I think country people have a right to feel the MDBP is an act of sabotage.

Governments develop policy and set up schemes such as irrigation now at issue. People, in good faith, take advantage of these schemes, build their lives and livelihoods around them and are then betrayed by government in the way now proposed.

My father was a farmer and relied on water rights he bought to irrigate his farm. He always felt water was poorly managed and that governments were at fault. He would be very distressed by what is happening as, like many farmers, farming was in his blood.

I know little about the Murray River and, judging by the comments back and forth above, am to become no wiser. This is the same with the so-called AGW debate. For the ordinary person it goes nowhere and this one seems to be heading in the same direction. A great pity, as so many lives hinge on the outcome.

I would like to also point out, as has been done above, that the Howard Government did try to tackle the water situation but were constantly and quite agressively politicked against by state Labor governments intent on helping their Canberra brethren.

It's just a pity that politicians are not made to pay the cost of this debacle as they richly deserve to - both past and present politicians. If all they can do is play politics with people's lives so unfeelingly, then they are a morally bankrupt mob and none more so than the present government.

I still live in a country town - one being encroached on by urban development - and know many here are furious about the MDBP.

They know they rely on farmers for good produce and don't want to be buying imported stuff. I think when push comes to shove country people are going to get massive support from their city cousins, and I'm glad to say, Mr. Bob Brown, Ms. Gillard and their environmental plans are in for a kicking. The sooner the better, I reckon.

579, dismantling the barrages would be good for keeping the mouth open naturally, allowing a bigger tidal water exchange between the sea and the lakes. Also the threat of acid soils would be nullified.

Not so good for those with facilities designed for the normal lakes level of 80cm above sea level, and those irrigating from the lakes.

Cotton uses a medium amount of water, similar to citrus from memory, twice that of wheat and roughly half that of rice. The problem, to whatever extent, is that allocations were distributed and farmers choose to grow cotton with that allocation. Not growing cotton would only see that same amount of water used elsewhere for wheat or sunflowers, for lesser returns. Or grapes for no return. I think failing to get the best value for the water would be a waste.

VK3AUU, I think there is some confusion about the Coorong, it is connected directly to the sea via the Murray mouth, and has always been saltier than the sea. The barrages seperate the lakes from the common area that is the Western Coorong/Murray Mouth. The barrages cannot let salty water anywhere but back into the lakes, and can't do that at present either as the lakes are 67cm above sea level and all gates are open letting fresh water out to the sea. Obviously that doesn't get the same attention as dry lake beds did.
The fact that so much water is passing through the nearly full lakes despite no significant buyback water assistance, no doubt is fuelling some of the anger at the MDBA plan.

Labor has never had a connection to the land or its families only the union movement, power,money and influence at all costs and their greens have only contempt for anyone who uses the land which is on display daily through their continued reduction in prescribed burning, tells a story.

My suggestion is that we should canvas the ability to increase the capacity of the Hume Dam .
Wymah might be a good location for a new wall. Another might be Tallangatta where two possibilities should be examined , walling off a valley that runs about South and pumping from the Hume or piping from the Mitta Mitta Dam .
All the BuyBack water arrangements are Negative thinking and the MIA solution is just plane Stupid .

TheBThing, Friday, 15 October 2010 2:13:36 PM
about 1970 a safty survey of the Hume Dam revealed a rather startling fact that the wall had moved vertically i think it was about 14 mm and an investigation revealed a sand layer in the strata way below the dam wall had become wet and expanded lifting the wall 14mm and compromising the integrity of the wall.
This revelation caused panic in the Albury area.
The solution was to set anchors upstream and steel cables layed back to the wall to allay the water pressure that could potentually topple the wall. Much argument when the wall was being built compromised the wall especially the earthen part of the wall adjcent to the concrete and beyond caused by Political imperitives as the cost had blown out and public support had critically waned , the Pollies panicked and shortcuts compromised the integrity of the earthen part of the wall.

Can't the Coorong be seperated from the lakes. Allowing tidal flow to keep the mouth open. While holding back fresh water at the lake.
There seems little depth in any of it. i don't see what adding water mid streem is going to acheive. Once the water has flowed you can't get it back.