The Murray & Securing our water supply

[AtD]

I think the protesters are preaching to the choir. They need to rally in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

[Jim]

Letting more water down the Murray just to see it evaporate in 150 sq km’s of shallow lakes would be economic vandalism. As I have said before just make the decision and flood them with sea water!

[Shuz]

I think the Feds just need to get some balls and tell the rice and cotton growers to fuck off out of our country. They take up so much water its insane!

[Ho Really]

Letting more water down the Murray just to see it evaporate in 150 sq km’s of shallow lakes would be economic vandalism. As I have said before just make the decision and flood them with sea water!

Before the barrages were built how far did saltwater reach into Lake Alexandrina? Can nature partially resolve the lower lakes issue?

Cheers

[Jim]

I think the Feds just need to get some balls and tell the rice and cotton growers to fuck off out of our country. They take up so much water its insane!

They should just ban flood irrigation and it would resolve it's self, these guys would have to sell their allocations, which in turn would drop the market water value for more efficient users and save us tax payers a lot of money.

Still think the lower lakes should be returned to the sea. 150 sq Km’s of shallow evaporating water is just criminal.

[stumpjumper]

Wayne, so much for twisting thumbscrews!

I rang LAbor Minister Maywald's Berri office this morning to see if short-arse herself would be attending the rally. I have an interest in a Riverland business and I moved heaven and earth to get to Parlt House at 11.30am (I'm the angry looking guy t the back).

Maywald's office said that the minister had a previous unbreakable engagement, but could not say where for security reasons blah blah

I happen to know through another source what that unbreakable engagement was. It was having morning tea at Berri Primary School and talking to the kiddies about water conservation.

Give me a break. I put it to the under-aged flunkey on the phone that the rally in Adelaide was perhaps a little more important to the Minister at the moment than the Berri Primary School.

No, the teenager on the phone said, the die is cast. Once the Minister makes a decision she sticks to it.

Ha ha, I said. Like the decision to be a National Party candidate then joining a Labor govt cabinet for a few shekels and no effect yet on the Murray flows?

'I can't answer that,'' said the pre-pubescent bimbo in Maywald's office.

Right, I said. So will there be anyone from Maywald's city office attending to give an apology? That would be advantageuos to her at least, I suggested.

No.No-one will eb there.

Why not?

I'm not able to discuss that. Probably we can't afford the extra staff to do it.

What a friggin joke. Too bad Maywald didn't use the leverage she had over Rann until the 2007 election. Prior to that election, Rann needed Maywald. She's only there now because being retained as a Minister (ie, chauffered car, gold travel pass and extra staff and salary) was a conidiotn ofo the little sleazebag's support in the first place.

Well, she would be interested to know that I was able to collect about 50 people for the Berri branch of the Karlene Maywald is a wan*er club, dedicated to her removal. Good one, you self-serving waste of space.

I heard the decision not to attend was made by Rann, Foley, Bottrall and Farrell in a telphone hookup on Friday, with the main criterion being what will lok best in the papers?

The sooer we are rid of these *rseholes the better.

We may was well accept that it is not Labor Party policy to save the Murray.

[stumpjumper]

Wayne, so much for twisting thumbscrews!

I rang LAbor Minister Maywald's Berri office this morning to see if short-arse herself would be attending the rally. I have an interest in a Riverland business and I moved heaven and earth to get to Parlt House at 11.30am (I'm the angry looking guy t the back).

Maywald's office said that the minister had a previous unbreakable engagement, but could not say where for security reasons blah blah

I happen to know through another source what that unbreakable engagement was. It was having morning tea at Berrie Primary School and talking to the kiddies about water conservation.

Give me a break. I put it to the flunkey on the phone that the rally in Adelaide was perhpas a little more relevant to the Minister at the moment than the Berri Primary School.

No, the teenager on the phone said, the die is cast.

Right, I said. So will there be anyone from Maywald's city office attending to give an apology?

No.

Why not?

I'm not able to discuss that.

What a friggin joke. Too bad Maywald didn't use the leverage she had over Rann until the 2007 election. Prior to that election, Rann needed Maywald. She's only there now because being retained as a Minister (ie, chauffered car, gold travel pass and extra staff and salary) was a conidiotn ofo the little sleazebag's support in the first place.

Well, she would be interested to know that I was able to collect about 50 people for the Berri branch of the Karlene Maywald is a wan*er club, dedicated to her removal. Good one, you self-serving waste of space.

