Crikey readers have their say.
Murray Darling Basin
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: Irrigators don’t have the RSPT of the miners
MDB stakeholders call for RSPT-style campaign against government
The government faces another well-funded campaign against its policies, this time on water.
Why the independence of the Murray Darling Basin Authority matters
With increasing diversions of fresh water, saltwater is coming further into the Guippsland lakes system and pollution events such as algal blooms have become increasingly frequent, writes Lionel Elmore.
A reform government? Gillard is all talk
Julia Gillard talks incessantly about reform. It’s a shame that Labor is incapable of delivering it.
Back to basics for Murray Darling Basin
Water Minister Tony Burke has distanced himself from Murray Darling Basin Authority chairman Mike Taylor and undermined the authority’s guidelines document, which suggests he may be endorsing a back to the drawing board approach, writes Mark Kenny.
Impact on native vegetation a glaring omission for Murray-Darling report
Why just cut allocations to irrigators without also addressing these critical forest and plantation management issues properly? asks Lionel Elmore.
Murray Murmurings: What happens when two extremist ideologies meet
Irrigated agriculture systems, like electric grids and city road transport networks, are human engineering constructs, not gifts of nature. Therefore irrigation systems trigger by their existence a government’s duty of care to the human communities that they sustain, says Tony Kevin.
Bloody farmers: topics for the Murray Darling Technical Background report
Following community pressure it was announced at Senate Estimates this morning that the MDBA technical background report will be available online from Friday, says Crikey naturalist Lionel Elmore.
Neither side get the Murray Darling basics right
On the Murray-Darling, Labor is doing what it always does — allow its opponents to frame the debate. Luckily, the Coalition still hasn’t learnt the basics either.
Essential: parties locked up, but Abbott gets a belting
The Coalition is maintaining its vote despite Tony Abbott returning to the popularity levels that have characterised much of his leadership.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: The Murray-Darling conundrum
Crikey readers have their say.
Panicky govt will stuff up the river
The Government’s panicked reaction to anger over the Murray-Darling Basin plan is straight from the Rudd years. This Government is no better at reform than its predecessor.
Murray Murmurings: It’s no wonder rural people are angry
It’s not surprising that farmers, business people and community members are scared and angry about the Murray Darling Basin Authority’s plan. Water is everything in these communities, writes Shepparton farmer David Furphy.
Murray Darling debate is not holding water
The mammoth draft proposal released by the Murray Darling Basin Authority last week has been attacked from virtually every angle. With so much rancor and emotion, logic and reason appear to be drowning in the debate, writes David Penberthy.
The raging war between farmers and Gillard
It’s no surprise the Murray Darling Basin Plan consultations are fiery affairs, full of angry rural people. PM Gillard is going to lose control of this water debate before it’s even started, warns Lenore Taylor.
States continuing to impede progress towards a sustainable Murray-Darling
A sustainable Murray-Darling Basin — and the regional communities that depend on it — need a properly-working water market. The states are preventing one from developing.
Murray Darling murmurings
The Murray Darling Basin Plan continues to loom as a massive political and environment issue. The guide to the draft plan was released last Friday and Amber Jamieson put together a reading list for those who want to get up to speed.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: The Murray-Darling and the politics of water
Crikey readers have their say.
Some things to bear in mind on the Murray-Darling Basin…
There’s a lot of hypocrisy and self-interest when it comes to debating the future of the Murray-Darling Basin. And that’s just from the politicians…
Farmers will survive, with more than a pinch of salt
Could changing irrigation methods in Australia save water, the agricultural sector and ultimately the Murray Darling Basin? “It can go a bloody long way towards it,” irrigation consultant Jeremy Cape told Crikey intern Jane Vashti Ryan today.
Infrastructure isn’t the (whole) answer
The Murray-Darling debate has laid bare the basic problem of how to support regional communities, and whether they should be asked to bear the cost of fixing an historic problem alone.
Case study: the ripple effects of water on regional communities
The impact of changes to water allocations in the MDB will be felt most in a single Federal electorate, that of Farrer. We asked its MP, Sussan Ley, to talk about how communities are likely to be affected.
Crikey Says: Compromise required on Murray-Darling basin
Very few issues are as critical or imminent as dealing with the problems confronting the Murray-Darling basin in a decisive and fair way.
Putting the environment over people
The Murray Darling Basin Plan released last week and the proposed cuts to water are extreme. The high social and economic costs just aren’t worth the environmental savings, writes Judith Sloan.
