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.
So the opposition leader wants to lower the weirs to increase flow. It has some merit of course and will have an effect on flow.
Before we consider doing this why would we not look at stopping what you might call third party dams and storage facilities being used.
The amount of water that is being pumped to private dams and storage facilities is outrageous. If that is necessary one wonders at the viability of the crops that are being grown in those region.
If irrigators use the water as it is passing by then the flow with controls over allocations will also increase. The weirs of course were installed to ensure any water at all along the length of most of the rivers. Before the locks all of the rivers were more often than not dry in certain areas for significant periods of each year.
I find it difficult to comprehend storing water in dams for farming with, it is said, up to three years supply for some properties. The evaporation and seepage must be awesomely wasteful.I also find it difficult when it is reported that considerable of these facilities have been illegally constructed.
The infrastructure that the taxpayer has contributed to should be left alone in the first instance and the illegal on property facilities in inappropriate areas should be be removed immediately.
Senator Penny Wong again comes out and says that a single controlling body must occur. The Federal Government has the power constitutionally to take that control in the National interest. There is sufficient precedent available in the takeover and control of the Franklin River in Tasmania many years ago.
Queensland comes out and defends the amount of irrigation water that has drawn this year because of the seasonal rains that have given the upper reaches significant inflows. I actually have no problem with the drawing of the water. The problem is that it has been drawn and is now being stored in artificial dams and we are told that some organisations have taken up to three years supply into their storage.
Reported (a University of NSW report)some months ago in this blog there are over 2400kms of illegal dams and levees in the NSW portion of the basin, this unnatural capture is wrong.
That is outrageous, the evaporation alone from those storage facilities is very likely to be more than the requirements to supply downstream needs.
If it flows by take what you need, storing it and allowing environmental disaster further down is the abhorrent part.
Dear Senator Wong please exercise your powers and allow the river to run and allow irrigators to use what is there while it is there. Storage of the magnitude that exists is foolish and selfish.
On Friday the 1st August in Adelaide on the steps of Parliament House at 11:30am there will be a rally for the Murray. For the first time in my life I am going to attend this demonstration of the right of the peoples voice.
I have not written on this blog for a long time and that is simply because I have become so frustrated with the complete sham that Governments have been foisting on us all.
I have personally been writing articles and lobbying politicians for years now on this topic and all we get is toothless agreements,and meaningless platitudes from politicians whom seem to be taking great delight in watching the pain and suffering of the community and the environment. Yes it will take guts to make the radical changes that will be required, but water for the environment and the economies that were encouraged to utilize the resource must happen now - not in a years time or many years time. Now take control of all allocations and share it out fairly and equitably.
For our Governments to be critical of the global governments and the failure of the world to address climate and environmental issues merely displays the ignorance and hypocrisy with which the Governments of Australia sit idly by overseeing one of the greatest disasters that this nation may ever witness.
So yes I am driven to something I thought i would never do is swell the visible numbers standing in the street demanding and demonstrating that the environmental apathy that has been displayed over many generations must now stop.
Please join the voice of absolute abhorrence at the completely ineffectual efforts that are being directed at this issue. See you in the street.
Professor Mike Young of Adelaide University and Research fellow at CSIRO John McColl Have written a very constructive paper on Future Proofing The Murray Darling Basin.
I recently heard Professor Young speak and I have to say he rates as one of very few people I have heard actually speak very constructively. I have linked both the Professor and John McColl to their article have a read and I think you will agree it is one the more useful pieces written on this topic.
This has been a long and well documented track for as long as I can remember. I saw a paper recently with the appropriate apologies "Water Policy everywhere and not a drop to drink!".Mick Keogh, Executive Director, Australian Farm Institute writes quite an insiteful paper.
It is time that politicians faced this problem seriously and on this occasion actually do something. The millions of dollars spent on studies and still we are no distance down the track of fixing the issue.
Its time.
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