For our two minute spot at our last meeting Stephen Woodhead shared his experience in travelling with representatives of the Ministry of the Environment, Local Government NZ and Regional Councils, to Australia to investigate water management. They visited the Murray Darling Basin and Stephen shared the issues that have developed due to the over allocation of water to every farm that could access it in the 1980s.
Water is now not allocated to the land and anyone can buy it. It can be sold from one person to another. The social implications were not considered and the government has now stepped in to buy "water for the environment". The feeling was that trading water has been a social disaster, good for some individuals but debilitating for other farmers. He also reported that the quality of the water is very poor. Stephen also reported that the technology was really behind what is happening in New Zealand. Perhaps Australian officials should come to New Zealand to see how water is managed here?
I found the following story on the internet:
Murray Darling plan doomed to fail unless more water earmarked for conservation, scientists warn
A GROUP of worried scientists are calling on more to be done to ensure the health of a vital network of rivers that covers much of Australia.
