Science/Environment The Drought and the NBN and Drought Proofing the Country.

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Herne Hill Hammer

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With the cost of the NBN so far predicted to be in the $60 billion range and to this stage delivering such a generally disappointing outcome, could the money have been better spent in starting to drought proof this country?

Over the years there has been talk of redirecting flows in the north into already existent waterways or gridding the country with pipe and pumping stations.

I'm really struggling to find any sort of a definitive figure for how much it costs us every time we have a drought, but it would be pretty comfortably in the billions.

It's all well and good to be able to download a movie quickly or stream 4k content but in the end we can't eat dirt.

Stabilise and use our water resources more efficiently, rationalise our farming land, feed ourselves and set ourselves up to feed a good portion of the world.

This statistic and statement from ABARE (Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resources Economics and Sciences.)

Importance of Irrigation
Water resources, farm land, labour, other capital and the free movement between farms therein is key for future farm productivity growth, said ABARES.

In 2010/11, irrigated agriculture used less than one per cent of Australia’s agricultural land but made up 30 per cent of the gross value of production.

This, the report added, was mostly linked to vegetables, fruit and dairy farming, much of which occurs in the south eastern Murray-Darling basin.

Irrigation’s rise, the report added, was assisted by national water schemes agreed in 1994, then complemented by new acts in 2004 and 2007.

Reallocation of water between farms was underlined as something to support productivity.

ABARES said: “Resource reallocation — whether through structural adjustment or, more generally, resources moving between farms — is an important productivity driver at an industry level.”

“Governments can promote productivity growth by ensuring policy settings do not impede 'normal' structural adjustment within agriculture, including exits by inefficient farm businesses.”

However, ABARES added: “In Australia, drought and rural assistance programmess have tended to hamper, rather than facilitate, structural adjustment.”
 

M Malice

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The NBN Pffft.

I have no idea whether it is even feasible from an engineering or hydrology perspective but I've often wondered why we don't harness the vast amount of water that falls from the sky in our tropical north, a multi generational world leading legacy for our country.
 

Herne Hill Hammer

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The NBN Pffft.

I have no idea whether it is even feasible from an engineering or hydrology perspective but I've often wondered why we don't harness the vast amount of water that falls from the sky in our tropical north, a multi generational world leading legacy for our country.

A water pipeline could be built from Perth to Kalgoorlie 115 years ago that is still in use today. The Great Ocean Road could be built almost a century ago with a lot of picks and shovel manual labour being used, yet I have never seen in my 50 years even one feasibility study even commissioned to see if we can do it or if it's even doable. I would at least like to see that and see the projected cost involved and over what time span it could be built.
 

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bfff

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A water pipeline could be built from Perth to Kalgoorlie 115 years ago that is still in use today. The Great Ocean Road could be built almost a century ago with a lot of picks and shovel manual labour being used, yet I have never seen in my 50 years even one feasibility study even commissioned to see if we can do it or if it's even doable. I would at least like to see that and see the projected cost involved and over what time span it could be built.

The political will to launch long term projects is a thing of the past. Politicians can no longer entertain such lofty goals. It is a sorry state of affairs.
 

Thegibbsgamble

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In my work I met a marine biologist from America who was hired to study shark nurseries in the Kimberly region where people suggest we should garner water from.

The sharks he studied an important part of the ecosystem Australia and Asia wide

Amazing fellah. Tagging sharks by hand. Very aggressive sharks that can't be studied any other way than this crazy campaigner diving in on his own.

You take the water flow away. You take away the nutrients and the food of these creatures that play an important role in the food chain


It's not as simple as people may seem.

They have entertained the idea of this.
 

EasternTiger

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Australians actually discovered modern permaculture, and many of the pioneers took their knowledge to Africa and other desert climates.

I'd be interested in hearing ideas on how they would tackle the project if they had a multi $billion budget to play with. A drought proof think tank.
 

Herne Hill Hammer

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In my work I met a marine biologist from America who was hired to study shark nurseries in the Kimberly region where people suggest we should garner water from.

The sharks he studied an important part of the ecosystem Australia and Asia wide

Amazing fellah. Tagging sharks by hand. Very aggressive sharks that can't be studied any other way than this crazy campaigner diving in on his own.

You take the water flow away. You take away the nutrients and the food of these creatures that play an important role in the food chain


It's not as simple as people may seem.

They have entertained the idea of this.

Of course I have entertained the idea of it, you don't have take everything, just some of it. Barra breed in fresh water and then get flushed out into the sea as another example.

I lived in Cairns for a couple of years in the 90s, my last year there we had 6.5m of rain for the year, that's 6,500mm, next to nothing saved, on water restrictions during the dry season. From Cairns I moved to Canberra, a dry shithole of a place if I've ever lived in one, not once in the 5 years I lived there were there any sort of restrictions put in place despite the lack of rain.

If we're going to being pissing so much money up against the wall on so many things, my taxes that I work bloody hard for, then I'd at least like to see a hundred million or two, or however much it costs to do a full and comprehensive study into it. No partisan party or state v commonwealth bs, just get every together that needs to be together and see if it can be done. If it can, then let's look at costs and benefits v any cons.
 

