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News and activities of the CCWPL in 2007

November

ABC Riverland SA (Renmark) Morning Show
Morning Show, Tuesday, 27/11/2007, 08:36AM
Interviewed by: Bronwyn Flemming
Interviewee: Professor Jennifer McKay

Some irrigators are claiming that it is the Government's fault there is not enough water and are considering legal action. Professor Jennifer McKay says as a matter of law they are not entitled to compensation and they do not have a right back for the loss of their water. They can get assistance through EC. The person on the land has limited rights. There is a difference between the moral and legal situations. The value of water is over valued and now there is an adjustment being made by land owners and bankers.

In relation to irrigators taking class action they will have to prove fault with the Government. All the Acts of Parliament support the present action and compensation is only paid if fault can be proven. In ground water situations there may a better case for over allocation. Now we have a Labor Government McKay says that Mr Rudd has said some good things but not much detail but it is likely he will get more support from the State Governments.

September

Murray Irrigators consider legal action over water
Interviewed by: Belinda Varischetti 
Interviewees: Jennifer McKay, Professor of Business Law, University of South Australia

Discussion about Murray irrigators considering legal action over water allocation with Professor Jennifer McKay, University of South Australia. The Minister has always been given power to take away water allocations when an environmental problem arises according to McKay. She thinks irrigators should be requesting Exceptional Circumstances funding from the Federal Government. McKay calls for farmers to be adequately compensated so they remain on the land and manage it.

To plant or not to plant ... that is the decision currently facing South Australian annual irrigators
With only 13% of their water allocation and little prospect of rejuvenating rain, things are looking pretty grim and the window to decide the fate of the permanent plantings is a matter of weeks. Growers are starting to talk about compensation but for now their priority is survival watering. As the season progresses could legal action be the solution?

Jennifer McKay is Professor of Business Law at the University of South Australia. Her area of research is water law reform and how to manage the allocation of water between competing uses and between competing jurisdictions. In this report: Ian Zadow, Chair of the South Australian Murray Irrigators and potato grower; Jennifer McKay, Professor of Business Law, University of South Australia.

Full Story
For further information, visit www.mup.unimelb.edu.au

Is water a resource or is it the source? Is it something to be consumed or does it have a life of its own?

Recent histories of environ-mental misunderstanding and exploitation shadow our current regime of water management and use. While governments grapple with how to respond to widespread drought, the situation worsens.

There is something amiss in current approaches to water.

A timely collection of essays, Fresh Water - New Perspectives on Water in Australia, addresses the critical and contentious issue of water in Australia today and suggests a need to radically rethink our relationship with this fundamental substance.

July

Cunliffe says a national study will look at the safety of drinking rainwater. He says 300 families are sought. He says they will be given filters and health will be studied over a year. He says half of the filters work and the other half do not. Whitelock says UniSA did a similar study. Cunliffe says this study is rigorous and there will be no bias whatsoever. Karen says she has always drunk rainwater and wants to prove there is nothing wrong with it.

Whitelock says Coombes feels rainwater tanks have become the new political football. Coombes says rainwater tanks are the frontline for sorting out institutional arrangements for supplying water in the modern age. He says all State Governments earn large dividends from their water monopolies. Cunliffe says Port Pirie residents are advised to not drink rainwater because of the lead smelters. He says SA households have a higher than average amount of rainwater tanks. Coombes says his rainwater system supplies his entire house and has paid for itself three times over in the last six years. He says his research has been funded by Bluescope Steel.

Jean says she has been drinking rainwater for 65yrs and there is nothing wrong with it. She says she hates the chlorine in mains water. Marita says she uses rainwater for washing and to flush the toilet. She says she always boils it before drinking it. Cunliffe says it is not necessary to boil it. Whitelock says Grant Cameron will be speaking to Water Minister Karlene Maywald on Drive.

Interview: ABC 891 Adelaide (Adelaide) Afternoons - 24/07/2007 - 01:16 PM Carole Whitelock
This program or part thereof is syndicated to 5 station/s

Interviewees: Dr David Cunliffe, Principal Water Quality Adviser, South Australian Department of Health; Dr Peter Coombes, Uni of Newcastle; Karen, taking part in study; various callers

We have been talking about the standoff between the Federal and Victorian Governments over the control of the Murray Darling Basin. Peter Ryan, Victorian Nationals leader explains this issue will be on Victoria's head and says Victoria hasn’t negotiated in good faith. Ryan explains 14,000 people signed a petition within 5 days about the north south pipeline project and the VFF have withdrawn their support for it as well.

