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Murray inflows: our worst fears confirmed |
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Tuesday, 25 May 2010 |
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The Murray Darling Basin Authority has indicated that the floodwaters arising from the record rainfall in the Darling catchment earlier this year will not assist in alleviating the plight of the Lower Lakes and Coorong.
As significant as these regions are, the continuing lack of meaningful inflows into the River Murray also prevents the river system from purging itself of its salt load and other toxins, essential if the river system is to be revived.
This shameful situation is a further indictment of the COAG-based approach to Murray-Darling governance and the inequities that are inherent to such a fragmented mechanism.
Fair Water Use has reminded the Federal Water Minister that the Basin Plan must be founded on a full understanding of all factors which have, to all intents and purposes, caused the Murray to cease flowing to its mouth since 2002. This must include the impact of the rampant expansion of private water diversions, especially in the Darling catchment (see current media release).
These charts from the Bureau of Meteorology confirm the ability of these diversions to block the flow of floodwaters - and constipate the nation's largest river system:
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MBDA turns on the green light |
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Monday, 11 January 2010 |
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Last month, Fair Water Use contacted the Chairman of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, Mike Taylor, urging him to clarify the priorities of the Authority.
In a statement received yesterday, Mr Taylor has affirmed that the Authority is legally obliged to place the health of the river system ahead of all other considerations. |
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FWU submission to the MDBA diversions paper |
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Sunday, 13 December 2009 |
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We have lodged our submission to the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, which is seeking input on its "major discussion paper on the issues involved in setting new Basin-wide
limits to the amount of water that can be taken from the Basin’s
rivers, waterways and groundwater".
In essence, FWU's position is that discussions on extraction limits cannot be held until the aims and objectives of the MDBA are revised, enabling it to prioritise necessary environmental flows and security of public water supplies ahead of water diverted for private use.
In line with our agenda, the submission indicates the order of priority which should be attached to provision of water for private use.
Many thanks must go to all FWU supporters who contributed to the final content of the submission.
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The legacy of Cubbie Station |
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Saturday, 31 October 2009 |
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The news that Cubbie Station is in voluntary lquidation comes as no surprise; nor does the the usual scapegoating from Cubbie Group Chairman and one-time Queensland Treasurer, Keith De Lacy, who continues to blame weather conditions, politicians and activists, including Fair Water Use, for the demise of his white elephant, rather than accept that cotton is a totally inappropriate crop to be growing in a semi-arid environment.
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Menindee Lakes levels continue to plummet |
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Wednesday, 21 October 2009 |
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Latest data from the Murray-Darling Basin Authority and the Bureau of Meteorology continue to refute the statement by Queensland Cotton CEO, Richard Haire, that "if you look at the problem in the Murray-Darling Basin, the problem
systems aren't the Darling-based systems; the problem systems are the
Murray-based systems”.
Menindee (image courtesy ABC)
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