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The Forum > Article Comments > Confronting our water challenge > Comments

Confronting our water challenge : Comments

By Malcolm Turnbull, published 11/8/2006

The simple fact is this: our cities can afford to have as much water as they are prepared to pay for.

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What strikes me is the contradiction arising from Politicians describing the current dry spell as an abberation. If it is "The worst drought on record", then why are all the mitigation efforts suggestive of something much more permanent? Climate change is downplayed as a threat by government and big business, yet their behaviour relating to water supply suggests that a large proportion are closet believers.
Posted by Fester, Saturday, 12 August 2006 1:11:22 PM
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Malcolm writes:
"We should solve our water problems together. "
We could all meet at the urinal, sees the rivers run, damn it all, filter it, and then we can all have a drink.
Posted by GlenWriter, Saturday, 12 August 2006 2:00:08 PM
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The Water Authority in West Australia tip from the Wellington Dam into the ocean, around 45 gigalitres of saline water from the base of that dam. A company called Smartwater Agritech approached the state government to fit and supply infrastructure (free of charge) to salvage that saline water. Their proposal is to run a pipe up to Harvey in the South West. The reverse osmosis of this technology eliminates the salt and is totally environmentally friendly. Agritech has offered the potable water to the government at a very reasonable rate. A brilliant idea in my opinion. No so with the state government who are ignoring this proposal and erecting environmentally damaging desalination plants! Not enough profits with the Agritech project, aye wot!

As a politician, you would do well not to ignore the huge drain on water by industry. Roxby Downs (Olympic Dam) in South Australia are the biggest users of groundwater in the southern hemisphere. Their application to take 1,500,000 litres of water a day (free of charge) for the next 70 years from the Great Artesian Basin surely must have a devastating, environmental impact. Uranium mining/nuclear energy -clean and green? I think not!! And are you not promoting this technology?

Hmmmmmmm. Who was it who said:

"So many politicians are blessed with great vision, which far exceeds their ability".

Perhaps you will make a difference?
Posted by dickie, Saturday, 12 August 2006 3:57:20 PM
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After the failure of the Queensland referendum on the recycling of sewage we have a long way to go with our ignorance on the safety of recycling.It should not have been put the public without educating them on the scientific and technical aspects of recycling sewage.Astronauts reuse their excreta and sewage poors into Warragamba Dam.Remember Cryptosporidium and Guiardia cause by sewerage pollution.We have been drinking it untreated for decades.

People just don't trust their Govts these days, probably with good reason.How about some education programs via the media and then have a national referendum on recycling of sewage and get on with fixing the water problem.There is not so much a shortage of water but a lack of will by Govts to tackle the problem.
Posted by Arjay, Saturday, 12 August 2006 4:07:47 PM
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Malcolm Turnbull writes;

“The water shortages we face today are greater than they have ever been.”

Yes

“But our capacity to respond to them is greater too.”

NO!!

“It is because as our cities, our farms and our industry have grown so our demand for water has grown apace.”

Yes. And now that the overall drawdown is very much larger and the easy sources have all been exploited, it is a whole lot harder to respond to the crisis.

“Many would ask how that could have occurred.”

Well, it just might have something to do with our politicians, of both main persuasions, who have not only let this continuous expansion happen, but actually facilitating it at a very high level, despite the ever-greater awareness of resource-supply and sustainability issues and despite the responsibility to strive for balance between supply and demand, and between present and future wellbeing… which are supposed to be among the most basic duties of government.

Government has sold its soul to the privileged corporate sector at the expense of the ordinary people http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=4778 and Malcolm Turnbull has been right in the thick of it. He has found the transition from high-faluting businessman into politics very easy, whereas those of us who are not money-chasers and who believe in genuine long-term wellbeing, don’t have a hope in hell of getting into powerful political positions, even with the best of qualifications.

“But let us leave the history and the blame game of over allocation to history.”

NO! Let’s not. Let’s realise that many of those that have been at the top of the pile over the last two or three decades and that have got us into this mess are still around, and the willingness to do just about whatever it takes to pander to the short-term profit motive is still firmly in place.

continued
Posted by Ludwig, Saturday, 12 August 2006 4:18:43 PM
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We can have a much larger population if we stop widespread farming of rice and cotton.
Posted by Corin, Saturday, 12 August 2006 6:06:49 PM
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