If one wants to flood Lake Ayre, then there's an almost ready-made canal from the west.

All that's required is some modest earth works and some tidal flood gates that take advantage of northern 40 feet flood tides and allow that water to fill a number of salt lakes, flow on into lake Ayre, then out the southern end and out through S.A. All the way to the Southern Ocean. In a twice daily flush that could be used to power shipping. That makes the lake a transport hub/harbour for all the south. S.A, Melb., W.A.

Any number of MSR thorium/nuclear waste burners could be sited alongside this new waterway to power multiple desal plants. The waste heat could be utilized for the same purpose and quality drinking water.

Our newest migrants could be put to work in tent cities to build the thing and the new towns that would spring up as dependable water makes that very outcome almost guaranteed. And transforms our arid inland into a green oasis.
Alan B.

Another opportunity for the Coalition: promise to build dams and don't break the promise like Albanese Labor does.

The Bradfield scheme is un-fundable.
Alan b,
I just discussed this with friends who spent many years in that area & they all agreed that funding would be less a problem than getting people & politicians in particular to see the benefits from the start.
A tiny canal from the sea would not require any pumping & the sea water would lift & dam any freshwater. Then, real estate along the canal & around the eventual lake would literally pay for the whole project & still leave plenty of change. Recreational benefits that could not even be dreamed of at this stage would eventuate. The first thing would need to be getting people to realise that this would not be a private investor project. It needs to be a generational Govt. project. No looking for a completion date & other such nonsense, just start it & go as it comes along. Stop looking at things that are good for society as something to make money from ! Creating a local economy is far more desirable than some soul-less greed mongers making a profit !
One of my friends suggested giving the area to the Israelis & in six months all would be in place.

Rule 1 if you are going to have a whinge at least get your facts right.

Claiming "So while our water storages are stagnant or declining" and that "only two dams have been built in Queensland in the last 20 years", yet totally ignore the increase in capacity of the Hinze dam by 150,000ML in 2011 is either wilful or ignorant. Neither reflect well on the author, though he has had form in this regard.

http://www.seqwater.com.au/sites/default/files/2019-09/Seqwater%20-%20Hinze%20Dam%20fact%20sheet.pdf

Its increase in volume outstripped the mentioned Wyaralong dam at just 102,000ML, and was close to the capacity of the Paradise Dam at 170,000ML.

Therefore the author is full of it.

And to say the water is wasted is utter ignorance.

Dams do have impacts, some quite serious. The Wentworth group of scientists calculated that Australian rivers can sacrifice up to 30% of their flows before their ability to support the many species which rely on them is seriously degraded. Some of our rivers have nearly 90% of their flows lost to consumptive use. The ability of a river to provide triggering flows for fish spawning and for migratory species to move to estuarine breeding grounds is often completely lost in these systems.

Yet we are still intent in squeezing every last bloody drop of 'wasted' water from them.

The claim "our politicians support dangerously high levels of immigration" is the primary cause of an uncertain water future is risible rubbish too.

"The NT Supreme Court has rejected a case brought by traditional owners and environmental groups over a controversial groundwater licence. The licence will eventually see 40,000 megalitres of groundwater extracted each year from an arid property north of Alice Springs." http://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-01-31/nt-supreme-court-dismisses-singleton-station-water-licence-case/103408138

So one single cattle station is being granted a licence almost equal to the water consumption of the city of Darwin.

The almond industry alone on the Murray consumes as much as the cities of Geelong and Ballarat put together.

We need to take a far harder look at the water intensive industries we allow to flourish on cheap water while the rest of us are forced into expensive desalinated solutions.

Indy, mostly agree with your last post. And you are right, the new development alongside would pay for the whole thing. Correct, less dense freshwater floats on saline water.

The dredges could all be nuclear powered, be virtually floating workshops/dorms/diners. MSR thorium providing the dirt-cheap electricity for the draglines cutting though a very modest low hill range that is near the coast and the only high country along the entire route.

And MSR thorium will keep the fuel bill to all-time lows for all the earthworks. Anything not powered electrically can use green hydrogen extracted from seawater. MSR thorium would make the latter cost effective and far less costly than diesel.

I agree that this, just like the snowy mountains scheme, ought to be government funded and managed, to keep the racketeers and professional shonks/tax avoiding, price gouging, profit repatriating foreign investors out.

Rezoned real estate development alongside a new rapid rail would also pay for it.

The snowy mountains scheme put most of our new migrants to work and ushered in a period of unprecedented prosperity and economic growth.

No reason why an inland canal as proposed wouldn't do the same again and put all the foreign newbies to productive work.
Alan B.

The snowy mountains scheme put most of our new migrants to work and ushered in a period of unprecedented prosperity and economic growth.
Alan B,
Yes but they were migrants from different backgrounds, people who were looking for a new life.
The was no outfit to tell them how to get funding in return for doing nothing apart from bleating discrimination & racism.
Australians need to look within for people to work for the future not import more of those we already have too many of. Fancy, meaningless certificates don't build infrastructure, competent & practical people do ! We need people who work & plan for their children not for a profit tomorrow arvo !