With the Draft Water Sharing Plan for the Hunter Unregulated and Alluvial Water Sources 2022 threatening to end Maitland's agriculture industry along the Hunter and Paterson Rivers, and Wallis Creek, farmers are calling for your help to stop the government's plan before it becomes law in a few months time.

The petition will be available to sign at the Horticulture exhibit in the McDonald Pavilion at Maitland Show on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

"We're hoping to get 5000 signatures from the show," Slow Food Earth Market chairwoman Amorelle Dempster said.

Related: Food bowl fury - farmers upset at plan to restrict water access

"Everyone knows about this issue, everyone around Maitland is talking about it and they are very unhappy and concerned about it.

"Everyone I talk to wants to sign this petition - they know how important it is for our access to local food to be retained - it's our food security and our biodiversity and it's important because of the long history of agriculture in Maitland."

The petition will be tabled by Maitland MP Jenny Aitchison in NSW Parliament once it has more than 10,000 signatures. After that, a date for a debate in the Legislative Assembly will be set. Both Water Minister Kevin Anderson and Environment Minister James Griffin are members of that house and are expected to sign off on the draft plan in May.

The petition can be downloaded here, or, sign it at Readers Cafe and Larder in East Maitland from Monday to Friday, Stockers and Partridge in Paterson from Monday to Saturday or Better Pools & Irrigation Supplies in East Maitland from Monday to Sunday.

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