You have every right to your opinion Ludwig.

My opinion is that the cause for the water crisis is the lack of good management and the lack of adequate investment in water infrastructure.

One instance is the absurdity that in the driest continent on earth we should be talking about mandating tanks to new buildings now instead of 40 years ago. But no, the ‘powers that be’ wanted to make money by selling us water.

Because of the lack of good management and a government who is either not capable or not willing to examine practical alternatives we now have a situation where it is proposed we drink recycled sewage water.

The Toowoomba "Toilet to Tap Poll" was a test case for this government. It didn't work out the way they wanted and now they have taken it to an election vote. If it is returned to power on 9/9 the Premier states he will have a mandate to do exactly that. He intends to set in motion a situation that has unknown consequences to human health and the environment and will do it with a smile on his face.

Drinking recycled sewage water should be the very last resort, not the first option. It's madness!

But, if drinking recycled sewage is okay with you, then you go right ahead and vote for the Labor government in this state. That's your democratic right.

"One instance is the absurdity that in the driest continent on earth we should be talking about mandating tanks to new buildings now instead of 40 years ago. But no, the ‘powers that be’ wanted to make money by selling us water."

Amber I think you totally ignore the fact that technology has
changed dramatically, so what makes sense today, made no sense
back then. The old tin tanks were in fact a pain in the arse,
awkward to build, in rigid shapes, they'd rust out fairly
quickly etc. So mandating everyone to use them would have been
not very smart.

Have a look at modern tanks today, popped out of moulds in every
conceivable shape, so they can be fitted along walls or whatever,
you name it, it can be done. If properly made, they will outlast
tin tanks or even fibreglass tanks many times and are actually
pretty cheap. So it makes perfect sense to install them now
and stop wasting all that water that falls on your roof

Ludwig you could clearly do with a few more new experiences…to broaden your mind to accept facts when they present themselves…

Yabby, you’ve obviously got money-to-burn…try sinking a bore…then tell me the cost isn’t much…infrastructure (providing for permanent-household-supply in most areas where town supply is unavailable) would include a bore…and installation of either a septic system (depending on soil-types and land-area…significant costs can also apply) or a domestic-sewerage-treatment-and-recycling-facility…(also costly).

‘Put in a tank, solve most of your own problems, all very simple really.’

Hmmm…well that’s you ‘simply’ sorted, Yabby…so there’s no problem then for the rest of Australia?

‘…he (Crikey) is chasing an audience, I am not.’ No, of course you’re not Yabby ROFL… : ))

‘Fact is, there were no outrageous figures in that list.’

You really love being the corporate lackey, don’t you Yabby? Either that or you’ve got more money than sense… : )) …or is it both?

‘Yup, his wife is an ex Hawke Govt Minister,’

So, you’re suggesting that the donation was made because ‘his wife is an ex Hawke Govt Minister’ … and that’s ok? That’s not ok by law, Yabby…careful what you suggest…company money doesn’t belong to ‘the board’…or their political whims…

‘…its trivial in the bigger scheme of things.’

…in yibberish yabberish, (your own dialect) you mean that if it suits YOUR purposes…accepted-standards-and-rules-don’t-apply…hmmm…curious…

‘See the big picture Meg, not the pimples on your arse :)’

Yabby, that’s YOUR bathroom mirror you’re looking in, I’m not there…you should wash more carefully and eat sensibly and you’ll probably fix that problem…oh, and drink plenty of clean water…

…simple you said? Well, yes you are, but Yabby most people in Africa can’t live off the land as there is insufficient infrastructure to assist them to either work the land effectively or even basics like seeds to plant for crops…or WATER where it is necessary…then there are corrupt governments skimming foreign aid supplies and wars to ensure people are kept poverty stricken…

‘So kids die…’

tbc...

Cont...

Ludwig, how ‘loopy’ is that? Are you suggesting that Queenslanders, “turn ‘dem pardners backet da borda?”

