Two prominent northern NSW irrigators have been found guilty of illegally taking water for use at their property near Brewarrina.
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On Thursday, the NSW Land and Environment Court found that Peter and Jane Harris illegally extracted water for irrigation from the Barwon River in 2016.
The extraction was contrary to a condition of the Harris' joint water use and water supply approvals under section 91(G) of the Water Management Act 2000 (NSW).
In 2018, WaterNSW commenced legal proceedings against the pair for breaching a condition of their approvals associated with the water licence for Beemery Farm, a property on the Barwon River at Brewarrina.
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The proceedings were heard by the court in February 2019.
The Harris' will be sentenced at a separate hearing on a date to be fixed by the court and will have 28 days to appeal the decision.
The prosecution came after extensive investigations into water management rule breaches in the Barwin-Darling region in north western NSW, following a damning ABC Four Corners report in 2017.
WaterNSW CEO David Harris welcomed the court's decision.
"[Thursday's] convictions demonstrate the commitment and diligence WaterNSW brought to the role of ensuring that the rules for extracting water were enforced prior to that role being transferred to NRAR", he said.
"[Thursday's] result should also serve to reassure the broader community that water authorities are serious about managing water resources strictly according to the rules."
