The upcoming auction of the large, overseas-owned, cotton property, Toorale, provides the Federal Government with an opportunity to do something meaningful for the Murray-Darling.

Toorale, thought to be available for purchase for around $15 million, is accused of effectively choking the Warrego River as a result of its construction of a series of dams designed to divert and collect water from the river, with the ability to reduce Warrego flows from 3000 megalitres per day upstream to 600 megalitres per day on the property's southern boundary.

Simple mathematics indicate that if the river were allowed to flow naturally, environmental flows could be increased by approximately 160,000 megalitres (160 gigalitres) annually. This volume is more than three times that which will be produced by the $1.4 billion desal plant planned for Adelaide.

If Toorale is not acquired by the Federal Government, Kevin Rudd's rapidly-dwindling environmental credibility will be as close to extinction as the Murray-Darling itself.

What is the storage capacity of the dams on Tooralee? Can you please show your simple mathematical calculations?

It not just about water extracted from the river and stored in dams - these properties divert water that would otherwise have flowed into the river directly into their rice paddies...

Jan H
I am a supporter of better management of the MD system but also concerned that uninformed and exagerated statements just serve to ruin the credibility of this site. I am also a professional with an intimate understanding of water use in the system. Too many contributors obviously know little of the tue facts and make wild and innaccurate statements.

No rice was ever gown on Toorale and the only water removed fom the system by properties like it is that which is "diverted" to storage for later use on crops. Water diversion by levee bankks to flood out onto grassland is not economical due to its intermitent occurence and is now a most uncommon practice.

Hi,

My comments were not directed only at Toorale, but at all those who hive off huge volumes of water to grow crops that should not be grown in the Murray Darling: rice, cotton, even fish farming!

Its all about sustainable practices - and what is going on now it certainly not sustainable. Let's agree on that if we can.