A parliamentary committee in New South Wales as heard commercial interests are more important than the environment, in the allocation of water.

The committee heard recommendations for amendments to the NSW Water Management Act, prioritising commercial needs above those of the environment. As it currently stands environmental needs are given second priority below that of providing a domestic supply of water to towns, utilities and landholders. The commercial supply of water for towns and utilities is third priority.

Greens NSW MP John Kaye has called the shift in priorities short-sighted and said it could come at the cost of jobs.

“The irrigators saw this inquiry as an opportunity to have another go at reducing environmental flows to get access to even more water for themselves,'' Dr Kaye said, ''the committee should have taken a longer term view and rejected the false choice between sustaining employment and the health of the rivers, streams and wetlands. It should have pushed the modern adaptive management approach of encouraging industries and agriculture to become more efficient and flexible in their water usage.''

Those in favour of a change in priority say they only want to secure supplies for orchards, vineyards and abattoirs. Environmentalists say over-using water resources could ultimately condemn all industries and the environment, regardless of priorities.