Comments on: Kohler: Political courage runs dry over water

By: Jan

Jan — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Even more water power to your elbow AK. And to Asa Wahlquist and others who try to spread the word in ways we can understand, starkly and finally. As a city dweller who used to share baths as a kid and pour the leftover water on to the garden wonder how we lost the water conservation lessons from primary school. Charge us city dwellers, business, it may be the only way. We have to stop exporting what wetness we have left. A BBC report this morning also underlines our contribution to the world food shortage via our drought. It may be that we have to kick the ball to others while we save our fragile continent - and learn to work it according to its requirements not Europe’s. Senator Wong we look to you and your PM to take some tough decisions, this is 1000 times harder than your work in Bali, but who wants to be known as the government who talked big on climate change and fiddled whilst the Murray Darling died?

By: RJG

RJG — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Kohler: But he would say that, I suppose, since Yarra Valley Water might be the beneficiary of a big increase in the water price, unless it was all done through taxes. But price is always a better way to deal with shortage than rationing. …Why is this Allan? Everybody rich or poor needs a certain amount of water to drink, cook and maintain their hiegine. You will never make water expensive enough to deter the rich for whom the cost of water is pin money and rich companies who can pass on their costs from using water excessively. The only people who will reduce their usage are the poor and the 20% of us with excessive mortgages. Some of these people will very innovatively bypass their water meters. A minimum amount of water should be guaranteed to every household on the basis of the number of people living. It should be at zero cost. Anything above that should be billed at a cost that acts as a driver to innovation and reduced consumption. Of course any green house gas producing water production methods would be even more expensive. By the way the desal plant is not being built in Warragul. It hink it might be Wonthaggi. Warragul is a bloody long way from the sea!

By: Dr Harvey M Tarvydas

Dr Harvey M Tarvydas — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

When I was in Germany 10 years ago doing some investigations industry paid $A24 to use 1000 litres. $A6 to buy, $A18 to discharge. Because they speak German, although most speak speak English, but we don’t speak German, we just don’t know..

By: Anto

Anto — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

The Victorian Desal Plant will be located on the Bass Coast west of Wonthaggi, not 50km inland at Warragul.

By: John T

John T — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Well said AK, Bill, and Jan. Can we stop providing media cover (eg, Belinda N) for Wong and Rudd and the Govt that enables them not to act decisively on this? Yes, yes, everyone’s to blame for not acting when that was needed. Now for action - if there is one thing Australians will rally behind right now, it is a govt that will do the really tough stuff on water, including bludgeoning the self-satisfioed states into line. This can make your real reputation as statesmen (or -persons, if we haven’t left the 1980s). Please don’t stuff about with smoke and mirrors, as in car manufacturing, and budget savings.

By: Kevin Charles Herbert

Kevin Charles Herbert — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Nice piece, AyaKohler. You should be in Rudd’s cabinet.

By: bruceK

bruceK — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

yes, it's a government of business-as-usual conservatives

yes, exporting food - much of it for the well-off in developing asia - doesn't quite seem as important as saving a whole riverine environment, but that's the free trade / free market mantra... how many market failures does it take to change an ideology?

why is "price always a better way to deal with shortage than rationing"? surely some form of poor-household protection is needed

the consistent under-valuing of the environment is something capitalist development still can't (maybe never will?!) deal with

since we're such a wealthy nation shouldn't we be ending the fantasy of farming most of the SE inland by offering a very generous package for farming families and farm workers to leave ASAP? the social dislocation will be more sudden, but is that really worse than prolonging the agony and uncertainty?

i'm in sydney, where water restrictions have just been relaxed with dams reaching 60% capacity. now i can wash the bus i use with 50 other people with a hose whenever i choose! household water prices are up about 20%, mostly to fund the desal no-one wants - i'd be happier paying more if a more rational plan was in place

a question: what have water prices in the sydney basis got to do with the crisis in the inland? AK says:
"The consensus was that the price of water in the cities needs to at least double, probably triple."

how do higher prices for city households make for environmental sanity west of the ranges? maybe this is true in melbourne and adelaide? please explain..

By: bill

bill — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

More power to your elbow Alan Kohler!
Water IS too cheap and it's also been squandered. But instead of just upping the price, let's take care of those who are at bottom end. Provide an equitable amount at "cost" price such that household essentials are catered for and then once exceeded, jack the price up in a staged way (say 3 stages) such that if you pay significantly more than $3.00/KL at the top end.

And if there is that much money around, start instituting water audits and show businesses how to use less for the same function.

How much does one drip every second add up to every year? There's a project for the nearest primary school student - its a LOT. And not forgetting that water is also energy, so again, we can do much better there as well.