Misleading Deceptive Bastards, Again…
Community members and representatives have been left aghast at the latest actions by a federal agency as they seek to drain more water from the southern connected region ... “I don’t think they could have structured it much better to make sure that they had people stay away from the meeting,” said local farmer and Wakool River Association Chair John Lolicato ... “I don’t think they care. I think they think we’re dispensable.”
Cut the red tape – We need a new National Code to fix Australia’s broken landscapes: Mulloon Institute
"Farmers and landholders are keen to regenerate millions of kilometres of eroded and degraded watercourses throughout this country, but environmental and planning regulations are preventing many of them from undertaking this valuable work, due to the time and cost of submitting multiple applications, special reports and detailed designs to multiple government authorities for permission to undertake on-ground works," says Mulloon Institute Chairman Gary Nairn A.O.
Lemon Springs update
EPA Victoria. Clean-up of Lemon Springs continues. We have removed waste from 30 of the 32 burial sites. We have cleaned up 16 of the sites and filled them with clean soil ... We continue to remove acetylene cylinders. We have removed more than 43,000 cylinders to date. We are working with industry to create a new facility to dispose of the cylinders. This facility is the first of its kind and located in Stawell.
Doesn’t look much but will set you back $10,000
Geoscience Australia Geophysical Survey Using magneto telluric (MT) technology ... the program is about contributing to a sustainable, long-term future for Australia through an improved understanding of the nation’s groundwater, mineral and energy resource potential.
Lower Great Southern’s next major water source ramps up: McGurk
Work to ensure the long-term security and sustainability of drinking water in Western Australia's Lower Great Southern is gathering pace, with planning underway for the region's next major water source. Reduced rainfall driven by climate change and growing demand are placing pressure on existing groundwater sources that supply around 90 per cent of drinking water to the Lower Great Southern Towns Water Supply Scheme.
Labor’s sneaky closed-door consultation on water buybacks: Littleproud
Labor is sneaking into St George to hold closed sessions on its water buyback plan. A St George information session on the Strategic Water Purchasing Framework will be hosted by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water on Monday, 13 March, between 2 and 4pm. However, the location remains a secret, and the website link only allows invited guests to rsvp. Leader of The Nationals and Member for Maranoa David Littleproud described Labor’s tactic as “outrageous”.
Scientists head to River Murray to study environmental impacts of flood: Close
Scientists have launched a series of research projects to determine how River Murray environments are responding to the once-in-a-generation flood. The Department for Environment and Water is working with the Goyder Institute for Water Research and its partners to fill knowledge gaps to inform the future management of riverine, floodplain and wetland habitats.
MRSG ‘disappointed’ that solutions are ignored
The organisation representing community and farming interests across the NSW Murray region has expressed ‘disappointment’ at the Albanese Government’s push to reintroduce water buybacks. The Murray Regional Strategy Group (MRSG) has worked tirelessly on solutions that would help deliver environmental water without sacrificing food production.
Locked out!
Community members, farmers, industry representatives and journalists have been locked out of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) Bridging the Gap water buyback consultation meetings in Deniliquin ... The Federal Government and their bureaucracy’s contempt for southern NSW and northern Victoria communities has no sign of slowing down, even a meeting over a community good, like water, is essentially invite only.
Kadina native garden is the bees’ knees: SA Water
Three years after being established, a thriving native garden at SA Water’s Kadina Depot is demonstrating the success of growing water efficient, locally-sourced plants, with the idea easily able to be replicated in Yorke Peninsula backyards ... SA Water’s Vegetation Services Specialist Shaun Kennedy said he’s thrilled to see the garden continuing to flourish and attract an interesting array of birds and insects, including native bees, which are taking advantage of newly-installed ‘bee hotels’.
One of the southern Basin’s wettest years delivers strong water availability: MDBA
The southern Murray–Darling Basin tracked some of its highest rainfall and inflow totals on record in the tail end of 2022, according to the MDBA's update to the 2022-23 Annual Operating Outlook. The update details how the Murray–Darling Basin Authority may run the River Murray under a range of possible climate and rainfall scenarios, to help water users and river managers with future planning.