Interview: ABC Gippsland (Sale) Mornings - 25/07/2007 - 09:36 AM, Gerard Callinan

Interviewees: Peter Ryan, Victorian Nationals Leader

Mentions: Jennifer McKay, University of SA, Craig Ingram, Vic Gippsland East MP, Franklin River, Federal Election, John Howard, PM, Central Region Document, National Water Plan,; Malcolm Turnbull, Federal Water Minister, Goulburn System, Macalister System, Peter Beattie, QLD Premier, Mike Rann, SA Premier, Morris Iemma, NSW Premier, Kevin Rudd, ALP Leader

The book is having two launches: one in Adelaide and one in Melbourne. The Melbourne launch is Aug 20 at Readings Bookshop, Carlton; the Adelaide launch is Aug 31, Uni SA.

Fresh water new perspectives on Water in Australia (PDF 213kb)

May

Extract: Amman, Jordan May 15, 2007: In a concerted effort to assist the Government of Iraq in developing its institutional water management capacity, the Iraq office of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is organizing an extensive three-day conference in Amman, Jordan that will establish a vision for the water sector in the country.

The principal aim of the conference is to spotlight the major challenges to the water sector in Iraq and propose a course of action that includes identifying a long term strategy, strong coordination mechanisms and sound policies for water resource management.

March

When: Monday March 5th
Where: Hutt St Library Community Meeting Room Upstairs, 235 Hutt St.
Attendees:
Julie Pettett CEO CCSA
Chris Ball Project Manager, Marine Department CCSA
Paul Hastings NRM Facilitator
Jamnes Danenberg, Campaigner CCSA
Mel Rees Project Officer, CCSA, MLR SEW RP
Josh Coates, Fish, Sharks & Rays Project Officer CCSA
Jasemin Rose (part day) Chair CCSA Planning Working Group
Georgie Greene Scientific Officer NCSSA
Peter Owen Campaign Co-ordinator TWS
Dr Arlene Buchan ACF

AGENDA
10.00am Introduction and Welcome - Julie Pettett, CCSA CEO
10.30am CSIRO - Prof. Ian Prosser
11.00am DWALBC - Andrew Johnson
11.30am SA WATER - Chris Marles
12.00 DEH - Russell Seaman
12.30pm NRM Council - Dr Jennifer McKay
1.00pm LUNCH
1.45pm Thank You and Farewell to Guests
2.00pm Strategic Discussion for CCSA staff
3.45pm Pack up
4.00pm Close.

Prof McKay has been nominated to take on the prestigious role of being a judge for the Exceptional Volunteer Contribution to NRM Research Award category of the 2007 Premier’s Natural Resources Management Awards.

An innovative volunteer project that showcases and encourages the efforts of forward thinking, innovative volunteers and the agencies that provide good volunteer support. The result will be powerful collaborative outcomes, increasing NRM knowledge and community capacity building.

February

Exploring legal, financial and risk management issues
When: Friday 2 March 2007
What Time: from 9:00am to 5:30pm
Where: L'Aqua, Terrace Level, Cockle Bay Wharf, Darling Harbour, Sydney
How to Register: http://www.legalwiseseminars.com.au/product_details.asp?prodID=11804
Organisers: Legalwise Seminars http://www.legalwiseseminars.com.au/home.asp

January

Presentation Details:
The Presentation will be given on
Friday, 12th of January, 2007
from 2:00pm – 4:00pm
Rowland Rees Building
RR5:09
UniSA, City West Campus
 

Dr. Yadava will be giving a presentation including an overview of India’s water resources and many of the issues that India is faced with in managing both their surface and ground water. The presentation will include details of current strategies targeting the highlighted problems. There will be an extensive opportunity for questions and answers and general dialogue.

About the Speaker: Master in Science from Banaras Hindu University, Ph.D. from IIT Bombay. Guided students for M.Tech. and Ph.D. Thesis. Executed large number of research projects in the area of water resources.
Awards: Received various fellowship, Raman Research Award in Hydrology, etc.
Publications: Published research papers in journals of International repute.

In his Australia Day Address today, the Prime Minister John Howard announced a 10 billion dollar, 10-point plan to overhaul the management of Australia's water resources. 

The Australian Science Media Centre has collated a range of reactions from water experts around the country.  Further information on the Prime Minister's plan is available at: www.pm.gov.au/docs/national_plan_water_security.pdf . 

Feel free to use these quotes in your stories or if you want to interview one of these experts, contact the AusSMC on (08) 8207 7415 or email us at info@aussmc.org

Any further quotes will be posted on our website as soon as they are available at www.aussmc.org 

Professor Gary Jones is Chief Executive of eWater Cooperative Research Centre
“Mr Howard has put forward a bold and well-funded plan that offers a way forward for the better use and management of water in inland Australia. The plan provides significant funding for water science and technology, especially in the measurement, monitoring and reporting of water resources data.

