Emergency inquiry for Murray-Darling
Cathy Alexander; 27-28/8/08
An emergency inquiry will be held into how to save the Murray-Darling’s ailing lower lakes. The Senate today voted for a lightning inquiry which has just one month to find a solution to the woes of Australia’s biggest river system. The Greens, coalition and independent senators teamed up to support the inquiry - and the government did not oppose the move.Senators will look into how much water is available in the Murray-Darling, how it could be purchased, and whether it would make it all the way to the lower lakes.
See: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24251395-26103,00.html
Murray River farmers lift price of water buyback
Pia Akerman; 28/8/08
Murray River farmers will today propose that taxpayers outlay up to double the going price for traded water to buy back irrigation rights. Negotiators for the South Australia Murray Irrigators group, representing 3500 producers, will tell federal Water Minister Penny Wong that the Government must pay between $1500 and $4800 a megalitre to speed its water acquisition program. The Government paid an average of $2124 a megalitre for high-security water entitlements in the opening phase of the buyback, which it wants to accelerate in the face of the growing emergency on the lower Murray. Irrigators’ group chairman Tim Whetstone said the farmers were realistic, not greedy, with their pricing, which took into account the cost to irrigators of exiting the industry.
See: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24253116-11949,00.html
Toorale purchase won’t fix Murray-Darling
Greg Roberts; 28/8/08
Authorities in NSW have warned that the acquisition of the giant Toorale cotton station in northwest NSW would do little to relieve water shortages in southern NSW and South Australia. NSW Water Minister Nathan Rees said his department estimated that 50 per cent of water from Toorale would be lost before it reached Menindee Lakes in southern NSW. The Australian reported yesterday that Toorale was expected to be purchased by the commonwealth in partnership with NSW for an estimated $25 million in response to mounting pressure on the Rudd Government to do more to address the water crisis in the Murray-Darling Basin. Dams across the Warrego River on Toorale would be removed to boost flows from Queensland to the basin by up to 90 gigalitres a year.
See: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24253112-5013404,00.html
Tags: Australia, Environment, Murray-Darling Basin, Trade