The ABC reports – Andrew ‘Twiggy’ Forrest calls for harvesting of rivers, underground aquifers to droughtproof agricultural areas. They report – “Mr Forrest wants to droughtproof Australia.” It reads to me like a push to exploit water resources in the north of Australia and I am sure more could be done along those lines. The coalition was talking about using northern water resources in early 2013 – that seems to have sunk lately.
Good luck to Mr Forrest pushing his ideas but we are light years from achieving sensible water reforms. The Murray Darling Basin plan still proposes to waste huge amounts of water to flush the Murray mouth, pandering to South Australia.
Just look at the waste of Melbourne water supply Thomson Dam water by environmental flows – 35% through the dryer years 2002-2009. Any proposal in the north will meet trenchant opposition from several well known quarters. I doubt any serious projects could get up with our MSM so GreenLeft.