High and very dry
Last night the Murray Darling Commission hit the airwaves with its report on the state of the Murray. It is a tragedy of almost unsurpassed magnitude, all the more depressing because it has happened in less than my short lifetime.
Perhaps given the scale of this disaster it is understandable that Gary Jones on Lateline news actually gave breath to the real reason behind this sad state, “100 years of human impact” and climate change. As Karlene Maywald says “the river is over-allocated, that the river needs to have more water for the environment”. In some reports this over allocation is listed at some 300% more than is actually available in the river system.
If you want some graphic evidence of the decline have a look at the Age’s little multimedia package but be warned that such pictures might ruin your otherwise good day. Most likely the news won’t really affect political realities. A dead river and devastated world heritage wetland is hand wringing material, but the culprits will never be made to pay.
This is an example of Craig Emerson’s market failure staring us in the face. Australia has prospered on the back of the farm sector for a long time, the irrigators along the Murray Darling basin has contributed hugely to our abundant food supplies and generated significant export dollars. Also tapping into the water supply are the numerous inland towns and cities east of the Great Divide, Canberra is just one of the benefactors of years of relatively free water. This basic commodity fuels growth.
This growth has in resulted in what we have today. Global climate change that has seen a significant decline in rainfall over the south east of Australia, an area that has since the invasion by whites been subject to the most inappropriate land use imaginable. The wholesale destruction of the native vegetation coupled with the zealous damming of every major river flowing west to sustain what is clearly unsustainable agriculture is today’s legacy.
Well done Australia!