Increase for high security irrigators in the Murrumbidgee Valley as Snowy Jindabyne release arrives

The Department of Water and Energy, on 2 October 2007 advised High security licence holders within the Murrumbidgee Regulated Water Sharing Plan area were advised of an increase in available water determination (AWD) from 60 per cent to 75 per cent of entitlement.

Town water increased to 70 per cent: The AWD for Stock and Domestic licence holders had also increased from 50 per cent to 100 per cent of entitlement and town water supplies has been increased to 70 per cent. These improvements were due in part to additional water from the Snowy Mountains Scheme which can now be delivered into the Murrumbidgee, and in part to inflows into Burrinjuck Dam which have receded more slowly than anticipated.

End of monthly allocations of critical survival water: This increase triggered the end of monthly allocations of critical survival water for high security users, however there was currently still not enough water for an allocation to be made for general security users. High security licence holders may carry over up to 15 per cent of their unused entitlement into the 2008/09 season. Recent rain in the region is still well below average. All water users need to remain conservative with water use and encouraged to remain on level 3a water restrictions., Further information relating to the water availability in the Murrumbidgee Valley will be made on the 15th of each month via the Murrumbidgee Critical Water Communiques.
These communiques are available from the Departments website http://www.dnr.nsw.gov.au via Whats New on the homepage.

Sunburnt country: 60 to 70 per cent chance of a dry October to December 2007 for South Eastern Australia

South Eastern Australia and Tasmania and the far southeastern coastal fringe of the mainland had a 30 to 40 per cent chance of exceeding the three-month median rainfall. This means that below-normal falls have a 60 to 70per cent chance of occurring. Over most remaining parts of the country the chances of accumulating at least average rain for the December quarter are between 50 and 60per cent.

Blistering heat ahead for Southeastern Australia – October to December 2007

The Government forecast issued 25th September 2007 showed the outlook was for blistering heat across tthe Murray Darling Basin, with the highest heat for South Australia and Victoria.

Emergency: Murray-Darling Basin Commission to cut Euston Lakes from Murray River

Euston flow was now 1960 ML/day; the “normal” flow range was 30,000 to 56,000 ML/day. Murray-Darling Basin Commission (MDBC) Chief Executive Dr Wendy Craik said the emergency needs had forced the Murray-Darling Basin Commission (MDBC) to further lower the Euston Weir Pool and its associated Lakes.

Local councils in NSW and WA burn their fingers after investing in complex debt products: get millions in refunds in return for their silence after investing in products with exposure in US sub-prime mortgage markets, recommended by Grange Securities

According to Jonathan Barreet, in The Australian Financial Review, (26/09/2007, p.1), local councils had been given millions of dollars in refunds in return for their silence after investing in complex debt products recommended by the Lehman Brothers-owned Grange Securities.

Clear the decks: Greens outrage as Coalition and Labor combine in Senate majority to pass 33 Bills in three days

The role of the Senate as house of review was lost under last week’s rush, said Senator Bob Brown (Tasmania—Leader of the Australian Greens).

“Why didn’t they knock on the door?” asks mother of man police shot dead during raid on family home in Melbourne in 2005

The mother of a man police shot dead during a raid on his family’s Brooklyn (Victoria) home in 2005 has demanded to know why officers forced their way into her house, reported The Age (22/9/2007, p.14).

1000 Melbourne trees die of thirst during last three years; tree expert calls for Melbourne-wide “adopt-a-tree” scheme to supply it with grey water, amidst growing public concern

According to Rachel Kleinman and Andra Jackson, in The Age, (25/09/2007, p.5), tree expert Dr Greg Moore had called for a Melbourne-wide “adopt-a-tree” scheme, similar to that introduced by Moonee Valley City Council in January.

Tooth decay in Hobart children related to failed fluoridation

Hobart water had been getting inadequate fluoride because a dosing pump at a National Park water source has not worked properly for a year, reported The Mercury (28/7/2007, p.5).

Pacific island nation of Kiribati facing acute drinking water shortages: Groundwater contamination on Kiribati’s 35 coral atolls, finds UNESCO study

The small Pacific island nation of Kiribati was facing acute drinking water shortages and water pollution problems among the most critical in the world, reported The Canberra Times, (23/08/2007, p.14) quoting Australian National University water quality expert Professor Ian White.

Tropical feed-grasses outperform other forage crops: more forage, less soil erosion

Tropical grasses were almost certain to play an increased role in grazing systems, reported The Land (26/7/2007, p.15).

Labor premiers of Vic and SA clash over an emergency Murray River water reserve: Feds seek 200GL water, worth up to $300m in the open market, from Vic irrigators without compensation and give it free to SA next year

According to John Wiseman and Rick Wallace, in The Australian, (26/09/2007, p.4), the Labor premiers of Victoria and South Australia were at loggerheads over an emergency Murray River water reserve, killing off the last remnant of consensus on the issue with South Australian Premier Mike Rann accusing John Brumby of threatening the viability of the entire Murray-Darling Basin agreement in a sharply worded letter to his Victorian counterpart.

This year’s La Nina unlikely to produce hoped-for substantial rain: grim news for Vic farmers

This year’s La Nina was not likely to produce the substantial rain that Australians hoped for, reported The Age (13/9/2007, p.5).

Murray Darling Basin Report: 21 September: flow to South Australia slows: lowest flows since 1968 downstream of Euston Weir, no flow from Kiewa and Ovens

The pattern of flows to SA over the remainder of the season will be critical in managing river salinity in SA and for meeting increasing diversion requirements and losses said David Dreverman General Manager in the River Murray Report For The Week Ending Wednesday, 19 September 2007, released 21 September.

