Let's get off Ayers Rock and Koori silliness over its closure, and get to something real..... dancing up and down and crowing will bring a reaction... grow up:-

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-13/water-trade-in-murray-darling-basin-has-unintended-consequences/11291450


Water trading's 'unintended' consequences across Australia's southern Murray-Darling Basin

There's a sense something is not right among the farmers of the southern Murray-Darling Basin.

Key points:

    Anyone can buy and trade water in Australia, and 14 per cent of trades each year are by individuals or corporates that don't own land.

    The Federal Government has promised a competition study of Australia's $2-billion water trade
    Irrigators in the southern basin say the water market is having unintended consequences on their local economies and the river.

It is not just drought, they say, that is testing livelihoods. It is the system.

The Murray-Darling Basin's $2 billion water trade — introduced to recognise the value of the resource and provide farmers with greater flexibility — is shifting economies and changing the landscape.

At the request of the Federal Government, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is about to study the trade.

Some say what is happening across the southern basin is simply the result of free trade and the commodification of water.

Others describe it as a failed experiment.

The Murray-Darling Basin Plan makes it clear that the river is a national asset to be managed in the national interest.

But on a recent trip up the river, the ABC found a growing number who believe the unintended consequences of water trading are challenging that promise.


Read the rest.

Watched Q & A tonight (partly) and was totally in agreement with the two Kooris who came on and put their case... why is water being sold as a commodity while this process is destroying towns and farms and killing people and environments....

My view is "how dare anyone market water, which is a national asset?"

One of these blokes is from an area where the average male lifespan among Kooris is 37 ... 37 ... 37 .... and they can't catch fish or yabbies any more... no water...

The other bloke was adamant about the impact of greed and the flawed idea that water can be sold etc... he speaks my language ....

Nice to see you all think more of a few Koons and fellow travelers dancing on Ayers Rock's grave than on a genuine issue for the future of the whole country.... water and a genuine plan for agriculture and water ... not just this insane commodity marketing nonsense that is killing Australia and its people by feeding rich offshore companies water since they can afford to corner the market, and they pay no tax .... and the vultures who buy licences, hoard it and not use the water, thus raising the price, and then making a killing...

What a stupid idea from any government..... but fear not - carry on about the Koons and their party for five minutes - then social and economic devastation for those who actually live there.... and more trouble for everyone else from a bunch of Koons hyped up on 'FREEEEDOM' by taking from others....

I smell trouble on the wind....

I think they should ban the growth of Cotton  and Rice in the Murray Darling as a starter.

Cotton and rice should be only allowed in high rainfall areas

The worst offender Cubbee Station should be taken over and turned into a national park

Redmond Neck wrote on Oct 29^th, 2019 at 8:05am:

I think they should ban the growth of Cotton  and Rice in the Murray Darling as a starter. Cotton and rice should be only allowed in high rainfall areas The worst offender Cubbee Station should be taken over and turned into a national park

Too right .... but the development there(water storages) has killed all the trees.

It would have to be replanted & much of the earthen dam wall flattened.

That would cost a lot of money as well.

The Chinese own it ... would the govt. be game to shut it down?

Redmond Neck wrote on Oct 29^th, 2019 at 8:05am:

I think they should ban the growth of Cotton  and Rice in the Murray Darling as a starter. Cotton and rice should be only allowed in high rainfall areas The worst offender Cubbee Station should be taken over and turned into a national park

That old conservative, the ex, said the same last night....

What about a Milagro revolt?  The farmers just open the gates to the water being allowed to flow past to someone 'licenced' downstream while their dairy farm dies?  I noticed all the dicks last night on Q & A trying to weasel out by saying the income will allow the 'science' to be established so 'farmers will have the tools' for the future use of water... in other words - keep stalling while farms die, let's keep selling water off to the highest bidder, line our pockets, and buggar the country and its people, as long as the global economy is satisfied.

Sir Grappler Truth Teller OAM wrote on Oct 28^th, 2019 at 10:32pm:

Let's get off Ayers Rock and Koori silliness over its closure, and get to something real..... dancing up and down and crowing will bring a reaction... grow up:- https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-13/water-trade-in-murray-darling-basin-has-unintended-consequences/11291450 Water trading's 'unintended' consequences across Australia's southern Murray-Darling Basin There's a sense something is not right among the farmers of the southern Murray-Darling Basin. Key points:     Anyone can buy and trade water in Australia, and 14 per cent of trades each year are by individuals or corporates that don't own land.     The Federal Government has promised a competition study of Australia's $2-billion water trade     Irrigators in the southern basin say the water market is having unintended consequences on their local economies and the river. It is not just drought, they say, that is testing livelihoods. It is the system. The Murray-Darling Basin's $2 billion water trade — introduced to recognise the value of the resource and provide farmers with greater flexibility — is shifting economies and changing the landscape. At the request of the Federal Government, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is about to study the trade. Some say what is happening across the southern basin is simply the result of free trade and the commodification of water. Others describe it as a failed experiment. The Murray-Darling Basin Plan makes it clear that the river is a national asset to be managed in the national interest. But on a recent trip up the river, the ABC found a growing number who believe the unintended consequences of water trading are challenging that promise. Read the rest. Watched Q & A tonight (partly) and was totally in agreement with the two Kooris who came on and put their case... why is water being sold as a commodity while this process is destroying towns and farms and killing people and environments.... My view is "how dare anyone market water, which is a national asset?" One of these blokes is from an area where the average male lifespan among Kooris is 37 ... 37 ... 37 .... and they can't catch fish or yabbies any more... no water... The other bloke was adamant about the impact of greed and the flawed idea that water can be sold etc... he speaks my language ....

