28 March, 2010

Toorale Station, Bourke

The purchase (for $23.75m)and closing down of Toorale Station at Bourke, can now be viewed with the value of two years hindsight and can be clearly seen as the great act of bastardry that many saw it as at the time.

It was an action totally driven by cheap politics for consumption in Adelaide, that will have negligible beneficial impacts for the Murray River and very damaging socio-economic impacts on the local Bourke community.

The purchase of irrigation licenses when there are no allocations (or in Toorale's case river heights below pumping or diversion levels) has no benefit when water is scarce and will only limit production when water is plentiful-like it is now.

Since Christmas and prior to the arrival of the latest flood waters from Queensland the equivalent of three Sydney Harbours has flowed down the Darling past Bourke. Had the Toorale water licenses been operable Toorale would have extracted a mere 10,000 megalitres-0.7% of the flow.

The conversion of Toorale to a National Park takes out of play Bourke's most productive property and denies the Bourke Shire Council 10% of its shire rates. And this in a world screaming for increased food production.
Will we ever learn?

Lower Lakes

I sent the following letter to the SMH on Sunday 28th March,2010,
"Your heart warming lead article on beneficial flooding in western NSW, (SMH 27th March) attributes a statement to Professor Richard Kingsford that the Lower Lakes (Alexandrina and Albert) at the mouth of the Murray, are below sea level for the first time in 7,000 years.

If the man made weirs (The Barrages) did not exist, salt water would have entered the lakes as it always did in times when upstream flows were restricted by lack of run-off generating rains. What would be so disastrous about such a natural phenomenon? The presumption that these Lakes, with their massive evaporation levels, should always be kept full of fresh water is extraordinary."

05 March, 2010

The Lower Lakes

Letter sent to "The Land" today (and published on 18.03.10)
"The letter from SA Opposition River Murray spokesman Adrian Pederick (Lakes Always fresh-04.03.10)is a classic example of the misinformation peddled by S.A. politicians in the water debate. The Lower Lakes most certainly are "man-made evaporation pools" and it is an absolute disgrace that irrigators on the Murray are going to the wall from restricted allocations whilst we continue to send fresh water down and block salt water entering the lakes as it always did under natural conditions when river flows were low. The claimed historic "fresh water status of the lakes" is factually incorrect and is NOT supported by "most scientists who have examined them" -see the website lakesneedwater.org
Salt water has been known to come up as far as Mannum in times past, and that situation was not caused by excessive extractions, but low run-off. Just like in recent years. As for significant extractions in the 1800's -come off it. And don't forget we have had the Snowy diversions feeding the Murray and the Murrumbidgee since then.

Extractions are controlled by allocations. That is why the Government buying licenses will do nothing for our rivers when there are no, or low, allocations and will only constrain production when water is plentiful.

I am sorry to have to say so Mr Pederick, but the facts are that attempting to keep the Lower Lakes fresh at all times is quite unnatural and is "wasteful and selfish"and I think you know it. The problem is that such an admission may not attract many votes in S.A. Is there an election coming up?"

Grandson

Now to important matters. We have a new grandson Maximus Ernst David Wintzer. A 9.5lb. boy to our baby daughter Susan and her husband Hagen. Max is the "ants pants", just ask his maternal grandmother (and his parents).