willow limbs and fashioned old jam tins into some bibs that seemed to do the job.


"I sort of went on from there," he said.




The precious lures that once belonged to John Langley's father inspired his own designs.(ABC North Coast: Hannah Ross)



All for the love of it


Now 91, Mr Langley continues to handcraft and sell his lures, reeling in customers to his stall at the monthly Kyogle Bazaar market.


He charges $10 for a lure, with an output of up to 50 lures a week.


"It's just a hobby, I don't intend to make a real roaring business out of it," he said.


"I know I'm selling them cheap but I don't care, I just like making them."


To perfect his lures, Mr Langley has spent a good part of his life trying to think like a fish.




Each lure is hand-painted and tested to ensure it's ready to fool even the most canny fish.(ABC North Coast: Hannah Ross)


He meticulously hand-paints each lure with automotive paint in colours that will appeal to each species, taking into account what time of day they are being used.


He said a male bass, for instance, would attack a lure painted in the same colours as itself, thinking it was warding off a rival for its territory


"You can go fishing with a lure in the morning and catch a heap of bass on it, then go for a cup of tea," he said.


"When you go back, you have to find another colour. They know.".....


Wherever he goes fishing, his lures attract attention and buyers contact him to send them more.


His creations are now being cast into rivers and seas across Australia, Europe, the United Kingdom and Japan....


Read the full article here.


Friday 24 November 2023

Multinational and interstate developers are devouring the Northern Rivers region one hectare at a time

 

Alan Edward Larkin
IMAGE: Linkedin
With 30 plus years experience in construction and property development, former managing director and principal of Aspect Property Group in Brisbane and current managing director of Digital Infratech Pty Ltd, Alan Edward Larkin of Coolangatta Qld, joins the conga line of multinational or interstate developers on the make in north-east New South Wales.


Mr. Larkin appears to be part of an alleged consortium involving IRBS1 Pty Ltd formerly trading as Aspect Property Group, Digital Infratech Pty Ltd solely owned by IRBS Holdings Pty Ltd & with Larkin as only listed director and, ASX-listed specialist funds manager Centuria Capital Group (currently $21 billion in assets under management with a $1.7 billion healthcare platform).


According to the Federal MP for Richmond Justine Elliot in February 2022: At the time of the land purchase [in 2019], it was widely publicly reported that Aspect had donated numerous times to the Liberal National Party in Queensland. Searches reveal that Aspect had donated more than $28,000 to the LNP in Queensland, including the infamous LNP Forward Brisbane Leadership Fund.


One has to wonder if the consortium was expecting its largesse in Queensland to translate into favourable treatment by a then Coalition state government in New South Wales.


Echo, 23 November 2023:


The rezoning of the State Significant Farmland (SSF) to build the Tweed Valley Hospital on the Cudgen Plateau near Kingscliff split the community and ultimately came with an ‘iron clad’ promise from local Nationals MP Geoff Provest that no more SSF would be rezoned.


However, the land next to the hospital site was bought by Allan Larkin, Director of Digital Infratech [Managing Director at Digital Infratech Pty Ltd, Brisbane, Queensland], just days before the announcement that the SSF would be rezoned for the Tweed Valley Hospital site. Since then Mr Larkin has proposed a mixed-use site called Cudgen Connection. Initially, they proposed that the site to be part of the stage 2 hospital development but this was rejected. Now they are imminently submitting a development application (DA) that provides private hospital and medical suites, essential worker housing, koala research centre, an education and community housing precinct and more at the 5.7 hectare site.


An artists impression of the new Cudgen Connection


Tweed Councillors write to the government


At the recent Tweed Shire Council (TSC) meeting (16 November, 2023) Councillors voted to write to Premier of NSW, Chris Minns, NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully, NSW Leader of The Opposition, Mark Speakman, NSW Shadow Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Scott Farlow MLC, and Member for Tweed, Geoff Provest to request advice that ‘they will uphold the integrity of the Cudgen Plateau and support the existing retention of State Significant Farmland’.....


Full article can be read at:

https://www.echo.net.au/2023/11/call-to-protect-state-significant-farmland-next-to-tweed-valley-hospital-as-promised/



Thursday 23 November 2023

$52.7 million about to go up in smoke in Ellangowan


Google Images, 23.11.23


Now that's a lot of weed.....


NSW Police News reported that seven people faced court on Wednesday 22 November 2023, after police seized more than $52 million worth of cannabis south-west of Lismore on Tuesday 21 November.


"Following extensive inquiries by the State Crime Command's Drug and Firearms Squad and Richmond Police Detectives, assisted by the Aviation Command, Dog Unit and Northern Rivers Region Enforcement Squad, police attended an Ellangowan property, about 11.30am yesterday (Tuesday 21 November 2023).


