Spot on... I"m with you on this, and I've been here 26 years... Actually into my 27th tomorrow.

I'm the only one around my area with a Green lawn, and thats because I'm the only one that can be bothered to link up my Washing machine to a big black pipe to get that sense of lushness that I seem to need.


This Drought situation is really making me think my position here.

Happy anniversary

I totally agree with you. I like it here and I am ready to buy a house but a part of me is constantly thinking about how it can all turn out.

The news and papers may be trying to just get the biggest headlines, and there may have been worse droughts in the past, but it doesn't get away from the fact that some of the major dams in Victoria are hugely under capacity at present and the fact that we are about to enter 2007 and we are still having similar problems that we had in the 1900's!!!!!

We're in Brisbane & on level 4 restrictions:scared:
I can't help wondering how long our supplies will last. When we came in Feb, dam levels were about 30% I think, & now they're about 23%:scared:
Can't believe the aussies don't want to re-cycle etc. Long term forcast scares me senseless. We've just bought a house & have thses doom & gloom thoughts of us ending up with a worthless piece of Oz, bone dry & everyone moving back to UK !

Hate to tell you this but that 'never ending supply' under the ground WILL in fact run out if you do not watch your consumption. Its fed via the drainage through the earths layers. hence no rain no refill, It may seem like a never ending supply but as they say on the add, 'it won't happen overnight ..but it WILL happen'

we too have a spring fed bore, beautiful water, crystal clear and icy cold, an although we could asume we do not need to watch our use of water, living in a rural area we are totally aware of the need to be frugla with it. I live in a high rainfall area Gippsland actually, have been in this location for the last 7 years , 28 yrs in oz, diary country, never seen it this dry, and dams so low. We recycle the waste water from our showers and washing machine onto some of our paddocks to keep some green pick for our stock and to reduce dust around the place a little.
We then travel into the city area, and here they are out their watering their lawns washing their cars, hosing their houses, then they complain about restrictions and want water from the country areas to be shipped into the city areas, for their use. Where the hell do they think their food comes from, it needs water to be grown, raised and fed etc. No water in the country equals no food or very expensive food in the supermarkets folks.
Just because you have what appears to be surplus supply your lordship please don't disrespect it.

My wifes uncle reminded me that there were a lot more dust storms, which equates to the ground being dryer in 1983, most towns in Victoria experienced these, even Melbourne. More livestock was culled as well.

The Catchment dams have remained exactly the same, since that year, with none being added, However the population has gone up by at least 10 to 15 pct.

I dont think the state will run out of water as such, as they can import it, the most likely emergency route for this would be 500,000 ton Supertankers filling up dams in Gippsland with water from the west coast of Tasmania, where there is a massive surplus. What this does mean though is we will be on stage 4 restrictions indefinitly here in Vic, unless something unforseen happens, like abundant rains.

Question is do people want to live in a brown enviornment, without prospect of it getting better, with stage 4 restrictions compounding the problem, or would they prefer cold wet and crowded conditions of the UK. Personally I think it's a close call.

BTW.. My 27 Anniversary in this country is in August 2007... I'm just into my 27th year ...2007... as from NYD.

can you use bore water on your gardens as much as you like or only on your watering days (Perth) as a neighbour has it on more than on his watering day, thanks Paul.

Considering how long the drought has been going for (more than 7 years in some places), I would have thought is testimony to having a decent water infrastructure throughout the country.

True there has been little spent on infrastructure in the past 20 years which isnt so bright given the population increase (especially SE QLD).

Given the period of the current OZ drought how would the UK cope in a drought of the same duration http://www.midkentwater.co.uk/drought/ ?

WW

l think l read somewhere if OZ built a large nuclear powered desalination plant it would solve all of OZ's water problems, just pump the treated sea water into the Murray and other rivers

I think this weather pattern known as drought, is just a natural part of this countries natural cycle. They have coped far better in the past than they have this time around. With barely any restrictions in the major cities, from memory I think it only got as far as stage 2, or Hosepipe bans. This time around people cant even wash cars, and the levels are still depleting.

The situation needs a radical cure, like the Nuclear desalination plant, however it's got to get a lot worse before the masses realise we will have to go down that path or similar. Thats the annoying part, it's inevitable and no amount of conservation will fix the problem. They are now urging people in Ballarat to shower once every two days.... Great fix guys, I suppose when that is the norm, thats when people will demand a quantam level fix.

I just wish they would get on with it.

I gather that there are other things the utils can do - as in the next few years - we're not dry yet. The utils do have limited plans up their sleeve - but we need a better plan going forward and sustainable, alternative resources.

DO IT MR HOWARD. MAKE IT LOOK LIKE YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING..

I think we all need to take a bit of responsibility.
I know it's late, but I think the QLD govt are getting into the swing of things now. We live in the burbs, and are now proud owners of a water tank. It's only a small one, but it's a start. We also took advantage of the Home Waterwise Service, which was a bleedin bargain. Best $20 we ever spent! We got a choice of 4 showerheads, all in either white or chrome, plus leaky taps fixed and those pressure thingies installed.
J

[QUOTE=ozzieeagle;4237809]I think this weather pattern known as drought, is just a natural part of this countries natural cycle. QUOTE]

The usual weather pattern is have a couple of cyclones on both coasts. The WA side brings rain to the centre while the QLD become rain depressions and heads south. A quick way to fill dams and rivers and towns That hasnt happened in a loooong time.

Then the complaints will follow about fixing up the rivers to stop floods.

WW

What OZ should do, as it has the world largest supply of uranium it would be cheap to built 10 large nuclear desalination palnts around the country, capable of treating billions of litres of sea water, pump billions of litres into the outback flooding it , turning the desert green, plant millions of trees in the outback , help solving global warming and this may cool OZ's climate a bit and create more rainfall over OZ, also pump billions of litres into the snowy river system in the Victorian Alps which will get the river Murray and other rivers flowing to full capcity and also full of all the resoviours.

I'll take that one personally as it was me that started the 7-seater thread . (back in May before there was too much talk of drought).



Buzzy

If feasible, this would be a bloody good idea. Maybe you should email it to senior pollies on both sides of the camp...seriously.