23 Results

After a dramatic year of plans, resignations and community consultations over the guide to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, Chris Miller reflects on the future of water reform in the Basin.

The frightening thing about the Murray-Darling Basin Authority’s current efforts is that they apparently spent about $60 million getting to where they are while ignoring almost every lesson about how to undertake consultation.

Simon O’Connor from the Australian Conservation Foundation traveled to Mildura where he discovered that the national debate about the Murray-Darling has failed to focus on what is really important: how to save the river while looking after communities dependent on it.

The publicity associated with the release of the Guide to the Basin Plan must be kept in perspective: two million people live in the basin and not everyone is dependent on farming for their well being. That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have a say, writes Brian Ramsay.

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.

The latest Newspoll has the Coalition opening a 52-48 lead, with Labor’s primary vote down to a new low of 33 percent. There is speculation the fall has been driven by the Murray-Darling Basin report, writes William Bowe.

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.

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.

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.

One is famous for wetlands, the other is famous for tennis. The man who mistook them during the Coalition’s Murray Darling policy announcement yesterday - Coalition water spokesman Barnaby “bearded lady” Joyce - is famous for gaffes.

The Xenophon deal will cause a massive shock to the water buyback market, writes Bernard Keane.

Getting some water to the Coorong and Lower Lakes is, it seems, all too hard for Penny Wong, writes Bernard Keane.

The first property the government should look at buying is Cubbie Station, writes Bernard Keane.

McLeod’s Daughters … the politics of water … Brendan Nelson on drugs … how the West was won … Belgians’ most brilliant … prostitutes love Fred Nile … Michael Kroger …

Two people who you can bet don’t get invited around to Kirribilli House are the big movers in the Crikey/Media Monitors Top 20 for the week of 7-13 August.

President Bush is leaving APEC early — before the prized silly-suit photo opportunity. So Prime Minister John Howard has started a hamfisted campaign to bring forward the photo session, writes Alex Mitchell.

Tower Books responds to A&R … What a load of self-serving twaddle from A&R … Crikey gets it so wrong on Morgan poll … Crikey’s God & p-rn sealed section … things not that bad in voterland? …

Crikey understands that it’s extremely unlikely that Parliament will return during the winter break, despite the Prime Minister promising a special session if necessary to debate and pass the legislation for the NT intervention.