Police will allege in court that the property was being used for the large-scale cultivation of cannabis.


At the property, police allegedly located and seized more than 15,000 cannabis plants, with an estimated street value of $52.7 million.


Six men aged between 41 and 61, and a 52-year-old woman, were arrested during the operation before being taken to Lismore Police Station.


All seven were charged with participate in criminal group contribute activity, and knowingly take part-cultivate large commercial quantity-cannabis.


They were refused bail to appear before Lismore Local Court...."



Monday 20 November 2023

Hot showers for rough sleepers now available in Brunswick Heads, Northern Rivers NSW


Reflections Holiday Park, Brunswick Heads
IMAGE: Trip Advisor








The Echo, 17 November 2023:


Hot showers are something that many people take for granted, but for those sleeping rough they can be difficult to access.


In an effort to ease this problem, Reflections Holiday Parks and Byron Shire Council have partnered to jointly fund the installation of hot water at the amenity block at Banner Park Reserve, Brunswick Heads.


The aim of the initiative is to provide hot water to help people who are sleeping rough. Hot water is now available daily in the public amenity block at Banner Park Reserve between 6am and 11am. To support water conservation, showers will run on a timer.


Banner Park Reserve is maintained by Reflections for the local community and is part of the 15 acres of public reserves that Reflections looks after in the Byron Shire. Reflections uses proceeds from its holiday parks to provide nature reserves, BBQs and amenities for the local community.


Business for good


Reflections CEO Nick Baker said the role of Reflections, the only holiday park group in Australia that is a certified social enterprise, was not only to nurture land on behalf of the NSW public but also to do ‘business for good’ as a profit-for-purpose organisation.


As a Crown Land Manager and a social enterprise, Reflections reinvests profit from holiday parks into public nature reserves for the enjoyment of the local community, and we also partner with community organisations on initiatives that benefit the community,’ Mr Baker said.


We are really pleased to partner with Byron Shire Council to help the local community and look forward to continuing to work together.’....


Sunday 5 November 2023

27 days out from the beginning of the 2023 Australian Summer and drought intensifies in Northern Rivers region

 

By 30 October 2023 NSW Dept. of Primary Industries' Combined Drought Indicator mapping showed that drought was intensifying along the North Coast of the state, from Port Macquarie-Hastings up to the NSW-Qld border. 

NSW DPI Combined Drought Indicator mapping, 30 October 2023
Click on image to enlarge



 An est. 42.8% of the region is experiencing intense drought; with another est. 41.6% in drought; and 15.5% considered drought affected.


As of the end of October, the North Coast region was the most affected by the growing drought conditions. State-wide almost half the land area is yet to experience drought. With only est. 3.2% of the total land area listed as in intense drought; est. 13.8% in drought; est. 33.8% drought affected; and the remaining 49.2% unaffected by drought conditions. 


Recent drought history from January 2017 to October 2023 of three Clarence Valley parishes which include major population centres.

Click on images to enlarge








Clarence Valley Council, News, 31 October 2023:


Clarence Valley community urged to reduce water use


A combination of low rainfall and high consumption has put Clarence Valley on the brink of water restrictions.


Due to low flow conditions in the Nymboida River, Clarence Valley's water supply is currently being sourced from Shannon Creek Dam.


Clarence Valley Council has Permanent Water Conservation Measures in place. However, dry conditions are predicted to continue and current projections indicate water restrictions are likely in the near future.


Several neighbouring councils have already implemented water restrictions including Bellingen Shire and parts of Tweed Shire, while Rous County Council, which services Ballina, Byron, Lismore and Richmond Valley, anticipates Level One water restrictions will be activated before Christmas.


"It is now an important time for the community to make a concerted effort to adhere to the permanent water conservation measures in order to delay the introduction of water restrictions," CVC Manager Water/Sewer Operations Andrew Potter said.


"Water consumption across the Clarence Valley has steadily risen in recent weeks, including several days above capacity."


The Rushforth Road Water Treatment Plant (RRWTP) has maximum capacity to provide 22 megalitres per day. Average daily consumption (22.39ML/day) exceeded 22ML for the first time in the week ending Sunday 22 October, when consumption peaked at 28.01ML.


There have been another ten days of more than 22ML being pumped out of RRWTP since 21 September, when temperatures reached 37 degrees for the first time heading into the warmer months.


"Generally warmer weather correlates with higher water consumption," Mr Potter said.


"We understand people are keen to keep their lawns and gardens alive. However, we urge people to consider ways they can reduce their usage….