Thegibbsgamble

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Of course I have entertained the idea of it, you don't have take everything, just some of it. Barra breed in fresh water and then get flushed out into the sea as another example.

I lived in Cairns for a couple of years in the 90s, my last year there we had 6.5m of rain for the year, that's 6,500mm, next to nothing saved, on water restrictions during the dry season. From Cairns I moved to Canberra, a dry shithole of a place if I've ever lived in one, not once in the 5 years I lived there were there any sort of restrictions put in place despite the lack of rain.

If we're going to being pissing so much money up against the wall on so many things, my taxes that I work bloody hard for, then I'd at least like to see a hundred million or two, or however much it costs to do a full and comprehensive study into it. No partisan party or state v commonwealth bs, just get every together that needs to be together and see if it can be done. If it can, then let's look at costs and benefits v any cons.

This water flushes out the reef. Super important
 

EasternTiger

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And it's time to build huge dams in north Queensland and to run pipelines from the north to the west and south west of Queensland and another pipeline from Western Australia to western NSW (Broken Hill area), sending water to the north western areas of NSW and the western area of Victoria.
https://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com....-economy-by-drought-proofing-country/2818242/

A few years ago I picked up a book at a second hand book shop called Australia Replanned. Thumbing through it I noted that it was written in 1944 and published in January 1945. What drew me to the book was a fold-out map of Australia that showed an inland sea in the north east of South Australia, with rivers draining into it fed from the north east sectors of Northern Queensland.
Drought-Proofing-Australia-Map-Australia-Replanned-sml-1.jpg


https://www.pumpindustry.com.au/is-drought-proofing-australia-the-possible-dream/
 

Thegibbsgamble

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Every single drop is required is it? What about when in floods in Sth East QLD, NSW and Vic to n as me a few?

How about a study gets commissioned to find out? Wouldn't you like to know definitively?

I already referenced studies done on the Kimberly concerning this matter. They would of been done on the east coast as well.
 

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Herne Hill Hammer

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I already referenced studies done on the Kimberly concerning this matter. They would of been done on the east coast as well.

No, you really didn't. You mentioned a marine biologist who tags sharks, nothing about a comprehensive study on whether or not it is feasible to drought proof the country.
 

bombersfan4000

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In my work I met a marine biologist from America who was hired to study shark nurseries in the Kimberly region where people suggest we should garner water from.

The sharks he studied an important part of the ecosystem Australia and Asia wide

Amazing fellah. Tagging sharks by hand. Very aggressive sharks that can't be studied any other way than this crazy campaigner diving in on his own.

You take the water flow away. You take away the nutrients and the food of these creatures that play an important role in the food chain


It's not as simple as people may seem.

They have entertained the idea of this.
4B75BF0A-454A-4801-9F23-0A838C704C6E.jpeg

There has been talk of digging riverways or setting up pipe lines since the 30s from north of Queensland as it’s the wettest part of the country
 

bombersfan4000

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This water flows into the great Bastian basin which is already stressed from use by mines and farmers
It’s the same drama as the city’s, the governments haven’t kept up with population growth! All the governments want to do is charge the farmers for water use whilst he oxygen thieving Greens hold up any progress with increasing the size of water catchmenta
 
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Isn't it ironic that as drought ravages our most populated state the bank's are calling for more immigration

For bigger population

These guys are screwed in the head
Has nothing to do with bigger population, you're just fear mongering now.
 
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Of course I have entertained the idea of it, you don't have take everything, just some of it. Barra breed in fresh water and then get flushed out into the sea as another example.

I lived in Cairns for a couple of years in the 90s, my last year there we had 6.5m of rain for the year, that's 6,500mm, next to nothing saved, on water restrictions during the dry season. From Cairns I moved to Canberra, a dry shithole of a place if I've ever lived in one, not once in the 5 years I lived there were there any sort of restrictions put in place despite the lack of rain.

If we're going to being pissing so much money up against the wall on so many things, my taxes that I work bloody hard for, then I'd at least like to see a hundred million or two, or however much it costs to do a full and comprehensive study into it. No partisan party or state v commonwealth bs, just get every together that needs to be together and see if it can be done. If it can, then let's look at costs and benefits v any cons.
You don't seem to understand the value of an ecosystem. While I get your ideas, you lack the understanding of many topics to see the full impact of what you are suggesting and launch into a tirade against the governments.
 
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It’s the same drama as the city’s, the governments haven’t kept up with population growth! All the governments want to do is charge the farmers for water use whilst he oxygen thieving Greens hold up any progress with increasing the size of water catchmenta
But the looney left?!
 

Herne Hill Hammer

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You don't seem to understand the value of an ecosystem. While I get your ideas, you lack the understanding of many topics to see the full impact of what you are suggesting and launch into a tirade against the governments.

I get the value of an ecosystem. All I am asking is that we as a country spend the money , get the right people together and ask and answer the questions.

Can we do it, how would we do it and should we do it?
 
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I get the value of an ecosystem. All I am asking is that we as a country spend the money , get the right people together and ask and answer the questions.

Can we do it, how would we do it and should we do it?
I'm quite sure they have and just because it wasn't made public, doesn't mean they haven't.
 

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