Nevertheless, it is important that the needs of the environment are not forgotten with the ever increasing focus on new infrastructure and efficient water use. It would be an opportunity missed if our rivers and wetlands do not get the lion’s share of the 50% of recovered water that is to be retained by the Commonwealth from funded water savings.

Further, the water resources of northern Australia are outstanding ecological assets, and we must make wise choices about where and how they are developed - we should not repeat the mistakes made in exploiting the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB) in the past.
The Prime Minister's new plan will give further impetus to eWater CRC's model development work in water systems operations and ecological management.”

Professor Tally Palmer is Director of the Institute for Water and Environmental Resource Management at the University of Technology, Sydney

"The Prime Minister’s plan begs significant questions, for instance;

- Will the new plan mean a move to environmental flows linked to clear environmental outcomes? The NWI needs to have very strong water resource protection implementation if the Prime Minister¹s goal of 'returning our river and groundwater systems to environmental health' is to be realised.

- Can we challenge the PM to expand on solving over-allocation of the Murray Darling - does he mean the river gets some its own water back as well as equitable sharing among users?

The PM notes the need for, and commitment to water development in the North
- is there an equal commitment to ensuring that this development is sustainable?

If I had one suggestion for the PM, it would be for the government to look at the South African model of the Water Research Commission and consider serious commitment to water research in engineering, science and social science so we manage this resource with the best possible information, knowledge and wisdom. Australia may have limited water resource, but it is rich in innovation and excellent water researchers who are able to translate research into practical solutions to problems."

Gary Foley is Acting Director of Meteorology at the Bureau of Meteorology

"The Bureau of Meteorology welcomes the government's announcement and appreciates the recognition by government of the Bureau's ability to develop the rigorous and nationally-consistent water monitoring network that they consider necessary in support of good decision-making. The Bureau recognises the challenges ahead in achieving this goal but it is very much looking forward to the task."

Jennifer McKay is Professor of business law at the University of South Australia’s Centre for Comparative Water Policies and Law."

 The main new idea is to demand transfer of power from the states to the Commonwealth over water in the Murray Darling Basin. This overcomes the constitutional constraint imposed by Section 100 inserted by NSW and Victoria at Federation as they were scared of Commonwealth power. Hence this mechanism of transfer of power is an elegant solution to Section 100 and has been used before in relation to de facto children and the Family law act."

Associate Professor Hector Malano is an irrigation engineer with the CRC for Irrigation Futures (CRCIF) and Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Melbourne.

"Investment in irrigation infrastructure is desirable, however, investment has to be carefully targeted and we need to be able to ascertain cost effectiveness of this investment in minimising water losses. In order to be able to quantify the cost effectiveness, we need to have in place appropriate accounting systems for water. The existing systems are not really adequate to quantify the water savings that may arise from this water saving investment.

It is also important to emphasise that as well as investment in infrastructure we need to invest in implementation of more comprehensive accounting infrastructure. Current infrastructure for accounting is inappropriate and inadequate to pick up eventual savings that may occur from this investment. As well as infrastructure, we should invest in improved water accounting systems."

Dr Wayne Meyer is Chief Scientist at CRCIF. He is an internationally recognised irrigation scientist with experience in crop water requirements and salinity management in irrigated regions."

A major and systematic plan to improve on-farm irrigation technology across a range of irrigated commodity production systems in Australia is very welcome. This can build on the very considerable investment that has been going on in many irrigated regions. The program has the promise of greatly speeding up adoption of more water control and its management. Work in the CRCIF clearly shows that to ensure the maximum benefit from this program will require not only technology but commitment to improve management skills and ongoing service levels in regions. Both public and private sector interests and institutions will need to be involved.

The need for complete and improved metering of all water use is a critical part of improving our irrigation management. Making best use of existing and new technology to control water and achieve optimal economic crop yields needs accurate measurement. The commitment to improve metering of both surface water and groundwater is really important because of the critical linkage between these waters particularly in irrigated regions."

Shahbaz Khan is Professor of Water Hydrology at Charles Sturt University (CSU)

"In addressing once and for all water over-allocation in the MDB we need to analyse spatial, water availability, allocation use and productivity on a catchment by catchment basis and this initiative will be very effective in bringing the balance between rural water use and the environment if it is implemented in the right places. Regional communities need to be fully consulted, involved and be provided with the right level of compensation for water and structural adjustments.

The sustainable cap on surface and groundwater use in the Basin is a very welcome initiative in terms of recognising surface and groundwater as a single resource. Balancing the consumptive and environmental use from surface and groundwater is only possible if the short and long term water balance of surface and groundwater is factored in the cap, taking on board water balance impacts of climate change, bush fires, improved irrigation efficiency and farm dams. Development and management of such a cap will need to be underpinned by independent scientific evidence of exchange rates between these two sources, both within and outside the irrigation area under a range of scenarios."

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