…are they ‘popping out’ lots of baby-Queenslanders every year? Do you realize that most growth in Queensland’s population is those-pesky-southerners who just love-to-hate-Queenslanders but can’t seem to stay away from the place…and then stay!

In fact Yabby, those ‘old tin tanks’ and wells were often removed or filled in respectively because of drownings as well as damage to their structure, once town water was available…then government legislation changed to ensure standards for water collection and storage…so some tanks/wells had to go as they were deemed unsafe.

...and on this I agree…water should be collected in storage tanks (with lockable lids)…but Yabby, you ignore the fact that many of your fellow Australians cannot afford to install tanks, let alone any additional bores or filtration systems…governments could offer incentives here, even if only for those on middle to lower incomes.

‘My opinion is that the cause for the water crisis is the lack of good management and the lack of adequate investment in water infrastructure.’ Amber4350

Good point Amber… : )

Well, I guess Amber knows a thing or two…it’s not just what you know, it’s who you know sometimes, not just in the ALP, Yabby…look what I found…

‘Water projects built ahead of time under Coalition

A Queensland Coalition Government will set aside $1 billion to reinstate a long term, water infrastructure development program that was dumped by Labor, to ensure water projects are delivered ahead of time, rather than just when a crisis develops. 23/08/2006

Rural water reform plan announced by Coalition

A Coalition Government will scrap Labor's proposed water taxes, get water catchment planning back on track and give rural water users the option of managing their own water supply schemes. 23/08/2006

Recycled water projects and water rebates scheme to receive financial boost under Coalition

Businesses would receive financial assistance to switch from using drinking water to using recycled water and funding to assist all Queenslanders save water in their homes would be doubled under a Coalition Government. 23/08/2006’

Hmmm...good thinking 99!

Meg, you should read what I wrote! I never mentioned bores. I
mentioned tanks, as an addition to Govt supplies. That
might cost around 3K$. There is a thread on this topic
on OLO. Most homeowners have an asset that has increased
by a huge amount of capital gain in the last few years.
Adding 3k$ to a mortgage would be neither here nor there,
they would still be rich.

Ok so you want a subsidy to put in your tank. You are
one of these less then smart voters, who don't realise that
Govts don't make money, they just spend yours. So you
would prefer a Govt who takes it from your backpocket and
puts it in your front pocket. Clever you :)

My suggestion about Westpac is that shareholders are happy with
the job that Morgan and the board have done in running the company
and the decisions they have made. Again the big picture matters,
not the little picture. Considering the size of the bank and
its turnover etc, 1 million$ is neither here nor there. No
shareholders complained about any political donations, so clearly
other shareholders see it the way I see it.

Meg, people have been living off the land in Africa since forever,
now you say they can't. The real problem in Africa is that our
darling missionaries went there, gave them vaccines etc to halt
diseases, so the population boomed. Had those same missionaries
provided some family planning help, the population growth would
have been more stable, rather then some of the highest birthrates
in the world. In much of Africa the problem is overpopulation for
the given environment. Farming fails, when plots of land per family
become smaller and smaller. Next thing you have genocide, as
happened in Catholic Rwanda.

“My opinion is that the cause for the water crisis is the lack of good management and the lack of adequate investment in water infrastructure.”

Agreed Amber.

But this seems to be at odds with your defence of past Toowoomba councils in your post of 1 August where you wrote;

“You might also like to know that if it had not been for the good management and future planning of previous councils, particularly when Mr Berghofer was a member of the council from 1973 - 1992, Toowoomba would have run dry long ago.”

I guess we’ll just have to disagree that a fundamental part of good management is the management of the increasing demand side of the equation, as well as the supply side.

I really battle to understand the one-sided approach that so many people seem to take, which just accepts that continuous growth will happen, no matter what its consequences. No offence, but it just doesn’t add up at all to me, especially in SEQ where growth has been so rapid, or in Toowoomba either, where the growth rate has been about 0.8% p.a. for the last 13 years or more, which has led to a significant increase in population and demand for water of about 11% since 1993.