A very good question, grahama. It has been touched upon earlier in http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=5030 "The Ultimate Pipedream" by Tom Richman, published 19/10/2006.

Availability of water and storage sites in the NSW Northern Rivers region seems not fraught with the competition for land and water that apparently exists in SE Queensland.

NSW has long claimed that it has been missing out on its fair share of GST revenue, with Queensland being the major beneficiary of this maldistribution. A huge opportunity exists for the NSW government to obtain partial redress through the sale of water to Queensland.

But nothing except the outsourcing of water supply management seems to be on the agenda. Why?

Could it be that all governments, State and Federal, are not so much interested in solving localized urban supply problems as they are interested in effecting a massive cover-up of long-term mismanagement of an inseparable corollary to urban water supply, urban WASTE water disposal? The lion's share of this disposal problem would appear to be due to the extent and concentration of migration-driven population growth, particularly in Sydney and SE Queensland.

I cannot take credit for providing evidential backup for the suggestion that waste water mismanagement may have exacerbated the present drought, but what appears to be evidence for that claim has been presented on this forum by another regular contributor, KAEP, from December 2004 until the present. Out of a total of 366 posts made over that interval by KAEP, 107 have related directly to the science of regional climate distortion effects of sea surface pollution arising largely from urban waste water disposal practices. As a summary of what KAEP thinks may be happening, see http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=5421#69062

The bi-partisan political solution is to force recycling of waste water as reticulated supply. To disguise the cost of their migration policies they are in agreement to outsource the management of water supply to foreign corporations. Prices up, living standards down. Our interests, as Australians, as usual, come last.

Thanx Rojo, I suspected this in Moree and the artesian basin. So hands off: yes.

I must say however that Deputy Lord Mayor of Sydney's proposals for Solar Thermal power stations include the plains west of Moree. There are many thousands of hectacres of crown land there that are not being used for anything else, and the sun is very strong there:

http://www.chrisharris.org.au/?p=125

This is a plan on clean solar electrical power generation, but it does relate to water, as some solutions will need pumps to power water going "uphill".

Water tanks, I agree, are part of a solution. But we either find more solutions as well, or we adapt to using much less water.

And again an essential part of the solution goes unexpressed: We’ve got to denounce the insane continued rapid population growth in SEQ and all sorts of development and environmental stresses that go with it. Let’s promote a stabilization of the overall extent of human activity in areas that are suffering water stress.

Why is this factor so far beyond most peoples’ thinking?

Why do people gear their thoughts towards effectively SUPPORTING this absurd unending expansionism, by way of concentrating entirely on how to increase supply and how to decrease everyone’s usage…. while just letting the every-increasing number of users go unaddressed?

When are we going to start thinking in a holistic manner about this?

We’ve got to denounce the insane continued rapid population growth in SEQ and all sorts of development and environmental stresses that go with it.

But Ludwig, there aren't many other jobs in SEQ but whiteshoeing and spivving, what else do you propose they do :)

Ludwig

Well said

Thank you.

Another thing we need to sort is some state laws re tanks. The state Government say one thing but the Gold coast City Council introduce their "own" laws.
You may not have a tank in view of your neighbour. If your neighbour can see the top side etc of your tank you must A build a wall for which you require a permitt. B Dig a hole and sink it in the ground.
C go without a tank.
Too bad about all those elderly pensioners that tried to do the right thing.
Pity about the people who have 60 Ft of Rock to dig through.
Still good revenue for the old GCCC for years to come
.
Wonder why the gold coast City Council dont work in a bit more with Premier Beattie.??
Surley they must know the public will blame him when they bung this on.
I wonder when!? They intend to inform the public of this well kept secret.
Oh Well as they have over 80 percent full dams I guess they think they can afford to play games.
I hate to see the elderly carrying buckets while some of the resorts have signs on the wall reading- please limited your shower to Ten Minutes! Ten. I would have thought Three.

Ludwig.
I know its so annoying when they simple ignore the facts of the matter isnt it.
Makes one feel like standing at the border with a sign. Go home or bring your own!

Pleased someone mentioned regs. Can't the different levels of govt. see they're not working in unison on their common problem? The BCC also has silly regs.working against tanks. Namely, distances from all boundaries; 20ft from front boundary-which is usually where the house starts- you can have a 2 metre high fence, but only a metre high tank on the other boundarys!!I can understand the 2m clearance each side of main sewers, but concessions aren't afforded properties with the sewerage line across the yard, while others run beneath the footpath. This greatly restricts tank placement in small allotments (even if you can get a decent sized one in; several small ones being prohibitively expensive). Actually, tanks along some fencelines would be an improvement aesthetically; a screen of sorts is not an impossibility either. It was councils who previously forbad tanks,dual flush toilets and grey-water use I recall. Rural people have the space for dams, tho even they have more meddlesome regs. these days. Also, I'm more inclined to decentralised systems, even tho more expensive, as massive systems when they fail(like present)create massive havoc and even more unforseen massive expense.