Soooooo, how's this weather?

[The Sleeping Giant]

Could swear you mentioned growing cotton and rice in nt.

Any crops of that nature will destroy a river up here. The amount of money made from those crops is nothing compared to the fishing and tourism these rivers create. Every 2nd person up here has a boat. Start ruining the fishing up here, and you might as well give this land away to foreign countries.

This government already is, they're trying to flog Cubbie to the Chinese as we speak!

It's been sold mate, with the support of the Liberal party. The Liberal party could have done something about it when they were in power, but chose to exploit the food needs in China and India.

[CENTURION]

I believe it hasn't settled yet.

[therisingblues]

That won't help the orchards on the riverland, nor the farmers on the lower Murray. I imagine the potential economic benefits would be huge if we could add enough water to SA, Vic and NSW.

bump. yes it will, if we grow cotton & rice in the NT & northern WA

My spider senses are telling me Centurion wants me to ask "how?"

[therisingblues]

Come on Centurion! How does growing rice and cotton in the top end possibly help us southerners along the Murray?
Tell me! You know you want to.

[Psyber]

Come on Centurion! How does growing rice and cotton in the top end possibly help us southerners along the Murray?
Tell me! You know you want to.

It may if it pushes the Queenslanders further south out of the market I guess...

[The Sleeping Giant]

Like I said before, it would have to be foreign companies and foreign labour growing and harvesting, because no one up here is going to do that type of work.

[CENTURION]

Come on Centurion! How does growing rice and cotton in the top end possibly help us southerners along the Murray?
Tell me! You know you want to.

I didn't think I needed to answer, but that rarified air in the land of the rising sun must be muddling your thought process.
Less water taken from the rivers upstream means the farmers AND the wetlands/Coorong get more water downstream.
Once again, watch the DVD.

[therisingblues]

Come on Centurion! How does growing rice and cotton in the top end possibly help us southerners along the Murray?
Tell me! You know you want to.

I didn't think I needed to answer, but that rarified air in the land of the rising sun must be muddling your thought process.
Less water taken from the rivers upstream means the farmers AND the wetlands/Coorong get more water downstream.
Once again, watch the DVD.

Oh I see. By advocating more rice and cotton on different river systems in Australia, you were also proposing we close down Cubbie.
Yes less farms upstream would mean more water downstream. But how much? I remember headlines from the early eighties saying the Murray mouth had dried up. Was there a Cubbie back then? I think our water problems run beyond Cubbie. Therefore the tunnel irrigation scheme is a needed exercise.

[CENTURION]

WATCH THE BLOODY DVD & LISTEN TO THE EXPERTS, THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE!

[The Sleeping Giant]

Cubbie station bought the water licenses of nearby farms. So even if there wasn't one big farm, there would be 10 smaller farms using the water.

[therisingblues]

WATCH THE BLOODY DVD & LISTEN TO THE EXPERTS, THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE!

Sure, could you drop it off say, after work today?

[Roxy the Rat Girl]

Water pipeline transfer from Northern to Southern Australia is technically feasible but the price per litre at the end point in order to cover the cost of pumping over such a vast distance and over mountain ranges (in some places) would be far more expensive than what we currently pay. This is of course with current technologies, and new innovation may reduce this cost.

As Sleeping Giant said, taking water from Northern Rivers could stuff up the extensive fisheries up there. Fresh water flowing out to sea is not wasted as is all too frequently reported in the media, it mixes with sea water to create highly productive estuarine environments with a large diversity of habitats. This attracts a large number of marine species to feed and sporn, and houses the hatcheries of these species. As such, they are areas of intense marine activity. A case in point was the colapse (and contamination) of Coorong and Goolwa Cockle stocks during the period 2008 to 2010 when no fresh water flows went through the Murray Mouth as a consequence of the Drought. No Cockles = reduced feeding for some fish spcies and therefore reduced fish stocks. This has impacts upon society as it affects commercial and recreational anglers, the tourism industry, and many small and medium business who provide goods and services to fishers and tourists. When added up, the amount of money and employment generated from fishing and tourism is considerable and should be seriously considered in any debates over water and who or what should use it.

