So both South Australia and New South Wales have handed control of the River Murray to the Federal Government.
Interesting to note that Queensland and Victoria are still debating the legislation.
So still Rome Burns while Victoria and Queensland fiddle.
Senator Nick Xenophon was promising merry hell on the River. I am just a bit concerned that even he has gone quiet. I would be interested in his views on the 4 Corners article on Buying Back the River. The Senate report says there is not enough water - of course there is if we share it out properly as one nation.
The answer is very straight forward - nil nix nothing. The ABC put together a magnificent Four Corners everyone gets a bit emotional and of it wanders into the ether.
Why can we not have a monthly update of progress at Government Level. The South Australian Government is looking at a Bill and an Amendment handing Control of the River to the Federal Government.
On one hand it is the right thing to do but until they have full control why. One could cynically ask does the local Government believe it will deflect the anger of the community. Therefore do we have the commitment of State Government to continue to actively lobby the Federal Government for a fairer deal on allocation particularly when the amount of water is infinitesimal compared to other states.
But still there are know significant actions that are appearing to be taken anywhere right now.
Anyone who watched the Four Corners Program (clicking the Four Corners will link you to the program)last evening must be aghast at the absolute stupidity of Government in the management of the Murray Darling Basin.
How can the NSW Government possibly justify water allocations well in excess of 100% of the dams servicing the Moree District and other regions.
When an independent review declares that there are over 2000kms of unauthorized levees,dams and channels and we are advised that they will just be allowed to exist by turning a blind eye and excusing blatant pilfering of water.
And then there is Queensland. Do you reckon anyone might be a little perturbed at pictures of Bulldozers going flat out increasing "on Farm" storage as fast as they can go. Like how off is that......
Do you reckon that we might be a little perturbed when the Queensland Government is pushing through legislation that will see the Australian Taxpayer have to foot a bill born out of there own administrative stupidity. Oh no the entitlements have already been granted regardless of the fact that there is not enough water to serve those entitlements.
Those magnificent aerial shots of these massive dams with many times the water in Sydney Harbour laid out for miles and miles in some of the harshest country in our land.
The evaporation and seepage off of these massive facilities and the open channels alone probably is enough to save the River system. There may even be an argument for putting the channels into pipes and other ways of reducing the wastage that clearly was being demonstrated in the footage shown by the ABC.
The pot shots taken about down stream abuse (SA takes less than 5% of the whole deal) are disgusting. The cries in the last twelve months over the damage caused by the floods in the Warrego and Condamine and calling on Australia to donate for relief are now stupifying. We now find that these floods were A) probably caused by the unnatural diversion of the River System by these man made levees, and B) were trapped so far upstream that farms even in New South Wales a few hundred kilometres way have been left in drought.
Clearly until the Federal Government takes control of the Basin there is simply going to be an ongoing selfishness about the water issues regardless of economical and environmental issues that effect the entire Australian Economy.
Penny Wong I am sad, that the amount of water in Queensland seemed to be news to you and the “thumbing” of the nose that the Queensland Government was serving up leaves me a little perplexed as to what you have been doing for the last year.
Better management of the River and a fair distribution surely is the answer to providing equity for all Australians. That can only be accomplished by exercising the Sovereign Power of the Commonwealth of Australia.
Please act now - we have shown we can when a crisis hits - is this not a crisis.
I congratulate the ABC for at last showing Australia where all the water is being kept. It has been very perplexing when we here of upstream flooding that has not given the River system any benefit. We now know why. Sir Sidney Kidman must be turning in his grave. He knew how to use the pastoral country of the Channel Country and drive his herd to market following the flood. Now we just block it for the purpose of commercial greed.
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