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Rebel irrigation plan for the north

Greg Roberts | January 24, 2009

WHILE the federal Government is spending $3 billion to buy back water licences in the drought-stricken Murray-Darling, farmers in the Queensland portion of the basin are expanding irrigation works in a challenge to Canberra's newly acquired powers. NSW farmers and water experts say savings from the commonwealth buybacks will be undone by new irrigation works on the Warrego River, a major Murray-Darling tributary in western Queensland. However, federal Water Minister Penny Wong said she would not intervene to block the works. The Queensland developers are backed by foreign money in food production plans that defy predictions of a dire outlook for Murray-Darling irrigation. The irrigation expansion plans loom as a test case for Canberra's plans to manage the Murray-Darling Basin, with the Bligh Government bluntly telling Senator Wong that they will proceed with state support. While the commonwealth has taken control of the Murray-Darling, state river plans continue to operate until their expiry. The Warrego River resource operations plan expires in 2014. Senator Wong said she had accepted advice from Queensland that the new plans were proceeding under legally issued entitlements within caps on water extractions set by state river plans. The main Warrego irrigation venture, on the Mirage Plains property south of Cunnamulla, would cancel out the water savings from Canberra's $24 million purchase in September of the Toorale cotton property in northern NSW. Toorale is downstream on the Warrego from Mirage Plains, and was acquired to return to the Murray-Darling its annual allocation of 14 megalitres. Mirage Plains has an allocation of 23 megalitres. While irrigation is expanding in Queensland, the Rudd Government is about to spend $350million on acquiring water allocations in the state. The Government's emissions trading white paper last month predicted average streamflow in the Murray-Darling would drop by 10-25 per cent by 2030, with irrigated agriculture in the basin suffering a 92 per cent decline. However, the Mirage Plains venture, an amalgamation of six properties on the Warrego, aims to boost food production in the basin. European investors are understood to have invested $20 million in the project, which is being developed by the partly British-owned company Primary Holdings International. Primary Holdings business development manager Bryce Graham said there was room for irrigation expansion. "The Warrego River is one of the more under-allocated watercourses in the Murray-Darling," Mr Graham said. "There's global investor interest as far as food security is concerned, and that's what this project is about." Clive Wylie, a partner in the venture and owner of poultry business Inglewood Farms, said 500ha presently under irrigation would be expanded to between 3500ha and 4000ha of wheat, oats, beans and other crops. Mr Wylie has purchased another property on the Warrego, Hortonvale, from the Dunsdan cotton family. He plans to triple the 1500ha under irrigation for organic cereal grains on Hortonvale over the next decade. Mr Wylie said the focus for both operations was sustainability, with practices such as crop rotation and composting to minimise water use. He dismissed predictions of a dire outlook for irrigation in the Murray-Darling. "There is a lot of emotional debate surrounding this issue which is based on little fact. The jury is still out on climate change. On the Warrego, we can continue to irrigate sustainably with no damage to the environment. "Darling River Action Group secretary Brian Stevens said NSW farmers downstream were distressed at the Warrego River developments. "There's not much point in buying places like Toorale when they just go ahead and put in bigger irrigation works upstream," Mr Stevens said. Mirage Plains assistant manager Terry Sweeney dismissed complaints from NSW farmers. "We can only take the water when the Warrego is in full flow and a lot of that floods and soaks into the ground," Mr Sweeney said. "These blokes down south like to have a whinge, but they would be doing exactly the same thing if they were in our position."University of NSW wetlands expert Richard Kingsford said the Warrego developments would inevitably reduce flows downstream. "The fundamental issue for the commonwealth's management of the Murray-Darling is that many of the state river plans are not ecologically sustainable," Professor Kingsford said. "We'll be going backwards for another five years on the Warrego before the Commonwealth has any opportunity to fix the problems." Queensland Water Minister Craig Wallace said the developments would proceed under existing allocations, with no new licences being issued. "Queensland is the only state which prohibits water extraction before environmental flows have taken place," he said. "This means 70 per cent of water in the Queensland part of the Murray-Darling system flows into NSW." Senator Wong said she would announce soon allocations to be acquired under the $350 million buyback Queensland plan.

Enough water for seven months

Emma Boundy | January 27, 2009

SA Water says the State's reservoirs are currently about 70 per cent full, which is enough to last seven or eight months. The chief operating officer, John Ringham, says SA Water is doing everything it can to ensure that South Australia does not run out of water. Mr Ringham says most of the water in reservoirs is pumped from the River Murray and winter rains will be vital to top up the reserves. "We've probably drawn most of our water for this year from the river, and we'll now be waiting to see what happens through the autumn and the early winter," he said. "One would hope from the calculations that there's enough there certainly for critical human needs going through next year."

Wonthaggi desalination plant gets Govt approval

| January 09, 2009

The Victorian Government has given final environmental approval for the $3.1 billion desalination plant in South Gippsland. Limited construction has already begun on the plant at Wonthaggi. The plant will be able to produce up to 200 gigalitres of water per year to help cope with the drought. The Government says while the project may cause some harm to the environment, its impact can be effectively managed. Planning Minister Justin Madden says an independent auditor will be appointed to monitor the plant, which still needs Federal approval. "The independent environmental auditor will be expected to carry out quarterly audits on the implementation of the environmental management plans and to ensure ongoing compliance." Mr Madden says the project should now proceed. "I am aware that there are many members of the community who feel strongly about this project," he said. "But the assessment has found that this is the right location for the desalination plant. Strong project control and performance control and performance requirements will effectively manage any environmental impacts."Opponents of the plant say it will be difficult to monitor offshore drilling near the site. Jessica Harrison says the Federal Government should intervene. "I can't believe that what they're doing now, close to a marine national park, is actually allowed. There were over 400 submissions to the environmental assessment process. Construction on the plant is scheduled to begin later this year and it should be providing water by the end of 2011

Fluoride added to Queensland water

|December 03, 2008

QUEENSLAND children may have to wait another five years before the benefits of the new fluoridated water can be seen. Fluoridation of south-east Queensland water supplies began on Monday at a water treatment plant in Molendinar, north of the Gold Coast, but it could take nearly two weeks to flow from the taps. It marks the first step of the government's plan to provide fluoridated water to 90 per cent of the south-east and the remainder of Queensland by 2012. The introduction of fluoridated water should improve the state's dismal dental health record, that shows Queensland kids have 30-40 per cent more tooth decay than children from other states. Queensland Health Minister Stephen Robertson denied reports that the fluoride was contaminated saying the top-quality product came from Belgium, not China as reported, and Queenslanders could rest easy the water would be tested daily. "Queenslanders can be assured that the fluoridated water that they will be drinking will be the highest quality with regular daily monitoring of the level of fluoride being added," Mr Robertson said. Deputy Premier Paul Lucas said any assumptions that fluoride would be in the tap water on Monday were incorrect and the "commissioning process" took time. "We have waited 30 years for this," Mr Lucas said at the press conference. "There are a number of people who have expressed concerns about fluoride, but I think they are wrong, wrong, wrong." Dental expert Michael Foley said fluoridation of the water would not be an instant fix for decaying teeth and Queenslanders should also continue good oral hygiene. "We'll notice a slow improvement over the next few years," Dr Foley said. "The biggest change we'll see will be the first crop of grade one kiddies going through the school dental service in about five years time. "That's when we'll see the biggest difference."Parents should stop giving their children fluoride supplements as excess fluoride could cause dental fluorosis, a condition that gives teeth a blotched appearance.