I heard the decision not to attend was made by Rann, Foley, Bottrall and Farrell in a telphone hookup on Friday, with the main criterion being what will lok best in the papers?

The sooer we are rid of these *rseholes the better.

We may was well accept that it is not Labor Party policy to save the Murray.

[AtD]

They should just ban flood irrigation and it would resolve it's self, these guys would have to sell their allocations, which in turn would drop the market water value for more efficient users and save us tax payers a lot of money.

A bit of a correction: Higher prices mean resources are bought to more efficient users, lower prices mean resources are bought by more wasteful users. If something is expensive, a business will only buy it if they can generate a lot of income out of it.

[Jim]

They should just ban flood irrigation and it would resolve it's self, these guys would have to sell their allocations, which in turn would drop the market water value for more efficient users and save us tax payers a lot of money.

A bit of a correction: Higher prices mean resources are bought to more efficient users, lower prices mean resources are bought by more wasteful users. If something is expensive, a business will only buy it if they can generate a lot of income out of it.

No not right, If we legislate to get rid of inefficient practices like flood irrigation, the inefficient users will have to sell there water allocations. The only buyers will be the efficient ones whom will be rewarded by cheaper water.

And I am not saying water should be cheap it should simply be affordable by efficient users.
Those that use it inefficiently should go broke or bugger off.

[AtD]

I was talking in an economic sense. If you put a market price on water, those who waste it (ie flood irrigaters) won't be able to afford water because their revenue won't cover their costs.

[Jim]

I was talking in an economic sense. If you put a market price on water, those who waste it (ie flood irrigaters) won't be able to afford water because their revenue won't cover their costs.

Yes totally agree, I just think it’s logical to combine the water market with some harsh legislation against bad practices, best of both worlds.

[edna]

Just read "the weekly times" 30.7.08 that the "pipedreamer" of the bass pipeline Geoff Croker is an undischarged bankrupt

[Jim]

Just read "the weekly times" 30.7.08 that the "pipedreamer" of the bass pipeline Geoff Croker is an undischarged bankrupt

Regardless is it viable to pipe water from Tasmania? Shame to shoot the project down because of a bad apple.

[monotonehell]

Just read "the weekly times" 30.7.08 that the "pipedreamer" of the bass pipeline Geoff Croker is an undischarged bankrupt

Regardless is it viable to pipe water from Tasmania? Shame to shoot the project down because of a bad apple.

I doubt it, it's hard enough to maintain our Murray pipelines and they're on land. Imagine trying to fix leaks under the sea, let alone the mammoth costs involved in building it. It sounded to me like snake oil from the first post. Desalination would be cheaper if you add the construction costs to the running costs.

Besides that, we have plenty of water, we just need to use it properly.

[Jim]

Lower Murray weir works starting
Lower Murray: weir preparations starting (ABC News: Gary Rivett)

Video: SA Premier Mike Rann on the possibility of building a weir near the mouth of the Murray. (ABC News) Audio: Lower Murray weir works starting (PM) Map: Wellington 5259
Related Story: Water buyback 'won't reach Murray-Darling' The South Australian Government says a decision on building a weir at Wellington near the mouth of the River Murray has not been made, even though preliminary work has begun.

The Murray-Darling Basin Commission is expected to finish its assessment of the weir proposal next month, before the SA Government makes its decision.

There will be preliminary work over the next six weeks on roads, fencing and to stockpile rocks and soil needed for construction.

The temporary weir would help safeguard Adelaide water supplies in times of drought.

SA Water Security Minister Karlene Maywald says the Government must be prepared for a worst-case scenario.

"This is something we don't want to do - these are works that we have to have done and ready in case a weir decision is made," she said.

"But short of us actually finding a miraculous bucket of water to put down to the lower lakes, we need to be ready for this."

Mrs Maywald says the idea of flooding the lower lakes with sea water remains under consideration.

"We will not allow the lakes to acidify - there is another option there and it's another one the Government doesn't want to do, but if we have no option and we don't have access to fresh water coming down the system across the border into South Australia then we will have to consider opening the barrages as a last resort to prevent acidification."

SA Premier Mike Rann says it is smart and prudent to spend $30 million on preparation for a weir at Wellington, even though he does not want it built.

"That's called being prudent. It's called being smart," he said.

"What you do is you have the preparations in place should at some time in the future you need to actually press the button.

"I hope I won't need to press the button but, if I have to in the interests of the state, I'll do so."

Reading between the lines the sea water is on its way! about time!