The level of Lake Alexandrina, near the mouth of the River Murray is currently half a metre below sea level. If it drops to 1.2m below, as predicted if inflows to the Murray did not pick up, the exposed lake bed would become acidic. The South Australian Government has recently began pumping water from Lake Alexandrina into the smaller Lake Albert to avert that waterway reaching such a trigger point. Things are looking bad there. Read more »
As we say a sad farewell to Kerry Nettle and the Democrats (you can read Bob’s valedictory speech to the Dems here and we’ll post Kerry’s soon), we saw a fascinating signpost today to the interesting place that the new Senate will be when we come back from winter recess in late August. Read more »
CoAG recently agreed to the development of a “Basin Plan, which will include a sustainable cap on surface and groundwater diversions across the Basin.” CoAG’s intention is to try to fix Murray Darling Basin problems by putting a sustainable management regime in place.
It is probably too late given the Sustainable Rivers Audit released by the Murray-Darling Basin Commission. Read more »
This has taken a while, but we finally have Christine’s Budget Reply Speech up on YouTube and postable to the blog. Those of you who have enjoyed reading or listening to it may be interested in watching it.
In five parts.
A further interest rate hike is back on the agenda following a surprise revelation that the Reserve Bank board discussed pushing up rates at this month's meeting and a call from the head of the Treasury for the Bank to take tough action against inflation.
The minutes of the Reserve Bank's May 6 board meeting released yesterday confirmed that, as had been believed, the Bank's executive
Let’s be honest: a dry river is not necessarily an environmental catastrophe. Read more »
By Jeremy
Timmy Blair is awash with excitement over finally being able to hose down his car:
Having been banned from car-washing for so long, I didn’t even know if our place had a tap somewhere out the front (it did). Nor did I know how neighbours might react to blatant car-based hosing…
Read more »
It has just come to light that a scientific report presented to the Murray-Darling Basin ministerial council on the health of the Coorong and Lower Lakes in May gave a deadline of October for action. Instead of setting in place an immediate response, the ministers put the issue on the back burner until they meet in November.
Scientists have given the Commonwealth and Murray Darling Basin Governments six months to save the Coorong, Lakes Alexandrina and Albert. We need to move quickly on an emergency rescue package, before this Ramsar listed wetland site is lost forever. Read more »
There is a blog at www.fairwateruse.com.au with an article entitled 'Dr Jennifer Marohasy: what is her precise agenda?' suggesting my recent columns in The Land on the River Murray, in particular the situation in South Australia, are agenda driven. The fair-water blog doesn't explain what my agenda is, and doesn't allow comments, so I thought I might respond here. Read more »
Do you belong to the Australian Labor Party or are you in Morris Iemma's party? is a question every New South Wales Labor MP should be asking themselves right now. Read more »
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