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As vast stretches of the country are gripped by drought there is a drive to curtail the exploitation of our vital natural resources, in particular water.
The ABC’s 7.30 Report recently went to air to highlight the extent of this exploitation.
The continued irrigation of vast tracks of land since the early 60’s and the consequent massive loss to evaporation has compounded the problem to crisis levels.
Seeking a solution has captured the attention of Australia’s third richest man. For Richard Pratt, Visy Industries Magnate, it is very much a case of being prepared to back words with dollars.
Walgett Shire mayor and Lightning Ridge landholder Peter Waterford was highly enthused by the Pratt proposal to “pipe water, not waste it”.
Mr Waterford knows only too well the value of piping.
He and 13 landholders received funding from the Treasury in 1962 to develop the 250 mile bore drain from the Llanillo Bore. Bore drains were vital to the development of this parched area.
As this development unfolded so too did the 96% evaporation levels.
Recapping and piping of this drain system has cost State, Federal and Local Government and the Bore Water Trust $1.7 million.
For irrigators in the Gwydir and Namoi catchments the remedy is much more remote. While the effects of reduced water entitlements is having a devastating effect on dependent communities.
NSW Farmers Association statistics cite the losses in Gwydir at $99,273.216 (farm production), 258 (regional job losses) and 117 (agricultural sector job losses); Namoi $30,100,575 (loss in farm production), 397 (regional job losses) and 81 (agriculture job losses).
Tapping into ground water since the early 60’s had the support of successive NSW governments as with it came massive increases to export dollars.
Scientific studies predicted a drying up of ground-water supplies unless cuts were made and today we witness the consequences which will be borne by us all.
With the involvement of Richard Pratt and high profile President of the Australian Conservation Foundation, Peter Garrett, governments may be more inclined to listen.
It is Pratt’s intention to find ways to economically manufacture and lay huge pipes which would eventually replace the irrigation channels that criss-cross the landscape. Money to fund the project may be raised through a bond issue by the Federal Government.
Mr Pratt has indicated that he is prepared to sink $100 million into this proposal.
We simply must stop wasting water and we will have enough. Meanwhile, it will take financial and political commitment to resurrect communities from the uncertainty and financial ruin that faces them.
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