Water management killing the Darling-Baaka
New research published by the University of NSW confirms that it is the over extraction and mismanagement of water that is causing most of the damage to the Darling-Baaka River, not climate change. NSW Nature Conservation Council calls for the Federal Water Minister to stand firm on the timelines for water recovery in the Basin Plan, and restore the voluntary, open tender water buy back process.
River levels at Wilcannia 2022 compared with 1990 – Water report
The river continues to rise at Wilcannia and is now running at just over 10 metres with a flow of 30,043 ML/day. Lake Woytchugga is continuing to fill and the Talyawalka is flowing at 6.7 metres. The river is running at 101,727 ML/day at Bourke and over 135,214 ML/day at Walgett, indicating that there is a lot more to come.
October weather
Hottest day was Tuesday 4th at 29.9C, cooler than the hottest ever day in October at 42.4C on the 25th in 2014. The coldest day was Saturday 8th at 18.6C, well above our coldest ever, 13.2C on the 11th in 2012 ... Mean daily temperature was 24.9C, below the long term mean of 27.5C. Rain for the month, recorded at the Airport, was 207.6 mm, setting a new record. The previous highest ever monthly rain for October was in 1894 when 126.4mm fell.
Central Darling Shire Council and the move out of administration
Wendy Tuckerman, the Minister for Local Government, visited towns in Central Darling Shire last week. Meetings were held with residents and representatives of organisations which were an open forum to allow any matter of concern to be raised. In Wilcannia, housing, the weir and employment were raised by residents. However one item the Minister was keen to hear opinions on was how the Central Darling Shire Council will move out of administration (due in 2024) and what do the residents want to see happen.
History corner
The Ivanhoe Dry Times 2022 Truck, Tractor, Car and Bike show attracted not only Wilcannia residents but a truck which started its working life in Wilcannia ... As well as trucks, the show attracted a good number of veteran, vintage and modern cars.
Good attendance at the screening of “Purli Ngaangkalitji”
The debut of the film was shown at the Community dinner. A Story that was narrated by Murray Butcher which had been passed on by his Nanna, Elsie Jones. Filmed by Aureliano Ramella, a regular visitor to Wilcannia from Switzerland.
Spruce up for some town buildings and memorabilia
Rex Mansfield, a roving painter is in town working on some much needed repainting of the town’s old business fronts and iconic installations. He has started in Ray Hunter Park where he is putting the finishing touches to the “Barkindji Fish”, the original creation of the late Karen Riley. The Barrow & Co steam engine has been finished.
Darling/Baaka sacrificed for northern irrigators
‘The NSW Coalition and the Shooters Fishers Farmers Party have condemned the Darling/Baaka to longer periods of dry riverbed with stagnant slimy pools. This decline in river health started when floodplain harvesting exploded upstream during the 1990’s. The NSW Government has rewarded decades of unsustainable and unregulated water use with new licences while conducting no assessment of the downstream impacts on Darling/Baaka communities, native fish populations, groundwater recharge and important wetland areas’: Brian Stevens, spokesperson for Inland Rivers Network.
