Like what you've read?

On Line Opinion is the only Australian site where you get all sides of the story. We don't
charge, but we need your support. Here�s how you can help.

  • Advertise

    We have a monthly audience of 70,000 and advertising packages from $200 a month.

  • Volunteer

    We always need commissioning editors and sub-editors.

  • Contribute

    Got something to say? Submit an essay.


 The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
On Line Opinion logo ON LINE OPINION - Australia's e-journal of social and political debate

Subscribe!
Subscribe





On Line Opinion is a not-for-profit publication and relies on the generosity of its sponsors, editors and contributors. If you would like to help, contact us.
___________

Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

Creating the great Australian foodbowl

By Everald Compton - posted Tuesday, 11 October 2011


Having long been a staunch advocate of using the surplus water of northern Australia for the benefit of the whole continent in a far more wise and visionary way than we currently do, I was delighted to read the recent front page coverage in The Week-end Australian of the planning that Shadow Federal Finance Minister, Andrew Robb, is undertaking regarding the storage of water and the expansion of agriculture in his policy development role for the Coalition.

It is refreshing to know that there is at least one parliamentarian who has it in mind to do something significant about water and our capacity to become the food bowl of the world, with the added benefit of becoming less dependent on mining for our national economic survival.

Andrew and I have been friends for a long time and, on one memorable occasion a couple of decades ago, we worked together with Ian McLachlan and Rick Farley to establish and successfully raise funds for the Australian Farmers Fighting Fund. At another time, we worked together on the Republic Referendum, heading-up a group called Conservatives for an Australian Head of State.

Advertisement

Down the years, we have had quite a number of talks about watering the continent, and we plan to have a few more chats as he develops his policy, as I know he is one of only a few politicians who has the political will to make it happen.

It will be worth the effort, as Andrew's research shows that there are one million billion litres of water that hit the northern catchments of Australia every year, and it will be a relatively easy task to divert sufficient of that to irrigate about five million hectares of farmland all year round, and then store some for the drought years despite evaporation.

His outlook is totally different to that of the North Australia Task Force that reported last year to the Federal Government saying that the economic development of Northern Australia is an over-rated myth. Dominated by pages of pathetic excuses, it was one of the most depressing documents I have ever read.

Without committing Andrew to any of my comments as he develops his policy, I see a northern water and food plan happening in three phases with regard to eastern and central Australia. Western Australia will need a different solution as the Pilbara separates the water of the Kimberley from the farmlands of the south-west, and I will talk about that in a later edition after I have done some more research.

The first phase will be to divert and store water. Andrew says that the Flinders and Gilbert Rivers are the most likely candidates for building large scale dams of the size of Lake Argyle in the Kimberley. In addition, the Gilbert River Formation has a fractured rock aquifer north of Richmond which could store 20,000 gigalitres of water at any time with nil evaporation.

There is also potential for a huge dam at Hell's Gate in the mountains behind Tully, as well as the capacity to expand the Burdekin Falls Dam and a restored Kidston Dam left dormant from former mining days. An added benefit will be that new hydro technology can be used to generate power from stored water for use in new farmlands.

Advertisement

The second will be to open the great blacksoil plains of the north to the greatest food production industry in the history of Australia - establishing major farms that are financed and operated by significant investors. Those water-starved blacksoil lands run from the Gulf country north of Hughenden and Richmond, past Winton down through Longreach into the Channel Country. They have the potential to feed the whole of China or India, provided we grow the food that they want to eat, not that which we prefer. Concrete channels and existing rivers will deliver the water. Transport will be a major problem as the roads and railways of the north are in terrible shape, but they can be fixed and enhanced (another subject that will be covered in later editions).

Thirdly, there must be a means of creating a regular flow of water into the Darling and on to the Murray, as well as making sure that Lake Eyre is permanently filled with water to its maximum depth.

The Channel Country east and north of Lake Eyre is well suited to the growing of cotton, instead of that industry using water that's needed for people in our closer-settled areas. In addition, the cattle stations in the dead heart of Australia can be drought-proofed forever, and the fruit growing areas of South Australia can be expanded along the Murray.

  1. Pages:
  2. Page 1
  3. 2
  4. All


Discuss in our Forums

See what other readers are saying about this article!

Click here to read & post comments.

22 posts so far.

Share this:
reddit this reddit thisbookmark with del.icio.us Del.icio.usdigg thisseed newsvineSeed NewsvineStumbleUpon StumbleUponsubmit to propellerkwoff it

About the Author

Everald Compton is Chairman of The Longevity Forum, a not for profit entity which is implementing The Blueprint for an Ageing Australia. He was a Founding Director of National Seniors Australia and served as its Chairman for 25 years. Subsequently , he was Chairman for three years of the Federal Government's Advisory Panel on Positive Ageing.

Other articles by this Author

All articles by Everald Compton

Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Photo of Everald Compton
Article Tools
Comment 22 comments
Print Printable version
Subscribe Subscribe
Email Email a friend
Advertisement

About Us Search Discuss Feedback Legals Privacy