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Should towns buy water from farmers?

Farmers could be forgiven for wondering today whatever happened to one of the key principles of the National Water Initiative.

The NWI set out to promote, amongst other efficiency measures, a water trading market.

High security users, therefore should ask why they are now facing a compulsory cutback in their entitlement to zero, in order to secure urban supplies.

No-one is disputing the need to guarantee drinking water to rural communities, but shouldn't those communities should be buying that water from irrigators who are now facing financial ruin?

In these dry times have we passed the point of a market operating effectively, or is it times like these that a water market is most needed?

What do you think?

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Comments


Date: Newest first | Oldest first
If I want more water to use I have to buy it. Surely if government wants water, so should they. After all, they only represent the people and are there to supply their needs. If they make the rules, shouldn't they stick by them? Last year Beattie took 20ML off me without compensation. Other irrigators used more than their allocation(200ML) and nothing has happened to them. Who says Rafferty is not here?
Posted by Andrew Mayne on 23/04/2007 8:18:18 PM
What is your policy on privacy? Sun-Herald asks for your Screen name and e-mail adddress
Posted by Andrew Mayne on 23/04/2007 8:20:30 PM
Our Privacy policy is accessible via the link at the bottom of the Home page
Posted by Brian Hurst on 25/04/2007 6:18:22 AM
The bizarre aspect of the current water politics is that the various state governments are subsidising city dwellers to save the rain that falls on their properties, but at the same time are telling rural property owners that they can't keep what falls on their land without permission. Surely what is good policy for the cities is good policy for the bush.
Posted by Timothy Miles on 27/04/2007 3:37:19 AM
Beware the water woes!

'Water rights' have already been severely diminished under State Acts, so we should be wary of further control measures that allow corporate powers to control this basic resource.

When 'Macquarie Infrastructure, etc' own the bulk of these rights (like airports/tollways) it will be interesting to see how much they charge us to buy back our irrigation water.

As well, permanent trading of water should be embargoed until there are reasonable volumes available to support a rational market.

The sky is not falling, but the rain will, sooner or later.

Regards

"Bush Lawyer"

Posted by Sceptical on 28/04/2007 11:13:46 PM
Stop feeding all our SA water to cotton growers and rice farmers. Hell, I like woolly jumpers and pasta for dinner - we NEED the milk producers and to help the wool industry back to the glory it once had.

jim clark

Posted by jim clark on 17/05/2007 6:46:10 AM
If none of the major captial cities had adequate water the sad thing is there would no water/climate change crisis.

In all these cases good grey water is pumped out to sea.

To pump these water up into catchment water flows would be undoubtly very expensive.

However, if the cost was met by the water users of these cities it would provide some opportunities for farm production to continue, and, continue to be able to feed Australians.

If we eventually have to import the bulk of our food this cost would in turn add to the National CPI and big time.

There has been a deliberate Federal Government decision to massively truncate agricultural research in Australia and clearly without any clear judgement.

I doubt if the general population really understands the seriousness of the situation and worse still we don't have the calibre of politicians any longer.

A country that cannot feed itself cannot defend itself.

Posted by GD on 17/05/2007 7:57:23 PM
The Northern Development task force would be improved WITHOUT Bill Heffernan.

How can a person so chauvanistic towards women, who have been significant in northern development - and will continue to be - head a task force such as this?

Ask any guy living in the north......they stay because the lady continues to tolerate the conditions!

Posted by R See 1 on 17/05/2007 11:49:46 PM
The current situation of the rivers is not sustainable.

They are dying from the bottem back.

Flows must be restored by buying water back into the rivers to reverse this trend.

Posted by dusty on 19/05/2007 8:19:18 AM
Call me a conspiracy theorist if you must - I do believe that this is just another attempt to shut down Australian farms until we are totally controlled by international companies and, flooded with poor quality imports.

You only have to remember the days of Hawke/Keating where they moved deliberately so that Australian farms would be sold off to foreign companies who then shut the farms and flooded Australia with imported produce.

When will Australian's wake up. Too many sheeple out there controlling the vote.

Posted by AussieNationalist on 20/05/2007 3:29:17 AM
We should build nuclear power stations on the coast beside a desalination plant to decrease the increasing sea levels, then stop the city from using any other water, the full cost to be payed by the users.
Posted by Don Matthews on 22/05/2007 10:35:36 PM
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Michael Thomson is the Editor of FarmOnline. He has previously worked as the Canberra Parliamentary Press Gallery correspondent for the Rural Press group of agricultural newspapers, and as a senior reporter with Queensland Country Life.

26/11/2008 | If we're serious about roo farming, we'll need to start with a breeding program and kangaroo EBVs for marbling and tenderness.
 
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