Murray Darling Basin still suffering from another kind of drought

It would be prudent at this point to also provide a buffer against low inflows to ensure we could provide for these three water availability priorities for at least two more years.

If then and only then we allocated any remaining water on some type of pro rata basis to annual crop irrigators we should be able to make the most efficient use of our water and allow increased production in years of excess flow and decreased production in lean water years.

Surely we can stop the bickering and do something as simple as this.

Doesn't that sound logical? Well guess what?

That is (with a few variations) exactly how water has been allocated for the last ninety-five years.

That is why the first three priorities were adequately provided on most of the rivers in the MDB during the just concluded worst drought in European history.

Truth is the system has been well managed by any rational assessment.

Truth is there is more wetland habitat in the MDB now than when Europeans arrived.

Truth is these wetlands are mostly maintained as permanent by man in stark contrast to Nature's haphazard regime.

Truth is the lower lakes are a man-made problem and the biggest waste of fresh water in the system.

Truth is that the flow in the lower Murray has little to do with the Coorong.

Truth is we can improve outcomes for all species by increasing water conservation throughout the system to store excess water for use by all during droughts

Truth is the dams, weirs, run-off storages, channels and even some irrigated fields are the best habitat in the Basin for our aquatic species.

It is time these truths flowed across the plain of public opinion and washed away the misinformation that has been blinding our vision.

It is time for this drought of truth in the Murray-Darling Basin to also come to an end.