<
https://theconversation.com/money-for-dams-dries-up-as-good-water-management-finally-makes-it-into-a-federal-budget-193380>
"A story from the early days of the Abbott government still circulates in the
halls of Parliament House.
The government’s Expenditure Review Committee apparently supported then
Minister for Agriculture Barnaby Joyce’s first A$500 million budget funding for
the National Party’s dam-building plans, over then Treasurer Joe Hockey’s
objections. Hockey reputedly said to Joyce “good luck with that, I don’t think
you’ll build one of them”. If true then Joe, take a cigar.
In our land of drought and flooding rains, better water management should
feature in every federal budget. Thankfully, the budget handed down by
Treasurer Jim Chalmers on Tuesday delivers it.
It slashes spending on big dams and elevates the role of science in water
decision-making. It also positions Labor to undertake further reform in the
Murray-Darling Basin by buying back more water from farmers to improve the
health of the rivers, and manage the impacts of climate change.
These measures promise to deliver more sustainable use of water in Australia’s
most economically important and exploited river system. But they also buy a
fight with some quarters of the farming community, and the New South Wales and
Victorian governments."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
