Labor affirms its decision to remove another 450 gigalitres of water from irrigation use: The Riverina State
Anthony Albanese and the Labor Party have affirmed their decision to remove another 450 gigalitres of water, in addition to the 2750 gigalitres already removed via the Basin Plan, from productive use in NSW and Victoria. Most, if not all, of this water will be sourced from The Riverina and northern Victoria.
Jobs to go under Albanese’s water plan: VFF
The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) has warned that jobs across regional Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia will be lost if Anthony Albanese’s policy for water recovery is implemented under the Murray Darling Basin Plan. VFF President Emma Germano said Federal Labor’s five-point policy showed a total misunderstanding of the Basin Plan and a total disregard for jobs in regional communities.
Labor’s plan to future-proof Australia’s water resources: Albanese
An Albanese Labor Government will protect Australia’s precious water resources with a five-point plan for the Murray Darling Basin that strikes the right balance between the needs of local communities, farmers and the environment ... Labor will deliver on the final 450 gigalitres (GL) of water for the environment that Scott Morrison and Barnaby Joyce have failed to deliver.
Forecast of low prices, more certainty for southern Basin irrigators
Water allocation prices in the southern Murray–Darling Basin are likely to remain low for a third consecutive year, according to the latest ABARES Water Market Outlook.
Stories to tell of ways with water
Alison Bennett Taylor. Waterways producer/director Nari Lees says everyone has a story to tell about their connection to Denmark’s waterways – the river, the inlet and the sea. She hopes to capture as many of them on film as she can during the still days of autumn. Waterways, Love Stories of Place, will share stories of connection to place through an interactive walk featuring QR codes that link directly to the recordings.
Groundwater – making the invisible visible: BoM
BOM Blog. Groundwater – more literally, underground water – accounts for approximately 30% of Australia's water use. But because it can't be seen like rivers and lakes, many people don't know about it. So how can we 'see' this important but invisible resource?
2022 Budget: Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association
When it comes to the big-ticket items for Tasmania the federal budget doesn’t meet Tasmania’s needs for agriculture. The infrastructure spend on water and roads only provides small change for Tasmania. Water is 0.18% of national spending and roads are 0.55%.
Mundaring Weir and the pipeline to Kalgoorlie: Frank Batini
This remarkable project was, at the time, the longest water pipeline ever constructed in the world. Inspired by C Y O’Connor, the Chief Engineer for the Public Works Department, supported by J. Forrest, the Premier and costing an eye-watering 2.5 million pounds of borrowed money, the work was completed in early 1903 when the first pump was turned on. Water arrived in Kalgoorlie two days later.
Restdown’s sustainable tourism recognised
Jo and Don Hearn from Restdown Winery and Jungle Lane Beef Co and their business were recently recognised as part of Tourism Australia’s new international marketing campaign on sustainable tourism, and Tourism NSW has also included them in the top 10 things to do along the Murray River, alongside the iconic Mungo National Park.
Ocean-based Carbon Markets Australia and New Zealand – webinar, 28 March 2022
Researchers, Investors, Project Developers and industry participants all play an important role to scale up ocean carbon project development that will bring new innovation to enable large scale emissions reduction, plus many co-benefits such as biodiversity and jobs.
Monitoring the effects of wildfire on water, vegetation and biodiversity: Frank Batini
The very large wildfire in the Perth hills catchments in January 2005 had the potential for severe consequences on water quality in domestic water supply reservoirs ... full recovery will take some decades. This large fire was eventually contained when it reached areas that had been prescribed burnt and carried low fuels.
I’m still lost
For a moment, can we establish that if I was to save the environment it would require a net benefit? This means that I save more environment than I destroy, the environmental assets and ecosystem function are greater than the baseline of where we began. In watching Australia’s water policy develop, be implemented and progress, I often find myself lost or searching for some understanding of how we got here. “We wonder why a frog near a coal mine is environmental matter of national significance, yet a 47,000 hectare wetland is not. 220,000 bird movements a year is a national treasure and now the testimony in this place is the state and federal governments are going to murder Menindee,” was a question put forward by Senator Malcolm Roberts at a recent Federal Estimates hearing on water.
Better use of water for the environment – not more buybacks: Pitt, Ley, Davey
“Increasing the capacity of the existing channel escapes will mean environmental water can fill wetlands and creeks that would otherwise only get wet during large over bank flows ... We put an end to buybacks because of the damage they have done to regions like this – stretching beyond the individual farmgate and impacting on the efficiency or whole irrigation networks”: Keith Pitt, Minister for Resources and Water.
Forty local jobs up for grabs at Rookwood Weir
Central Queensland workers stand to benefit with a number of jobs soon to be up for grabs as part of the $367.2 million Rookwood Weir project ... Water from the weir will be available for sale later this year as part of the second stage of the tender process.
Putting Emu Creek Dam on the table
Toowoomba Regional Council moved a motion on 14 March to ensure Emu Creek Dam is firmly on the State Government’s radar as an option for future water. With the State Government undertaking work on a Regional Water Assessment, Toowoomba Regional Council Mayor Paul Antonio said it was vital Emu Creek Dam was considered as part of this assessment.
New ebook to provide grower resource for soil water repellence
“Book 7 focuses on the impact, expression, diagnosis and management of water repellence in agricultural soil, supported by evidence-based case studies and farmer experiences”: SoilsWest co-director and Murdoch University Associate Professor Frances Hoyle.
Improving water security
A study is currently underway to determine if excess water from the region’s drainage network could be stored in aquifers for the benefit of local primary industries. The Limestone Coast Landscape Board (LCLB) and Primary Producers Sustainable Water Group are together investigating the feasibility of this arrangement in an effort to improve water security and sustainability across the region.
Dalton resigns from party ahead of election
“They refused to vote down dodgy National Party law changes that allowed for excessive water take in the Northern Basin. These law changes really disadvantaged Lower Darling communities and Murray River irrigators” : Helen Dalton ... “This disallowance motion is a political game from a green Independent looking for relevance that undermines years of hard work by the SFF to see floodplain harvesting regulated”: Mark Banasiak, SFF MLC and Deputy Chair of the Select Committee on Floodplain Harvesting.
Dalton leaves SFF
Member for Murray, Helen Dalton, is now an independent after resigning from the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party. The move came after Upper House SFF Party MPs did not show up for a crucial vote on floodplain harvesting. Floodplain harvesting has been a contentious issue as NSW seeks to license and meter floodplain interception.
Council endorses Mount Morgan pipeline
“We know the people of Mount Morgan have been wanting a pipeline for a long time, but we can’t just go out and build a pipeline; unfortunately it’s not that easy" : Mayor Williams ... “It will be one year this month since the Mount Morgan community have been in Level 6 (emergency supply) restrictions. During this time, we have continued to cart water from Gracemere to Mount Morgan, which has cost Council around $4.5 million so far" : Cr Kirkland.
Dalton welcomes decision to quash floodplain harvesting laws
NSW state MP for Murray Helen Dalton welcomed the NSW Upper House vote to disallow law changes that allowed for excessive floodplain harvesting in the NSW Northern Basin on Thursday. “This result is a big victory for communities in the Lower Darling and irrigators in my electorate,” Mrs Dalton said.
Floods inevitable, bad planning avoidable
The costs in human and animal suffering, infrastructure, farmland, wildlife, the list goes on, is immense. What makes it so appalling is that, with good planning, both in terms of infrastructure, such as dams, and planning laws restricting development on floodplains, much of this horrendous waste and loss could have been at least mitigated, and, I suspect, in many cases, avoided altogether.
