Re: the drought
 

hi again

just thought i would share this with you. did anyone read the herald sun paper today?

the government wants to tax the rain water. so although you can get a rebate on the water tanks they might be taking that away from you with the tax on the amount of water your tank can hold.

as the comments said on the web page for the paper, next they will tax us for using the sun to heat our water and then the air that we breathe!!!!

Re: the drought
 

This might interest a few of you in Oz I for one will be shopping there on the 23rd....

On the 23 January 2007, Woolworths (Safeway) will be donating its entire supermarket's profits for the day to the drought relief. The funds will primarily be used by the CWA for immediate support for rural families with the remainder to help fund research into sustainable farming practices. This is expected to be in excess of $3 million dollars.

So if you do your normal shopping on the 23 January you will helping farming families who are current doing it tough.

Please pass this on to as many people as possible.

http://www.woolworths.com.au/woolwor...ht+reflief.asp

Re: the drought
 

WHAT?! :mad:

Re: the drought
 

Please tell me this is a " JOKE " they have got to be kidding !!!!!!!!! does it mean we will all be moving into Flats,townhouses,highrise apartments. anything to save water.

Re: the drought
 

That seems unlikely, seeing as they currently offer a tax rebate for rainwater tanks (see here).

I believe that more people would use RWTs if they could afford it. The government should increase the rebate and offer tax incentives to local businesses which switch to RWT. It also wouldn't hurt to get the RWT manufacturers involved.

They should take the same approach with grey water. Far too many people are wasting sparkly-clean tap water on their gardens and lawns. The government needs to encourage a shift towards domestic water recycling.

Re: the drought
 

It must be true Vash, the paper says this:

The idea was revealed in a leaked email seen by the Sunday Herald Sun. ;)

Here's the link to the story. http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sto...72-661,00.html

THE Bracks Government is outraged at a leaked federal proposal to tax rainwater collected from roofs

This one is interesting as well http://www.news.com.au/sundaytelegra...001021,00.html

Re: the drought
 

The size of those tanks makes the 500 litres I collect in the UK seem a bit paltry.

I hope they don't tax them. I want at least 5000 if not 10,000 litres in Oz so I can have the large vegetable garden and fruit trees I would like.

:beer:

Buzzy

Re: the drought
 

I can't see it happening especially after seeing the other report on people not getting them. They need to encourage people to be more water efficient so taxing rainwater tanks isn't a sensible thing to do.

Mmm, sensible - Government in same sentence. I really must think before I type :o :D

Re: the drought
 

Mmm, sensible - Government in same sentence. I really must think before I type :o :D[/QUOTE]


Exactly!!!!!! Sensible and Government aren't two words that really go together well :)

Re: the drought
 

Re: the drought
 

I like this bit, made me laugh :D

Meanwhile South Australian Premier Mike Rann has labelled any suggestion of a rainwater tax as ridiculous.
"It's about the dopiest idea I've heard during the silly season," he said.
"I mean we're going to have tax collectors singing 'rain drops keep falling on my head'.
"I mean this is just ridiculous, next they'll be thinking about taxing the air we breathe."

Re: the drought
 

Taxation: I can see the method in the madness (I like keeping my head when everyone around is losing their own and screaming lol) : at the end of the day, *if you live in a catchment area*, arguably water you catch could have gone into the public system for first come first serve use by anyone else for, possibly, vital activities. Water in tanks tends to get used for luxury reasons let's face it especially if those tank owners are on mains as well.

but it is a daft idea.

We're getting a 7000l and a 2500l tank installed quite soon with electric pump. Tanks are on back order across the state, but my wife knows the wife of the local tankman and he came around personally in exchange for morning tea. Report to follow.

Next year sees the installation of a firefighting pump - we will have in excess of 45,000l of water to defend our home.

Re: the drought
 

I don't think it make much difference, after all the water being caught is only on the roof so it's a tiny percentage.

Our 11500 L tanks was filled with the recent rain but the creek on out property is still bone dry (think that flows into North pine Dam).

I think in pine rivers all new houses have to install a rain tank that hooked up to at least one indoor device (toilet, washing machine).

Re: the drought
 

the thing is though, if you're subsequently using the caught rain water to water your garden then the water IS being returned to the environment.

Would you then be elegible for a rebate? :rolleyes:

:beer:

Buzzy