Power options lessen climate effects
Community water and sewer systems across north-east Victoria are now more resilient to the growing impacts of climate change and natural disasters ... John Day, General Manager Environment, Systems and Operations, said ‘behind the meter’ power systems will help keep water and sewer infrastructure operating in emergency situations.
Water wars continue
It’s said “when you’re a hammer, everything is a nail,” and the blunt political instrument of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan is a jumbo hammer that swings with the force of the political party who wields it at the time ... Neglecting private environment and ecosystem function holds a certain irony as the plan has been for the environment with no consideration for the social and economic aspects of Australians who live and work within the basin.
Plans for rural water supply gather momentum
A crowd of 94 people attended a public information session at the Natte Yallock Recreation Reserve on Wednesday 22 February to learn more about the Southern Wimmera and Northeast Pyrenees Rural Water Supply Project. The proposed pipeline is designed to provide a fit for purpose sustainable rural water supply across almost 354,000 hectares spanning parts of the Central Goldfields, Northern Grampians and Pyrenees Shires.
Murray–Darling Basin Ministerial Council communique, 24 February 2023
Murray–Darling Basin water ministers met on Gadigal Land (Sydney) to discuss the impacts of flooding on catchments and communities, next steps to deliver the Basin Plan and opportunities to strengthen First Nations' role in water management and ownership.
Bridging the Gap under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan: Plibersek
The Government is beginning the process to buy water to Bridge the Gap under the Murray–Darling Basin Plan. These water purchases are voluntary. This water purchase is only for the remaining 49GL of the Bridging the Gap target. ‘Bridging the Gap’ is the largest pool of water to be recovered under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan – a total of 2,075GL. Around 49GL remains to be recovered: Tanya Plibersek.
Statement on water buybacks: NFF
Reports are that these buybacks will not be used to progress the 450GL or 605GL recovery targets. However, it’s important this proposal doesn’t become a stalking horse to open up broader buybacks. We need open consultation and transparency in decision making and we’re looking to Minister Plibersek to lead that approach. We have recently written to water ministers seeking openness and transparency – both from the Ministerial Council and their advisory body the Basin Officials Committee: Malcolm Holm, NFF.
Campaspe mayor applauds ministerial announcement on Lake Eppalock
Campaspe Shire Mayor Cr Rob Amos has applauded Minister for Water Harriet Shing’s announcement that the Victorian Government will conduct an assessment of operating and infrastructure arrangements at Lake Eppalock to find opportunities to reduce the impact of flooding ... “The spilling of Lake Eppalock in 2011 and 2022 caused catastrophic damage to the Campaspe Valley, particularly Rochester”: Cr Amos.
Water buyback plan ignores evidence and farming communities: VFF
The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) says the Albanese Government’s plan to buyback water under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan ignores all evidence of the devastation farming communities will be forced to endure. VFF Water Council Chair Andrew Leahy said the announcement by Federal Water Minister Tanya Plibersek to buyback water continued to ignore the concerns of farmers about the reduction in the amount of water available to produce food.
SA Liberals need to get onboard Team SA on Murray-Darling Basin Plan: Close
The SA Liberals misguided opposition to voluntary water buybacks risks undermining South Australia’s position ahead of Friday’s Murray–Darling Basin Ministerial Council meeting. A united South Australian position is crucial when dealing with the unwillingness of the NSW and Victorian governments to deliver the 450 gigalitres promised when the Murray-Darling Basin Plan was agreed to: Susan Close, SA Deputy Premier, Minister for Climate, Environment and Water (SA).
People and industry must be at centre of Basin Plan: VFF
The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) says people and industry must be at the centre of discussions during next week’s meeting of state and federal water ministers on the Murray-Darling Basin Plan ... “The MDBA’s report card doesn’t look at the impact on jobs, on food production and on communities that have resulted from water buybacks and broader Basin Plan implementation”: VFF President Emma Germano.
Suspected Avian Botulism outbreak
A deadly disease that attacks water birds, known as Avian Botulism, is suspected to have struck at Bells Swamp on the Bridgewater-Maldon Road in Neereman, 10 or so kilometres from Maldon. Bird rescue teams, including Victorian Wildlife veterinarians and volunteer regional wildlife lovers, spent the weekend searching the swamp for dead and unwell birds.
