IT WILL be a sad state of affairs again this Easter for tourism operators in Far West NSW – the second consecutive year the region will be without water in the Menindee Lakes and the first in the Lower Darling.
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Bindara Station owner Barb Arnold runs organic cattle and a farm stay business 80 kilometres south of Menindee, but had to sell most of their herd off because of the water shortages.
“We couldn’t use our licence to irrigate our lucerne so we didn’t have any feed either,” she said.
And while they have loyal customers that will arrive at Easter regardless of the water situation, there have been many who have taken their business elsewhere.
“There is still plenty of things to see and do here, but I do have to warn people about the water situation because some just have no idea of what’s going on,” she said.
Ms Arnold said they may order water through the Central Darling Shire Council from next week as the waterhole near the homestead was fast depleting.
![DRY TIMES: Zara Dowdy, 9, and dog Lacey on the dried up Lower Darling river bed. DRY TIMES: Zara Dowdy, 9, and dog Lacey on the dried up Lower Darling river bed.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/3AVQXXVxehY6aUCkmGUt6Z2/72ececcf-67af-4454-a09d-c3e01d3b3f02.jpg/r323_0_1443_1538_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)