Stormy weather, no water

Others followed, and were even more blatantly told to get lost. On two recent occasions in this newsletter, I submitted a workable plan to achieve it, based on sound professional advice that I specifically sought.

Thankfully, I got some positive responses the first time, and even more the second time. Thus, I am now encouraged to have a third try at creating some ‘movement at the station’ for action to happen, as the current fiasco in the Murray Darling Basin has set the scene for it to get serious consideration, as good people are now out there protesting passionately about the bleak future that Australia’s greatest farming region is now facing.

This time, I have strong support from Sydney water engineer, Terry Bowring, who has published a number of innovative and practical plans on how to capture the water and bring it south at the lowest possible cost.

Already, a number of well-meaning people who operate in a sad world of negativity have told us that we will lose that we will cause big salinisation problems, soil erosion and every other negative issue that is equally biased, but makes them feel useful. I ignore them.

To get the job done, we just have to face these facts: • The Murray Darling is a national gem that must be preserved and enhanced.

• We cannot delay in finding a solution. We have procrastinated for far too long. The time to make a decision is right now. Today! • There is a double benefit, as the same plan to divert water from the north will open-up to new agriculture the vast blacksoil plains just south of the Gulf, and we can move our rice and cotton industries up there from the Murray Darling, thereby saving a lot of water which will ensure that the fundamental irrigation needs of the Basin are met.

• If five million dollars of Federal funds can be allocated for the task immediately, a small group of us can get a top quality engineering and environmental team together, to have a preliminary study completed within six months, that can verify its feasibility in principle and allow a decision to be made on proceeding to full feasibility.

• Water can be flowing into the Murray Darling by the end of this decade, and it will cost less than was spent on the Building Education Revolution and Pink Bats.

As Margaret Thatcher said 50 years ago: “We need people in Parliament who will do something, rather than want to be someone.” Let’s go. It could be that we can capture once more the visionary spirit that inspired us at the Snowy Mountains 60 years ago.