Australia has water - it just doesn't harvest it. For months of the year, the Fitzroy River is one of the largest rivers in the world. All its water runs out to sea. If Libya can build four thousand kilometers of pipes through the desert, why cannot we? It would take some big thinking but we are a rich country and we need to secure the economic future for our children and grandchildren. Our leaders need to think beyond the next election.

good point estelles, that would be real nation building, work for lots of people stuff that could not only drag you out of a GFC but solve an employment problem for the many tribes and people who live between the SouthEast and the NorthWest.

It would cost billions, yes and how many billions did we just spend on the GFC?

It wasn't shovel ready - why not? How many times do we have to stare at our problems and not have plans ready to DO something.

In the US, when they wanted to spend on the GFC, they pulled all the plans for roads and bridges upgrades and additions with refurbishments that they had ready and waiting, and got on with it - what did we do, political stunts and waste.

Unfortunately the recent reports done on trying to harvest water in the north west were stacked with anti-dams environmentalists, who go the result they wanted. That it's not viable, but it is in Lybia? Let's have another look at that, this time without the bias, but we won't as it was political.

So we still watch water flood into the sea.

The Mitchell floods regularly, but the ALP did a preference deal with the greens, so Melbourne lost that water source.

We have water, but the eco warriors lobby to deprive us - oh well, I guess they are happy that we have to build all these new coal fired power stations, that spec CO2, to run the desal plants, thanks greenies! That was well thought through, again.

We don't have to worry about AGW or lack of water or anything else to stuff up Australia, all the political dealing is doing it well enough.

Nice job of ignoring the elephant in the room, this.

"There are forecasts which indicate that population growth and climate change will result in up to 2.5 billion people suffering severe water stress within the next 15-20 years."

The elephant in the room as far as the Liberals are concerned would be the tight little group of their mates who want to make zillions out of charging for water.

Just got to make the punters more fearful about supply and blame them for 'wasting' water. Too easy!

The Liberals can't be too worried about water, haven't heard any squeaks from them about Kevin Rudd's 'Big Australia'.

cornflower - a conspiracy! So Julie is marketing for the conspirers? She's drawing attention to the problem so that no one will know?

"The elephant in the room as far as the Liberals are concerned would be the tight little group of their mates who want to make zillions out of charging for water."

Who are they? Or can't you say, just in case they are watching? What's a zillion?

"Just got to make the punters more fearful about supply and blame them for 'wasting' water. Too easy!"

Who is making the punters more fearful? The state and federal governments? Hang on, I thought you said it was the Liberal's mates? Are the State and federal governments working for the Liberal's mates?

"The Liberals can't be too worried about water, haven't heard any squeaks from them about Kevin Rudd's 'Big Australia'.'

What's Kevin Rudd's Big Australia got to do with water security? Or is that all part of the conspiracy? shhhh!

We'll just build more desal plants with Big Australia's taxes and more and more power stations to run them, easy - isn't that what all the ALP governments have done? Now Queensland is going to do it too, since Minister Garrett stopped them building a dam, they have to go desal for a guaranteed water supply.

So how is this helping the Liberal's mates?

Somehow it doesn't surprise me that since the State and Federal ALP governments have all worked to stop building dams, or consider anything besides desal plants, it is now the Liberal's fault.

Go cornflower...

Whatever you do, don't let the facts get in the way of your prejudices.