There are no politicians in the "couple" of proponents for this scheme, so it is a non-starter. Our water problem is not lack of water or the distribution of water: it is about over-population and inappropriate European farming methods.

Our ideal population is STILL about 13 million. Nothing about our environment has changed since that figure was formulated. The big breakthrough for our impoverished soil was superphosphate. Since then, nothing else has come along. Nothing else will come along.

Start reducing population now with zero immigration. A scenario of Australia having to import its food has already been set.

ttbn,

You are dreaming mate. It is still all about growth, growth and more growth. Malthus will ultimately be vindicated. We need some engineers in the parliament and until that happens we are going to run out of both power and water. Snowy 2 is certainly not going to be our salvation on either front.
David

The anti-development bias is as bad on the right as on the left. Development happens. Only takes a few marginal seats. Environmental objections can be overcome.

Great News !
For how long though before the "experts" will start throwing spanners into the works ?
If we can somehow pay off these academics to stay away & let us get on with this scheme all will be good for many, many years to come !
Let's hope that by the time the first tunnel is being drilled, no such academic expert will come along & sprout about the rock feeling the pain of drilling ?
We won't need to counsel wildlife because their natural instinct will govern them to crawl to higher ground where the grass will be green & juicy once the water starts lapping around their butts.

This is not new. I worked on the upper Thomson to divert water into the Yarra. While a tunnel at first glance may seem more expensive?

The spoils from the tunnel can go straight to the dam site. Also obviates the need to buy and maintain a pipe line. In total, less costly overall?

Some thought ought be given allowing gravity to force water into convenient aquifers. Like the Great Artesian?

After that, the coupling of MSR thorium and deionisation dialysis desalination puts affordable potable water almost anywhere and on demand, whether or not it does or doesn't rain.

The only problem is, recalcitrant, half smart, consumed, conflicted pollies, consumed by the quest for and the application of power! Plus protecting a patch, their maximised salary and pension entitlements etc!?

If this were not so and for some time?

These projects and a graphene highway would be turbocharging our lack lustre economy, now, today!

Our mob are fifty years behind other developing nations and are petrified at the thought of leading anywhere except into the arms of our competion and hostile adversaries!?

Their slogan needs to be amended from the risible, the government has no business in business, to one of, if it ain't nailed down sell it for a literal song!?

And explains why smaller far less well endowed, resource poor countries like socialist Singapore are now propping us up economically and in our national defence!?

Competitive capitalism if applied as it was first envisaged, would put us first among equals

. Instead we seem to by trying our best to ape the asinine insanity that is the Phillipines. Where capitalism and having a go, rules absolutely. Contrast that basket case economy and banana republic with Japan, a more worn torn nation that embaced cooperaative capitalism/social credit, to become the second largest economy in the world for a time and from far further down economically than afar better resourced Phillipines!

Not welded to idealogical idiocy!

This comment corrected and edited by Grammarly!
Alan B.

One of the problems with infrastructure schemes is that many just look at them as A + Z, they totally ignore the Alphabet inbetween.
In a Bradfield type scheme there'd be dozens of positive flow-on effects along it's route from the very start. Local employment & small local business would very quickly be generated/bolstered. Just keep the "experts" away !