Premier Mike Rann said the State Government is working hard to balance the needs for water for irrigators and the environment.

“SA irrigators and the environment are being forced to bear the brunt of over allocation upstream,” he said.

River Murray Minister Karlene Maywald says rainfall across the Murray Darling Basin during September and October has meant an extra 120 gigalitres is now available for SA.

“This has allowed us to increase irrigation allocations from 34 to 46 per cent," she said.

Ms Maywald says SA is still a long way from where we want to be in terms of allocations.

“But this is a substantial improvement on where we finished the irrigation season in 2008-09, and we are hoping for further improvements,” she said.

However Liberal Candidate for Chaffey Tim Whetstone believes Ms Maywald is "short-changing" irrigators.

"For many, a 45pc water allocation will not be enough to save their plantings," he said.

“With most upstream high security irrigators on nearly 100pc of allocation, 45pc is another reminder of the inequity in the water allocation system and the current Minister’s inability to address the issue.”

To add further insult to the people of Chaffey the Labor Government and the Water Minister are now considering relaxing domestic water restriction in Adelaide.

“It is unbelievable that, as the driest State in the driest continent, we are proposing to alter water restrictions with South Eastern Australia’s water storages still at record low levels,” Mr Whetsone said.

"Last week it was irresponsible to lift water restrictions and ill-conceived to allow Councils to use overflow water from Adelaide’s dams for watering parks and gardens. Next week, it seems, it will be OK so what’s changed or is this just political grand standing from a Minister saying one thing to Adelaide residents and another to the people of Chaffey.

"It seems if you live in regional SA you don’t count."

River Murray storages remain low despite improvements in recent months.

The current volume in Hume, Dartmouth, Menindee Lakes and Lake Victoria is 2965gL (32pc of capacity), well below the long-term average for the end of October of 7190gL (77pc capacity).

* Details: www.dwlbc.sa.gov.au/murray/drough t/