Sorry to interrupt the high five sessions on our world-beating economic performance, but aren’t we forgetting something? Ask an economist and they’ll say no; ask a realist and they’ll tell you that we’ve forgotten that water underpins everything.
How much food can our farmers produce without water? How many ASX listed companies currently are significantly overvalued because of their reliance on the availability of cheap water to generate current profits?
Rice producers are gearing up to plant a crop this year, following the announcement by the NSW Government of a further increase in water allocations. The Rice Growers Association is predicting a harvest of around 200,000 tonnes.
Analysis of 2005-2006 figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics indicate that the value of the 2009-2010 crop will be around 55 million dollars in 2006 terms, or 0.37% of the gross value of agricultural production of the Murray Darling Basin (15 billion dollars in 2005-2006), representing approximately 0.03% of the likely global rice harvest in 2009-2010.
The water crisis has stimulated much discussion of effects and treatments, but little open debate of what many view as a key underlying cause: the 1994 decision of the Council of Australian Governments "to implement a strategic framework to achieve an efficient and sustainable water industry".
This brief statement heralded the unsanctioned privatisation of Australia’s water.
J.E. Caldecott: The Scandal of Water Management in South Australia
Adelaide and the Lower Lakes share a common problem, and as do all South Australians who rely on the Murray for their water, a fair share of water from the MDB. Too much is being wasted and used for inappropriate irrigation and much of it is used for exports. It is time domestic needs were put first.
B. Eddy: Government puts misplaced faith in free market to revive the dying Murray-Darling basin
An open letter to the Prime Minister, the Honourable Kevin Rudd
Dear Prime Minister,
Minister Penny Wong's address to the Murray Darling Association at the 65th National Conference in Adelaide (September 4th ) confirms your government's determination to allow nothing to hinder its attempts to engender a free market revival of a dying river system.
“We have been very clear about the fact we want to see a removal of impediments to farmers and irrigators being able to use the water market as and when they wish,” the Senator tells us.
Op-Ed Articles 
