Government purchase of Cubby makes sense.
1 It removes a pollution producing agriculture from the system.
2 Cuts down on the excess water usage of Cubby.
3 Cubby station has massive water storage that can be released back into the system as needed.

After generations of political neglect, the water situation in some parts of Australia looks to be beyond redemption. Millions of dollars promised, and a Prime Minister trying to look like a farmer stomping about on the sand (which used to be covered with water) of South Australia’s lower lakes will not make much difference when there is no water to be had.

In an area which used to support around 70 thriving dairy farms, there are now half a dozen. The latest news is that what used to be lakes will soon acidify without water.

All the talk of ‘by-backs’ and allocations is so much crap. We need rain, and we don’t look like getting it.

And our stupid state Labor Government still wants to increase SA's population to 2 million, when there is not enough water to support the current population.

Mr. Right, how right you are - without meaningful rain the buy-backs are practically worthless, except on the score that water rights will get more expensive in the future. With Murray allocations to farmers likely to be in the order of 2% or less(NSW 0%, Vic 0%, SA 2%) there really isn't anything being bought back.

SA, the state crying out for more water for the "coorong" is the only one providing water for irrigation, whats the go with that? Perhaps they realise that the paltry amount of water will not assist the lakes in any way, and the best utilisation is on crops.

According to Mr Haigh, cotton has been too successful and hence influential in agribusiness circles. While it is true that cotton irrigation is highly profitable, this flies in the face of popular belief that water is wasted on cotton, and hence critisism of that industry on that basis is undeserved. Would he prefer a low dollar return for that "irreplaceable commodity"? That would be a true waste.

Behind the scenes, the Labor and Liberal governments are tring to privatise the water supplies including dams, electricity, water concessions, water allotments, channels and infrastructure and best irrigation adjoining land with access to water are all part and parcel of this process: On behalf of their own interests and their well heeled cronies "big money" all dressed up as "privatisation". Because of the long term effects of the decade of drought many growers in the irrigation areas are desperate and forced to sell or lease their water allotments. Many staions and farms are being sold off and rural life is dissapearing. Sheep are in the lowest numbers since the 1920's. Asparagus crops from the Gundagai Murrimbidgee have gone from some time now. The large peach/fruit cannery at Leeton dissapeared a couple of decades ago. The decade long drought has created the best conditions for the predators to move in and grab what they can. At the other end of the chain predatory speculators are gambling in multi billions on food futures on the stock markets pushing up large markups in the shops.
In the finance markets water profiteers are talking about getting the same profits as oil speculators.
For instance, the oil speculators: The Asia Times back in May reported "The price of crude oil today is not made according to any traditional relation of supply to demand. It is controlled by an elaborate financial market system as well as by the four major Anglo-American oil companies. As much as 60% of today's crude oil price is pure speculation driven by large trader banks and hedge funds. It has nothing to do with the convenient myths of Peak Oil."

A pity the thread has had so little attention so far. The usual suspects are trotted out and we see yet again that no political formation still seems to have the guts to take on Cubbie Creek or the other big entities.
Cubbie Creek has been the beneficary of so much graft in the last couple of decades, it seems hardly fair for taxpayers to yet again shell out for its benefit. The final insult surely- just take the bloody thing over and have them make do with the graft they already have screwed out of us.

Mr. Right,

You are wrong again, as usual.
Rain does not appear from nowhere, rain falls where there's enough evaporation and usually that's forested areas - I'm talking trees and vegetation.
With all the land clearing and tree pulling done in SA in the last 50 years and the land degradation and erosion as a consequence of this activity, it is not difficult to see why we get only half the rainfall we used to receive here, in SA.
Consumerism, farmer's and corporate greed(not just in SA) are the reasons why there is not enough water, rainfall, clean air, etc.
And only Adelaide is over populated, and experiences all these problems you mention as a result.
As for the dairy farms - they were always unsustainable here and detrimental to the health of the eco system in the Koorong and the lower lakes.
My advice - use your head to think first, then talk, might make you a better person.