Greatest Mining Pioneer of Australia of all Times
2007-04-19 17:01:52 UTC
Murray-Darling situation extremely serious: Turnbull PRINT FRIENDLY
EMAIL STORY
PM - Thursday, 19 April , 2007 18:18:00
Reporter: Chris Uhlmann
PETER CAVE: Australia's Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull, agrees
that the situation is extremely serious
He's been speaking to our Chief Political Correspondent, Chris
Uhlmann.
MALCOLM TURNBULL: Unless there is very heavy rain between now and mid-
May, will be, the prospect of starting the season with nil
allocations. And it's a, you know the prospects of significant
allocations to irrigation this year are very, very low.
CHRIS UHLMANN: How much damage will that do?
MALCOLM TURNBULL: Well, if there is no water available for irrigation
at all during the year, that will obviously cut production enormously.
It will, it has the potential of really making, well it has the
potential of causing a whole range of trees, of horticulture crops, to
basically to die.
CHRIS UHLMANN: And if they die, that's infrastructure, those are
products, those are crops that can't be replaced quickly or easily.
MALCOLM TURNBULL: That's right. It is a very serious, that's why it is
very serious, and why it's very important to get this information out
there now, so that horticulturists can plan ahead.
And I was speaking to a grape grower today who expressed - while he
would have liked to have better news - but as some people have said,
it didn't come as a surprise. I mean, the farmers pay close attention
to rainfall and stream flows.
But he was appreciative of getting the early warning, because it
enables him to plan ahead and there are measures that horticulturists
can take to put their trees, or some of their trees, in a condition
where they are able to survive with relatively small amounts of water.
CHRIS UHLMANN: Now Adelaide of course is at the end of the line. It
only has enough storage for 40 days. It relies very heavily on the
Murray. And as the River Murray level drops, of course the water will
become more saline. How much danger is there that Adelaide could be in
very dire straits by the end of winter?
MALCOLM TURNBULL: Adelaide, we are confident that Adelaide will have
enough water for the year ahead. And that's one of the functions of
this contingency planning. I mean, Adelaide is the, is the largest
city on the Murray.
The South Australians are going to have to make a decision about
whether to build the weir at Wellington, which will enable them to
create an addition weir pool between Wellington and Loch One at
Blanchetown.
So that is a decision they're going to have to take fairly shortly,
and I think the, while it all depends on the weather, I think the
chances of that being built, that decision being taken to build the
weir, are getting stronger.
CHRIS UHLMANN: Are other urban centres under even greater threat?
MALCOLM TURNBULL: Well there are a whole range of towns - and the
people who live in them would be well aware of the situation, because
their councils will be in touch with them - but there are a range of
towns in the southern basin that do have serious water challenges.
Those towns that are actually on the Murray itself should be right for
the year ahead, but there are some towns that are in, that have got
smaller catchments, dams that have run dry, that will face severe
water shortages.
CHRIS UHLMANN: How can it be that we are hearing stories that some
irrigators in Victoria bought water allocations for next year - up to
$40,000 worth - off their State Government only a matter of weeks ago?
How can that be happening?
MALCOLM TURNBULL: Well I... really you would have to address that to
John Thwaites, the Victorian Water Minister. I don't know enough about
the circumstances about that.
CHRIS UHLMANN: Would it surprise you that water allocations were still
being sold?
MALCOLM TURNBULL: Chris, I really, I'd rather you dealt with the
Victorians on that.
CHRIS UHLMANN: It's obvious, though, that given the situation that the
Murray Darling is in at the moment, that some of the stress has to be
taken off the river system there. You've put forward a $10-billion
plan, and part of that plan is to buy back water allocations. Isn't it
time that we saw a fairly large shakeout along the Murray Darling?
MALCOLM TURNBULL: Well, our $10-billion national plan for water
security is really the, a very comprehensive response to drought, to
water scarcity, to climate change, in fact. It is the largest
commitment ever made by a national government to efficient water use
in agriculture. It's really unprecedented.
Now, we're simply waiting for the Victorian Government to sign up, and
this, these grim prospects that we're looking at at the moment serve
as a reminder that we've got to stop politicking with water. This
needs national commitment, it needs substantial investment. We have to
make every drop count. And we have three out of four Murray Darling
basin States that have agreed to support John Howard in the national
plan for water security, and the Victorians should come on board.
CHRIS UHLMANN: But doesn't it mean also that the rural sector in
Australia now really has to change the way that it's been doing
business?
MALCOLM TURNBULL: Well, I think we've got to use water more
efficiently. You're right ... the, we have to assume that in the years
ahead we're going to have less water in the southern Murray-Darling
basin.
