Council considers subsidising SunRice water
Posted
Leeton Shire Council is considering giving the local rice industry heavily subsidised water at its request.
The council is proposing to sell water to SunRice at a rate as low as $200 per megalitre, compared to the going rate of about $600.
Public submissions are sought on the proposal until the end of this month.
SunRice recently paid a dividend of almost $8 million to grower shareholders and it spent more than $US10 million to invest in a United States rice miller.
Leeton Mayor Joe Burns says council is considering the subsidy because of the industry's importance to the area.
"We've always enjoyed great help from SunRice and they've got 400 people and have been in drought in the last few years and I guess the consideration would be because they've kept their people employed during very hard times," he said.
Councillor Burns says the council will take the company's financial position into account when making a decision about the proposal.
"It's on display to the public of Leeton and it's up to them to say if they aren't happy about it and obviously council will reconsider all the issues involved at that meeting on September 30," he said.