Vox pop: Basic physics ignored in Vic desal idea; needs 300MW base-load power plant to get water to Melbourne

To desalinate 150 gigalitres of salt water and pump 150 million tonnes of fresh water from Wonthaggi to the Cardinia Reservoir was going to require a 300-megawatt base-load power plant, wrote Geoff Croker of Ashwood in a letter to The Age (26/9/2007, p.B4).

WA pig producers losing up to $16 a head, as wheat-price rises to $350/t

WA pig producers could be losing up to $16 a head, depending on their risk management strategies, reported Farm Weekly (13/9/2007, p.16).

Jury of 15 to sit on trial of nine men caught in Australia’s biggest anti-terrorism sweep: conspiring “to do acts in preparation of a terrorist act”

NSW was expected to pass legislation allowing an expanded jury of 15 to sit on the trial of nine men caught in Australia’s biggest anti-terrorism sweep, wrote Michael Pelly in The Australian (24/9/2007, p.3).

Businesses should abandon person-to-person email for their own legal protection, management expert warns

Businesses should abandon person-to-person email for their own legal protection, according to a global information management specialist, reported The Age (10/9/2007, p.B1).

Reports that say nothing, in mire of red tape: what happens when govts protect powerful interests and offend no one, says business academic

The Nationals have long employed sham committees to protect sacred cows – the classic was Warren Truss’s Mickey Mouse 2004 Wheat Marketing Review committee, established with terms of reference that specifically excluded consideration of the single desk’s future, which delivered an eight-page report saying nothing, wrote Professor Paul Kerin, teacher of strategy at Melbourne Business School, in The Australian (25/9/2007, p.30).

‘The Australian Legend’: propping-up farmers in times of drought “a very expensive way to maintain a national myth,” says Aus Institute chief

Almost 50 years since it was published, Russel Ward’s book The Australian Legend still explained why politicians gave generous sums of money to drought-affected farmers, wrote Daniel Lewis in The Sydney Morning Herald (29/9/2007, p.28).

CEWH must operate to meet environmental objectives: may sell only water not required by a watering plan

Limits are placed on the Commonwealth Environmental Water’s ability to sell water, according to advice prepared by the Department of Parliamentary Service released on 14 August 2007.

Countries and companies will be paid to stop logging forests under World Bank plan; carbon credit market to help companies meet emissions targets by paying developing countries to halt logging

Countries and companies will be paid to stop logging forests under a World Bank plan to establish a fund aimed at reshaping the fight against climate change, reported Mark Forbes in Jakarta for The Sydney Morning Herald (25/9/2007, p.10).

Victorian state government coming under increasing pressure to reject both north-south pipeline and desalination; leave our water alone says Gippsland

The Victoria state government was coming under increasing pressure to reject both the north-south pipeline and desalination, said Craig Ingram, Independent Member for Gippsland East, in the Victorian Legislative Assembly on 9 August 2007.

1 October: Qld starts month with temperatures of up to 6C above average; three-month seasonal outlook is for drier-than-average conditions along east coast

Queensland started October with temperatures of up to 6C above average, reported Brian Williams in The Courier Mail (2/10/2007, p.5).

Auction by Qld Government of 8000 megalitres of water for irrigation on the Warrego River put on hold indefinitely; Premier Bligh reluctantly agrees to PM’s request

An auction by the Queensland Government of 8000 megalitres of water for irrigation on the Warrego River, bitterly opposed by downstream graziers in NSW, has been put on hold indefinitely, reported The Land (27/9/2007, p.21).

Queensland water commissioner outlines level six restrictions, focus is on 1300 big businesses that use 10 megalitres a year or more

Queensland water commissioner Elizabeth Nosworthy said householders will not face tougher restrictions under the level six conditions that will come into force in mid-November, so long as they stay under the 140 litres per person daily target, reported The Sydney Morning Herald (1/10/2007, p.6).

Qld water: businesses using more than 10 megalitres a year forced to operate under a Water Efficiency Management Plan, expected to achieve a 25pc reduction by November 2008

Under level 6 restrictions announced on Sunday, water-guzzling business in Queensland will be liable for fines of more than $100,000 and expected to slash their use by 25 per cent, reported Martin Philip, Tuck Thompson and Rosanne Barrett in The Courier Mail (2/10/2007, p.5).

Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs power costs: For 2004-05 financial year, electricity $357,973; in 2005-06, electricity $606,963; 2006-07 electricity costs at $485,005

ALP MP Kelvin Thomson asked the Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs Mal Brough, in Federal Parliament, in writing on 7 December 2006 for the electricity and water usage tally in the Minister’s department.

New networking tool to help create enviro-friendly, and profitable, commercial buildings

Better known as the plaything of Gener­ation Y, online social networking technology has been put to use by the commercial prop­erty sector, with the launch of a $1.5 million online encyclopedia and networking tool to help create environmentally friendly and profitable commercial buildings, reported The Sydney Morning Herald (29/9/2007, p.60).

Shutdown of Pentagon’s email system in June by hacking unit “of Chinese Army”: implications for police forensics

This month US Defence officials admitted that an emergency shutdown of the Pentagon’s email system in June had been triggered by a covert intrusion, including the planting of trojans, believed to have been mounted by a specialist hacking unit of the People’s Liberation Army of China, reported The Australian Financial Review (24/9/2007, p.6).