PETER CAVE: Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
EMAIL STORY
PM - Thursday, 19 April , 2007 18:18:00
Reporter: Chris Uhlmann
PETER CAVE: Australia's Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull, agrees
that the situation is extremely serious
He's been speaking to our Chief Political Correspondent, Chris
Uhlmann.
MALCOLM TURNBULL: Unless there is very heavy rain between now and mid-
May, will be, the prospect of starting the season with nil
allocations. And it's a, you know the prospects of significant
allocations to irrigation this year are very, very low.
CHRIS UHLMANN: How much damage will that do?
MALCOLM TURNBULL: Well, if there is no water available for irrigation
at all during the year, that will obviously cut production enormously.
It will, it has the potential of really making, well it has the
potential of causing a whole range of trees, of horticulture crops, to
basically to die.
CHRIS UHLMANN: And if they die, that's infrastructure, those are
products, those are crops that can't be replaced quickly or easily.
MALCOLM TURNBULL: That's right. It is a very serious, that's why it is
very serious, and why it's very important to get this information out
there now, so that horticulturists can plan ahead.
And I was speaking to a grape grower today who expressed - while he
would have liked to have better news - but as some people have said,
it didn't come as a surprise. I mean, the farmers pay close attention
to rainfall and stream flows.
But he was appreciative of getting the early warning, because it
enables him to plan ahead and there are measures that horticulturists
can take to put their trees, or some of their trees, in a condition
where they are able to survive with relatively small amounts of water.
CHRIS UHLMANN: Now Adelaide of course is at the end of the line. It
only has enough storage for 40 days. It relies very heavily on the
Murray. And as the River Murray level drops, of course the water will
become more saline. How much danger is there that Adelaide could be in
very dire straits by the end of winter?
MALCOLM TURNBULL: Adelaide, we are confident that Adelaide will have
enough water for the year ahead. And that's one of the functions of
this contingency planning. I mean, Adelaide is the, is the largest
city on the Murray.
The South Australians are going to have to make a decision about
whether to build the weir at Wellington, which will enable them to
create an addition weir pool between Wellington and Loch One at
Blanchetown.
So that is a decision they're going to have to take fairly shortly,
and I think the, while it all depends on the weather, I think the
chances of that being built, that decision being taken to build the
weir, are getting stronger.
CHRIS UHLMANN: Are other urban centres under even greater threat?
MALCOLM TURNBULL: Well there are a whole range of towns - and the
people who live in them would be well aware of the situation, because
their councils will be in touch with them - but there are a range of
towns in the southern basin that do have serious water challenges.
Those towns that are actually on the Murray itself should be right for
the year ahead, but there are some towns that are in, that have got
smaller catchments, dams that have run dry, that will face severe
water shortages.
CHRIS UHLMANN: How can it be that we are hearing stories that some
irrigators in Victoria bought water allocations for next year - up to
$40,000 worth - off their State Government only a matter of weeks ago?
How can that be happening?
MALCOLM TURNBULL: Well I... really you would have to address that to
John Thwaites, the Victorian Water Minister. I don't know enough about
the circumstances about that.
CHRIS UHLMANN: Would it surprise you that water allocations were still
being sold?
MALCOLM TURNBULL: Chris, I really, I'd rather you dealt with the
Victorians on that.
CHRIS UHLMANN: It's obvious, though, that given the situation that the
Murray Darling is in at the moment, that some of the stress has to be
taken off the river system there. You've put forward a $10-billion
plan, and part of that plan is to buy back water allocations. Isn't it
time that we saw a fairly large shakeout along the Murray Darling?
MALCOLM TURNBULL: Well, our $10-billion national plan for water
security is really the, a very comprehensive response to drought, to
water scarcity, to climate change, in fact. It is the largest
commitment ever made by a national government to efficient water use
in agriculture. It's really unprecedented.
Now, we're simply waiting for the Victorian Government to sign up, and
this, these grim prospects that we're looking at at the moment serve
as a reminder that we've got to stop politicking with water. This
needs national commitment, it needs substantial investment. We have to
make every drop count. And we have three out of four Murray Darling
basin States that have agreed to support John Howard in the national
plan for water security, and the Victorians should come on board.
CHRIS UHLMANN: But doesn't it mean also that the rural sector in
Australia now really has to change the way that it's been doing
business?
MALCOLM TURNBULL: Well, I think we've got to use water more
efficiently. You're right ... the, we have to assume that in the years
ahead we're going to have less water in the southern Murray-Darling
basin.
PETER CAVE: Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull.