Water Wastage

Blaze,
We were though the area a few weeks ago on a journey down to the murray mouth. On the face of it, I'd have to agree with you. I also noticed a fair amount of spray irrigation as well.
One thing that really stood out to me was the large number of the domestic gardens in these river towns have lovely green lawns. The sort of lawns that we used to have here in Canberra, back when it used to rain. I'm not sure what the rules are but it does not look like there is to much in the way of water restriction along the river.
Heard an interesting story from a fellow at CSIRO the other day with respect to water allocations. A person / property owns an allocation for volume X. In the days of very wide spread flood irrigation, a fair portion of Volume X made it back to the river via run off and under ground flow. In these days of increase irrigation efficiency, the full (available) allocation of volume X is still used. Due to the increase efficiency of irrigation methods, the returns to the river are minimal.
I'm not one for cocky bashing, I think primary industry is a crucial part of the Australian fabric. The problem of over resource allocation is a government (mainly states) created problem.
Don't rekon little Johnny's recent attempts at a quick file will lead to much more than a political fix in the short term.
I am starting to think that water should be managed nationally.
As far as water wastage goes, the SA water storage of Lake Victoria, in NSW, is one big evaporation basin, located in a almost desert like region. As you point out with the open channels, better could be done. Similarly to open channel transfers, an engineering solution to the SA water storage waste of water through evaporation is required. That would take significant amounts of cash - so probably wont happen.

Paul.
Still a great river tho.
Good chance I'll find my way over to SA next year for holidays again - 3rd year in a row. this time probably to rent a boat from customs house :)
Love the state - those 'holiday' camping NP access passes are fantastic.

Why cant Little Johnny and is idiot friends build a pipeline from the top end to some of the major tributaries of these rivers. A controlled flow from this pipeline would allow the river to at least have some sort of flow in it to prevent long term damage. From what I've heard the Ord river releases about 5 times the quanitity of Sydney harbour a day into the Indian ocean. Why not use some of that.
It's just an idea although expensive.

Cheers Kev

Spot on Blaze. Water should be a national responsibility, as local and State Governments do not have the brains to deal with it.

Little Johnny has appointed Malcom Turnbull to oversee issues related to water at a Federal level. Not sure what that will do.

On our recent trip around Oz, we were stunned to see the amount of available water, particularly in the north of the country.

As pointed out in the previous post, the Ord River is massive, and a pipeline from there would be a huge boost. When I Darwin, my mate there told us that during the wet they can get up to 6" of rain in a single afternoon. I naively asked where that flowed to (expecting to be told some dam or other) and he told me .. "straight out to sea". They lose more than they use. And in Darwin and surrounding areas there was no shortage of domestic sprinklers keeping things nice and green.

In NSW the local pollies are all about desalination ... we have a number of small plants operating up here on the NSW Central Coast. Either that or digging up water underneath dams. Duh !!!! In Toowoomba, a referendum to recycle waste water was defeated (another politically manipulated decision???), and there is talk that in WA they are planning (or investigating??) charging domestic residents for their use of bore water. Peter Beattie grandly announced a "summit" of local council officials to solve the water problems of Queensland when we passed through there. My guess (as we saw nothing in the form of outcomes published in the papers when we were up there) was he told them to use less water - no concrete plans apart from his earlier announcement to flood the Mary Valley. Nice one!!!

Here in NSW, the Premier has just announced the building of a dam in the Newcastle area, which we suspect is a political smoke screen to deaden the current scandal surrounding a local State Minister and his alleged dealings with children. They don't want to lose too many votes up this way. Not sure how he will go when the Greens kick up a stink.

Yes - water is too big for State Authorities to deal with. I think planning a trip to the loo is beyond most of them.

One hopes when there is a referendum on the republic again, there will also be one that can eradicate this expensive, wasteful and completly unnecessary arm of politics - State Government.

Unfortunately, with the current spate of brain dead, survivalist politicians across Australia you would never get another Snowy Mountains Scheme, or any other grand piece of infrastructure.. Today's politicians have less foresight than Stevie Wonder !!!!!

Whew!!! I feel better now !!!!! Rant ends here ----------------------------------- >

Jack

Two weeks ago, we travelled the Sturt Highway, and like you I was surprised to see so many flooded rice fields on the Hay road. Never noticed them before.

I reckon they could build a short pipeline that bypasses the cotton farms in Qld :-)))

From my understanding, it goes a little further than "simple" irrigation.
South Australiian Growers in the Riverland lead by example on what can be achieved by "smarter" irrigation. The methods employed, reduce the amount of evaporation and other causes of wasted water, whilst giving the crops sufficient water to grow.

I think the whole solution was worked out by the growers, State Government and CSIRO, etc.

I would have to totally agree with elimination of some crops that are proven to be water hungry though. Australia just cannot afford to support inefficient primary industries such as rice and cotton.

Open irrigation channels waste that much water,the Loxton scheme in the Riverland saved over 4800 megalitres in one year just by getting rid of all the open irrigation channels and installing pipes. Just one scheme in one town.
Cheers: Scoof.

if it was only 50% evaporation it would not be to bad. In some cases it is 82% evaporation and seepage. Vic and NSW have totally different water systems. Vic system comes from Victorian storage and NSW comes from NSW storage. NSW does not have storage capacity like Vic does. Vic got their water act together years ago and NSW did nothing. While the water may all come out the same river down stream, that is not the case upstream. Consider the Murray River a big shared pipe and each puts in and takes out along the way. All screamed when Vic put in their water system and it has proven the answer. Farmers know prior to the season starting how much water they will have, unlike NSW.
Murray Darling Basin Commission works firmly on the principle if they never ever do anything other than do consultants reports they can never be accused of failing. Heaps could be done on the ground that is simple functional and would achieve results, but they as in the Murray Darling Basin Commission chooses to do nothing as it is simpler. Tea parties dinners and trips away are the speciality of the Murray Darling Basin Commission and that is the limit of their ability to organise anything.

Farmers should be given 20 years to change from inefficient systems like flood irrigation & either pipe or line all open channels. Governments would need to subsidise the project in some way but anyone not conforming should have their water allocation halved. A farmer near Lake William Hovell told me for every 100 litres of water that leaves the dam only 10 litres makes it to the farms at Mildura.......all lost in seepage & evaporation. We have plenty of water just we don't make the best use of it.
Cheers Craig...........