By March and April 1999, many trade creditors were demanding immediate action on their overdue accounts. Nankervis was having discussions with Plymin on an almost daily basis about which of the creditors were to be paid, and as to the source of funds for such payments, and there was a threat to Water Wheel's electricity supply unless a large debt to Powercor was paid within two hours. The account with Powercor was consistently in debit and overdue for payment from July 1999 onwards. By April 1999, due to the continual pressure from creditors to pay accounts, Nankervis considered that Water Wheel needed "at least $2M to relieve the pressure from the cashflow point of view". Cheques in payment of creditors were being held in drawers until funds became available to honour the cheques. By 12 April 1999, management had informed the Board that Water Wheel required a further $1.2M in cash to bring existing creditors in line with agreed trading terms. Water Wheel failed to pay to Deloittes a total debt of $62,791.57 in relation to invoices dated from March to June 1999. In mid-July 1999, NSWGB faxed Plymin concerning overdue invoices totalling $1.7M, and Derrick & Son, after demanding payment of the sum of $579,388.40, decided to make no further deliveries to Water Wheel without payment of "cash upfront", and RiceGrowers determined that all future orders were to be paid prior to delivery. Again, the sum of $800,000 owing to NSWGB which was supposed to have been paid by instalments from February to July 1999 was and remained unpaid. Payroll tax liabilities from July 1999 onwards were never paid. In mid-August 1999, Water Wheel was being pressed for payment of a substantial sum due to Neil's Transport (in excess of $200,000, a sum which was later paid when a lien was exercised and only then by obtaining the funds in advance from a customer). Invoices dated 31 August 1999 for auditors' fees were never paid to HPW. A Water Wheel aged trial balance as at 31 August 1999 showed that 92% of creditors (some $4.3M odd) were due and payable 30 days or over. By early September 1999, Water Wheel owed Derrick & Son over $1M, of which $873,232 was overdue for payment by more than 30 days, and in respect of which Water Wheel negotiated an arrangement with Derrick & Son for payment by post-dated cheques over a six week period ending on 15 October, based on Water Wheel's expected cash receipts during that period and by early November 1999, Water Wheel was indebted to Derrick & Son in the total sum of $1,929,376.53 (of which $112,033.84 was three months old, $113,506.40 was two months old and $247,681.45 was one month old) and additional post-dated cheques were required by Derrick & Son in an amount of $701,768.53 to cover the full amount of the debt.