WHAT water is left in Chaffey Dam is pretty much wholly reserved for Tamworth's residents, says the state's drought coordinator, Michael Wrathall.
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He begun a NSW tour in Tamworth, talking to communities about what lies ahead.
The NSW department of industry has already indicated there will be no allocations for general security water users after July 1, which means there will be no Peel River surface water for irrigation.
Mr Wrathall told the Leader this drought was more intense than previous times and authorities "are planning for the worst".
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"It certainly has been more intense than those years and that's why we are planning now to make sure we extend that supply for as long as possible," he said.
Mr Wrathall said the department had been in regular dialogue with Tamworth Regional Council to ensure there was a certain supply for its people.
"Now is the time to be planning for it and that's why we are here and why we are talking regularly to council to assess all of those options to make sure we secure their needs because they are the number one priority," he said.
"Around surface water, the remaining supplies in Chaffey will be provided for Tamworth's supply almost exclusively."
Mr Wrathall spoke to a room filled with irrigators, agribusiness-people, local government representatives and other stakeholders on Wednesday.
The department's public consultation roadshow will be Goondiwindi on Thursday and Moree on Friday.