I'm surprised there isn't already a centre similar to the Centre for Alternative Technology in Machynlleth, Wales but with the emphasis on water. If it exists, I have found it yet. A kind of sustainable usage water centre with courses and demonstrations of collection techniques, treatment, recycling, innovative useage etc, etc. Just like CAT, it could be developed and promoted as not just a fun activity park for kids (and adults) but as a learning centre for sustainable and innovative practices.

We have a similar enterprise that is quite well known here in Victoria, It's in the next suburb along from me in Brunswick, It's community based, and does courses in all sorts of enviormental areas. They are doing Bio Diesel courses at present.


I've love getting down there amongs the Hippies and chatting about Nuclear power

http://www.ceres.org.au/index1024x768.htm

Thanks but no thanks. I'll stay.
At least it will be quiet

WW

this is what i found, i know its from 2003 but it does paint a bad picture. i am all for helping out other countries but is it not better to get your own country ok first.

http://www.ausaid.gov.au/hottopics/t...1736_6372_3373

i mean $31 million could have been spent here on water saving schemes. but oh no the government would rather tax me then give my money to another country.

do they not care about the place they live in?

i guess most people have heard the advert on the radio where the woman says that we can report people for dropping litter because this is our home!!!

its just a pity we cant report the toss pot in charge of our water to anyone else!!!! unless i convert my religion to a higher power!!!!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6121288.stm

have a read about these people and we think we have it bad. imagine having a shower with your wife/husband turning the shower off cos its over 5 mins and you still have shampoo in your hair/eyes/bum!!!!

Thanks for that link. They are quite general in their approach with water playing only a small part.

The day that the following happens I will either move to another part of Aussie, or Move back to the UK.... I'm serious as well.

"Obviously with the showering, we have to time the shower," says Joanne. "You have to be really careful with the washing machine. Clothes that aren't too dirty just go back in the drawer. And then there's a garden. Well, we haven't got a garden any more. We've just accepted the fact that we will never again have a nice green lush lawn."


I've got Aussie freinds here, that are proud of their mulch covered brown gardens. You go around for a BBQ and there is hardly anything Green in sight, whilst they bang on about how they dont have to water anything. Problem is with that kind of outlook, along comes Dust and flies. Anyone that thinks dust and flies accompanied by copious amounts of heat is attractive has a totally different outlook to me. You walk around in one of these gardens and create a dust trail behind you... Fair dinkum. It's bloody horrible. Problem is I think it's the way of the future here in the Dry Northern subs of Melbourne at least.

There is a New development here called Highlands on the Hume just north of Craigeburn, it's full of really big luxurious houses on large large blocks on a hill with clear expansive city views. It was this development that brought home to me the effect of this dry part of Aussie. If it were in California where they manage to capture the water particuarly around LA where rain is a novelty, it would be a paradise with lush palms and hedges, bit like a part of Beverly hills, What do we get, Brown brown barren bloody brown. It looks so bloody barren that its upsetting to drive past.

WAKE UP AUSTRALIA.

Probably rains a lot less in LA than it does here in Melbourne, yet apparently it's as green as eden.

Believe it or not it rains less in London than it does in Melbourne!



Buzzy

just another quick point to all the people who MIGHT have read this post.

after reading on what people have posted about this topic, i would have thought it would have had more views and more posts seeing how this affects all of us.!!!

i mean people are still asking questions about how much much money they will get for a job, how much money they need to survive on, like $70000 is not enough!!!

what the weather is like here, what kind of spiders are going to eat them in the night!!!!,

it just doesnt matter what happens if there is no water and we all have to leave or we have to have a shower every 3 days or there is no water to drink and we have a tap at the end of the road.

its like we went to look at building a house in a section of point cook and when i asked about the grass at the front i was told in no certain terms that i had to have one, even if we went to level 4. once i started to build my house i had to a green lawn.

now it didnt matter that i couldnt water it so long as there was a bit of green at the front and im not talking about the council strip either.

i would have to pay for a bit of green grass that would have only lasted a few weeks till it got burnt, how stupid are the planners to insist this.? thats why we didnt build there and are still renting. i would have preferred a rock garden at the front!!!!

Obviously the water shortage is an extremely serious problem, and worries those living there and those planning on living there.

However, to suggest that it should be the only topic of conversation on this forum, and that those who do discuss other things (which may be incredibly important to them too - no good finding a worthwhile and feasible solution to the drought if you can't afford to live there, can't transport your family about or you get eaten in the night by a giant spider, is there?) are somehow.. lacking.. is a bit... hmmm.

There's also a limit to how much an individual can do, AS an individual. It would be marvellous if the entire population of Australia started being water aware - but it is probably going to take a major Government initiative to produce definable results.

Lynne

i never did suggest that this should be the only post on here, all im saying is that people dont seem to have an idea whats going on here. we all know that there are questions on this website that should never be asked, that to be honest, are very stupid ones.

what im saying is that the water situation is so dire at the moment that people should be asking where the water is coming from instead of what car they should get cos they want a really big one and they are bringing lots of money over here so they can get the biggest house. as someone else has said whats the point of coming over if we all have to have 2 showers a week and all the parks are brown. etc etc.

from what i have read on this website from this post nobody seems to be bothered to much about it. i thought, when i wrote this, i would have gotten a lot of questions/answers but not that many people came forward.

but i must say thanks to the people who actually came and said sensible things. its made me think my position in this country as i write this.

Apparently there is a strong theory that El Nino (the mechanism that drives the drought) has peaked, and there could be a lot of rain after the end of February.... Mind you I'll beleive that when I see it. So hang in there TD.

Governments also tend to react to this kind of problem very slowly, I'm sure in the long term there will be a solution to the water shortage, problem is that solution could be over 10 years away.

Yup, Sydney has way more too, 48" pa against 29" pa...

There are trigger points at which the different restriction levels are introduced.

The article I read said that the water loss was for all fresh water not for that which is under management.

They probably ignored the cost of nuclear power which is only cheap and clean if you ignore some of the major costs and the radioactive waste. It would also take a long time to build.

The money would be better spent on better storage, loss reduction and recycling.