Tuesday, September 09, 2008
For decades the management of the Murray River by successive governments has been questioned. Australia is a country where the majority of the population are living in major seaboard cities and politicians favour making decisions that pander to the percieved beneficial impact that will result in favourable poll results from these constituants. This does not make things work!.
The major water course in Australia is crucial to the survival of agricultural and urban industry and societies. It is a very simple matter in essence, "There is a finite amount of water available, don't over use it." There have been droughts in the past and there will be droughts in the future that will reduce the amount of water available. Recent figures have shown the Queensland water usage from the feeder basin to the Murray Darling River systems has been an astronomical increase in quantity.
Adelaide at the end of the system is a city that in the driest state of Australia, with out water will not continue to exist. Don't laugh that is a fact, cities in the past have been abandoned because water supplies were no longer available. just because humans have technology and all the mod cons of life does not change reality. NO WATER, NO LIFE CAN EXIST.
Conservation of water is the most practical fix for the problem and the hubub from industries like cotton and rice interests will fight for their survival. Then there are the more fanciful fixes put forward, water pipelines from Western Australia and Tasmania. The engineering skills and mecahanical capability does exist to make these reality, but will not fix the problem of water management just increase the water supply available. All these suggestions do is create an image of an upside down pyramid balancing on the point and teetering dangerously towards collapse with every breath from the winds of change.
Thankyou for your time and attention, Geoff