Watched it last night too ..... Fiona Simpson may as well be a politician.

Water researcher Maryanne Slattery had to speak up & ask her if she could finish her view point after being cut off & rebuffed by Simpson the first time she said anything.

Slattery says the MDBP is a disaster and caters to corporate agriculture.

Much the same message as old tribal paint Koori mate was trying to make ...... only he went OTT with his rant.

It was good to see the Lawyer in the audience right or wrong get to & make David Littleproud squirm over politicians declaring interests or conflicts of interest because of family involvement in water trading.

I also watched Landline yesterday ... of interest was the segment on the business of supplying of Bees for pollination of fruit & nut crops from Victoria to QLD.

The most notable thing in this segment was it's big focus on the expanding Almond nut corporate orchards in the Murray basin in Victoria & NSW.

It's beyond huge ..... they spoke of a new farm on the go that will be 8,000 acres.

As for growing water reliant crops like cotton & rice causing water usage problems remember .... both use water to a certain stage then it stops ...

1. because cotton is sprayed to make the plant die off & dry prior to harvest.

2. to dry out the ground to allow the harvest of the rice.

Irrigation of vast Almond farms is a constant .... 24/7 from planting the seedling trees & throughout its growth through it's productive life which is 25 to 30 years.


Quote:

• Approx. 200 growers in 4 states (SA, Vic, NSW & WA) • The current orchard area is 30,200 Ha’s. (74,000 acres) • Further major plantings over next 3 years will increase the orchard area by + 15,000 Ha’s. (37,000 acres) requiring significant capital investment • Interest from Australian / overseas investors and further expansion by existing growers. • Production is estimated to lift to 130,000mt by 2025 • This investment along in the Murray Darling Basin is worth over +$1.0 billion including water entitlements. • Current water use by the almond industry is 400,000 megalitres or around 14 megalitres per Ha for mature orchards. • Almonds provide one the highest returns per water use Australian Almond Industry • More than 91% of orchards are drip irrigated with the remainder under micro sprinklers. • Water is sourced from the Murray River and tributaries under a metered, $$ allocation system. • Established water market for permanent sale or leasing of annual water entitlement. • Currently the industry invests $3 million pa in R&D looking to boost to $7 million to develop production systems best adapted to Australian conditions and better suited to the changing climatic and work environment in future Australia.

http://www.agriculture.gov.au/abares/outlook/Documents/horticulture-woolston.pdf

There is where the big drain on water is coming from & it will increase.

These big farms are owned by foreign corporates & they are trading buying the allocations forcing the price up.

There are also oil and gas companies fraccing the land and damaging water tables. They were warned it would happen....yet they still went ahead.

We need a genuine national agriculture and water plan - not this Robber Baron approach and some hope of 'trickle-down' - if ever there was a clear example of 'trickle-down' failure it's this... forget this smash and grab 'market' that shouldn't exist and has failed - water should be allocated to specific industries, and only the excess, if any, allowed on any 'open market' that favours the big boys in the export trade .... again.  Water intensive crops unto perpetuity such as almonds should be strictly limited in area etc...

The ex said - yeah - you can feed babies on almonds....

Someone said that this government (of two parties)is intent on destroying the middle classes - farmers are small business/middle class - and it is clear there is no real consideration of the realities involved, and many are going under while the water flows past.

This really gets my dander up...

This could be of interest:-

https://www.almonds.com/sites/default/files/content/attachments/economics_of_growing_almonds_revised.pdf

Captain Caveman wrote on Oct 29^th, 2019 at 8:56am:

There are also oil and gas companies fraccing the land and damaging water tables. They were warned it would happen....yet they still went ahead.

Yeah ... QLD first then all the other idiots have followed or are in the process.

What also was trialed in QLD was Coal Gasification ..... where they actually ignite/combust the underground coal seams & extract the gases from that process .....

the trial was shut down & the process banned in QLD because of underground water & land  contamination with hazardous toxins.

It's worse than hydraulic fracking.

But guess where they then went & who looks like letting them start this insane process?

Can you guess?

South Australia.

It amazes me that our politicians learnt nothing from what has been going on in the USA with hydraulic gas extraction ......

now it seems that some(Sth Australian) can't even learn from what happens interstate.

It's all greed driven & giving in to multi national big Oil & Gas.