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Follow-up communication with the Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Water |
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(8th November 2008
Hon Greg Hunt MP,)
Dear Greg,
Now that you have completed your trip through the Murray-Darling Basin (in your capacity as the Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Water ), FWU would be most grateful if you would indicate whether you feel that the Senate enquiry currently underway offers any realistic hope that Commonwealth Government will subsequently be able to put measures in place to revive the river system.
If you do not feel that is the case, could you please indicate whether you support calls for declaration of a State of Emergency, and if not, why you believe that it is an inappropriate course of action.
Kind regards, Ian
Ian Douglas
Coordinator
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(22nd October 2008)
Dear Ian,
Many thanks for your message.
I have previously called for a Declaration of a National Environmental Emergency for the Lower Lakes.
I will next week be travelling 3000km across the basin and will be a in a better position to make broader judgments after that.
Regards and greatly appreciated.
Cheers, Greg
(The Hon Greg Hunt MP) |
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Invitation to join the campaign |
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22nd October 2008
Senators Hanson-Young, Siewert and Xenophon and Greg Hunt MP
Parliament House
Canberra
Dear Senators and Mr Hunt,
As you know, Fair Water Use has for some time been strongly advocating the declaration of a State of Emergency, together with the establishment of a Royal Commission of Enquiry into the management of the MDB. Our rationale for so-doing being:
- The problem is Basin-wide and not merely a lower Murray issue
- To promote the salvage of the lower Murray ahead of other sections of the system will inevitably lead to increased parochialism and inter-state conflict: which are the main drivers of the continuing chaos
We urge you to adopt this all-inclusive stance for the sake of the entire MDB, its environment and communities, and to join us in this campaign.
We would be delighted to discuss this with you at any time.
Kind regards,
Ian Douglas (Coordinator)
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Open Letter to the Prime Minister |
13th October 2008
The Prime Minister,
Parliament House,
Canberra
Dear Prime Minister,
Given the failure of the Senate Enquiry into the Coorong and Lower Lakes to come to terms with the underlying anthropogenic causes of the current water crisis, as would be expected given its parochial terms of reference, I am sure that you appreciate that much of the Murray-Darling Basin is still on the verge of ecological collapse.
Should this occur, sadly your government will be remembered domestically and internationally as the regime that oversaw the greatest preventable environmental catastrophe thus-far encountered by this country. The complex and vital ecology of the Basin will not survive the continuing abuse and overuse of its dwindling water resources. Catastrophes such as occurred in the Aral Sea clearly demonstrated that social and economic collapse follows close on the heels of ecological degradation.
As coordinator of this national group, I would like to ask whether you are giving urgent consideration to:
1) the declaration of a State of Emergency to enable your Government to override the self interest of the States and allow meaningful action to be taken to address the multiple, non-drought, causes of the crisis.
2) the establishment of a Royal Commission of Enquiry into the management and governance of the Murray-Darling Basin: past, present and future.
If you are not contemplating the above actions, we would ask you to detail the reasons why you feel that the crisis does not justify such an approach.
Yours faithfully,
Dr Ian Douglas
National Coordinator |
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The Murray-Darling and the Wall Street syndrome |
As soon as the laws of financial
karma came into play internationally, once fiercely-independent, red-neck
trading, banking institutions wasted little time in sidling up to global
treasuries, cap in hand, seeking charity – and forgiveness for their previous
irresponsible activities. As we all know, the cost of such clemency will be
borne by the tax-paying public.
One can reasonably accuse many
groups and individuals invested in Murray-Darling water of the same maverick use
of resources, as they extract tomorrow’s water from the Basin, apparently
ignoring warnings that ever-increasing levels of extractions are unsustainable,
and happy to leave it to the Federal Government to attempt to buy its way out of
the water crisis with public funds. We continue to hear their glib assertions
that, as they are acting within the laws of the land, it is unfair to describe
them as water-barons or ecological pariahs.
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Read more...
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Fair Water Use proposes declaration of State of Emergency |
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Fair Water Use has made two submissions to the Senate inquiry into water management in the Coorong and Lower Lakes, for consideration as amendments to the Emergency Water (Murray-Darling Basin Rescue) Bill 2008.
This submission calls for a declaration of a State of Emergency: |
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Read more...
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Fair Water Use proposes Royal Commission of Inquiry |
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Fair Water Use has made two submissions to the Senate inquiry into water management in the Coorong and Lower Lakes, for consideration as amendments to the Emergency Water (Murray-Darling Basin Rescue) Bill 2008.
This submission calls for the establishment of a Royal Commission of Inquiry and proposes its terms of reference: |
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Read more...
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New ABS figures support need for urgent Government moves on M-D crisis |
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MEDIA RELEASE
Data
released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on August 15th
confirms calculations published four months ago by Fair Water Use (Australia) indicating that rice
and cotton cultivation are indeed the most water-profligate agricultural
activities undertaken in the Murray-Darling Basin.
In
2005-6, to create one dollar of product, the cotton sector consumed 1828 litres
of Murray-Darling water, whilst rice growers sucked-up a staggering 4569 litres.
This compared to a mere 228 litres required to produce non-rice grains, 371 for
non-grape fruit and 662 for grapes. Dairying, which has come under the spotlight
in recent times, required 1098 litres to generate one dollar of product: however
this is largely destined for the refrigerators of Australia, as opposed to the
export-driven production of cotton and rice.
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Read more...
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Bureau of Meteorology data confirms that the underlying cause of the water crisis is not drought:  |
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Gross value of agricultural commodities and related irrigation data 2005-2006* |
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* All calculations based on data obtained from the Australian Bureau of Statistics
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Water Use
National
(Billion litres) |
Value
National
($ AU) |
Litres irrigated / $ AU generated
(National) |
Water Use
Murray Darling
(Billion litres)
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All commodities |
< 11,000 |
37.3 billion |
295 |
7,400 |
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All crops |
7,850 |
19.6 billion |
400 |
5,400 |
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Cotton |
> 1,730 |
< 1 billion |
1828 |
> 1,500 |
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Rice |
> 1,250 |
1/4 billion |
4569 |
>1,250 |
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Non-rice grains |
< 700 |
7.4 billion |
228 |
< 625 |
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Wheat |
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5.1 billion |
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What does it cost to save a river? |
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1500 billion litres of water is needed to make a moderate improvement in the health of the Murray-Darling River system.
With your help, we can keep the pressure on the Federal Government to return the water to where it belongs - the rivers.
Register as a supporter of Fair Water Use and assist us in our efforts to save the Murray-Darling, its environment and the communities which depend upon it.
Help us get the rivers running again. |
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