[therisingblues]

Thank you Roxy, it sounds as though you have some knowledge of factors pertaining to this issue.
I like the "technically feasible" statement, but I just want to clear something up, couldn't we just pump the water into the river systems up north, and then allow those rivers to carry the water down south? Granted it'd be very expensive still, but if we balance that expense against the economic benefits, which you point out extends beyond dry land and includes fisheries and as such also tourism, would it be feasible? The NSW, Vic, SA and federal governments would cover most of the cost, and it'd provide employment directly related to the project and the various industries that'd benefit from it (including real estate I imagine Centution).

[The Sleeping Giant]

Good point you raise about real estate there.

[therisingblues]

I think a lot of industries would get a boost from extra fresh water down the Murray. A few years back a lot of riverland orchard owners went out of business during a drought. I'm guessing that the entire community and probably every industry in it suffered as a result.

[The Sleeping Giant]

I think someone may have a vested interest in real estate on the Murray. ;-)

[CENTURION]

WATCH THE BLOODY DVD & LISTEN TO THE EXPERTS, THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE!

Sure, could you drop it off say, after work today?

FUKUOKA

[fish]

Hottest month on record, final figures highlight climate extremes

Australia recorded its hottest month on record in January 2013, with both the average mean temperature of 29.68°C and the average mean maximum temperature of 36.92°, surpassing previous records set in January 1932.

The Northern Territory recorded 31.93°C and Queensland 30.75°C, also the hottest mean temperature on record for January for both states.

The heatwave in the first half of January was exceptional in its extent and duration. The national average maximum temperature on 7 January was the highest on record. Numerous stations set records for the most days in succession above 40°C, including Alice Springs (17 days) and Birdsville (31 days).

A large number of stations set all-time record high temperatures during the January heatwave, including Sydney (45.8°C on 18 January) and Hobart (41.8°C on 4 January). The highest temperature recorded during the heatwave was at Moomba in South Australia (49.6°C on 12 January).

Late January saw extreme rainfall and flooding for coastal areas of Queensland and New South Wales as a low pressure system associated with ex-tropical cyclone Oswald tracked steadily south between 22 and 29 January, before moving out to sea south of Sydney.

[therisingblues]

WATCH THE BLOODY DVD & LISTEN TO THE EXPERTS, THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE!

Sure, could you drop it off say, after work today?

FUKUOKA

Hey! That's a place name, not a sentence!

[The Sleeping Giant]

[url=http://www.bom.gov.au/announcements/media_releases/ho/20130201.shtml]Hottest month on record, final figures highlight climate extremes[/url]

Australia recorded its hottest month on record in January 2013, with both the average mean temperature of 29.68°C and the average mean maximum temperature of 36.92°, surpassing previous records set in January 1932.

The Northern Territory recorded 31.93°C and Queensland 30.75°C, also the hottest mean temperature on record for January for both states.

The heatwave in the first half of January was exceptional in its extent and duration. The national average maximum temperature on 7 January was the highest on record. Numerous stations set records for the most days in succession above 40°C, including Alice Springs (17 days) and Birdsville (31 days).

A large number of stations set all-time record high temperatures during the January heatwave, including Sydney (45.8°C on 18 January) and Hobart (41.8°C on 4 January). The highest temperature recorded during the heatwave was at Moomba in South Australia (49.6°C on 12 January).

Late January saw extreme rainfall and flooding for coastal areas of Queensland and New South Wales as a low pressure system associated with ex-tropical cyclone Oswald tracked steadily south between 22 and 29 January, before moving out to sea south of Sydney.

The territory and Queensland can be explained by the late monsoon, which is very unpredictable. Expect the territory to have an above average Feb also, as the monsoon won't arrive until later this month. Ex cyclone Oswald going straight down the coast was very freakish. Wouldn't happen again for 100 years.