Iron ore and steel milling business could be greatly stimulated and sustained if the north Qld wet season water harvesting and STEEL aqueduct project to the Murray Darling catchment was realized instead of being politically suppressed.

For insight see the Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper - Supporting Information - Index F - Fairfax JC. Here:
http://agwhitepaper.agriculture.gov.au/supporting-information/published-submissions-green-paper

If anyone has any evidence the suggested project can not be achieved, as the proponent I would like to hear about it.

Otherwise why not move forward to benefit business and employment and food and fibre export revenue for Australia.

I would like to hear from ore and steel industry interests, including here on OLO.

Ore and steel could have a very sustainable future as water ecosystem management is required a.s.a.p. worldwide.

John C Fairfax
JF Aus.

Piping water from the north to the Murray Darling may have some merit but it must be compared to using wind power to lifting partly treated sewage and storm water from the eastern city complex (Wollongong-Sydney- Newcastle) into storage in the Great Dividing Range and running it through hydro electricity generators and then through natural (eg. Macquarrie Marshes)and created marshes for final treatment into the Murray Darling catchment.

The sale of electrical power and of irrigation water rights may go toward making it a reasonable business return.
It would not be hard to make it a better bet than the NBN scheme dreamed up on the back of a beer coaster.

Hydro power is like a great battery to be turned on when prices are at their peak.

Hi, Wise Old Man,

Aqueduct is different to pipe, pipe generated more friction and over longer distance requires pumping, but pipe can go uphill.
Aqueduct runs almost level all the way over long distance drawn by gravity, without pumping.

You have made a good point to use solar to pump partly treated sewage high over mountains. When it runs down the inland side that sewage water it could drive turbines.
If treated further en route farmers would likely benefit from low cost fertilizer extracted from the water.

Any nutrient remaining in that sewage water could be harnessed to grow algae to produce bio fuel. Bio fuel has been successfully trialed in ships and jet aircraft.

South Australia is looking at using solar and wind to pump sea water into mountains during day, to then run back down at night to drive turbine electricity supply.

You are also right about natural and created marsh land being suitable to purify ex sewage water.

Yes the NBN, LOL.
Now it's a new airport to compete with the existing airport/s. Lots of export product from a competing new airport 'investment'! LOL

All this water management could best use steel. Worldwide.

Lot's of business and employment is there for the taking.
Needs leadership.

..and still the dollars that could be used to fund even greater infrastructure projects - such as an east to west coast railway, or major road projects etc are being frittered away like sailors ashore on leave. WA member Brendon Grylls proposed the increase on the tonnages to help the national debt. It was hounded out by a well orchestrated campaign from the big miners and Federal/WA government Liberal governments alike...and yes the silence from Unions/ALP was truly deafening !

When the likes of BHP-Billiton, who from 2004 - 2014 showed a 'profit to ordinary shareholders' of some $1,017 Billion dollars, we see just how far and listen to the various tunes Australians are be ripped off to by our governments.

Australians, most of us, would not even care about this, but instead moan & gripe when the cost of petrol goes up 10 cents, or when a packet of smokes goes up by $5.

Wake up Australia !

So Jessica Foreman, please tell me who would listen to an old soldier who spent the early 1980's working in the 'Counter Terrorism' industry ?

3 evenings ago, whilst at the Anderson Point iron ore loading facility, I walked in from the public roadway through the main gate - which had no security guard in attendance. I then went through the security building (which was unlocked) and strolled out into the main administration complex. My presence was only challenged by an alert cleaner. No one asked me for ID, and I could quite feasibly have gone on to the wharf area without any ID or questioning by anyone at all. Waiting at the wharf was the "Dong - A - Artemis". An iron ore bulk carrier, fully laden and waiting for the high tide to leave Port Hedland.

The horrible thought occurred, as to just how easily someone with the wrong intentions could have gotten on board and created mayhem. I wondered how many dollars per day it would affect their 'profits' if a large ore carrier sank in the channel of Port Hedland, blocking ships in & out ?

Not just ore carriers are being used to float off increasingly valuable $tuff.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/don-argus-slams-elliott-management-plan-for-bhp-overhaul/news-story/0f3caa3af9e7bcf8f6d56ecb560da16c

Yes, wake up Australia.