Something having value does not make it neo-liberalism - I value many things such as life, the environment, etc. but that does not make me a neo-liberal as I do not view those things through the prism of profit. Believing that the market fixes all and that the only determiner of value is whether profit can be made is neo-liberalism.
And yes values are individual. Those whose thoughts and instincts revolve around greed see monetary value in everything - if there’s no money to be made then there is no value. Possibly an explanation why such a supposedly rich country as Australia has such a huge homeless problem - can’t make a profit off the homeless.
Values can also change due to circumstance. A city person who has never experienced a dry tap will value water differently walking through a desert with an empty water bottle.
The current water market situation is definitely a neo-liberal problem however. Speculators who have no need for the water for sale can invest, water rights to fresh water on the southern continent of Australia are held by companies in the northern hemisphere of the planet, and farmers along the Murray watch water flow by their dry paddocks and can’t touch it because someone further downstream with deeper pockets bought it on the water market.
For the record that is not my position, I don’t know whether it has a convenient name but I think economies ought to mix market forces and elected government control, neither on its own is efficient or fair.
You keep saying there is some middle ground in this case but what is it?
Thanks to everyone’s contribution. The thread has been closed as most of the issues raised in the original ABC article have been discussed. If new information or news comes to hand, the thread may be opened to consider this new information.
Chair of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority speaks
The quick summary:
- Things are crook in Tallarook and there’s no work in Burke
- Reduced stream flow is predicted
- Climate change is the problem
- We have held lots of meetings, and now a summit!
- There are many good people working on this
- We will keep you informed.
No mention of stupidity, corruption, internecine warfare, failure to collaborate, selfishness, wilful blindness and incompetence. No specific solutions, not even candidates. Yep everything will be alright tomorrow. Trust me.
Why did he write this fairy-floss? Why was it published?
This Topic has been re-opened due to the Chair of the MDBA creating a Summit to discuss the issues (see @syncretic’s post on the Summit) . Please try to keep on topic and address new developments rather than going over old ground see @phb’s post above why the Topic had been closed and why it could be re-opened Water Security, Murray Darling Basin.
On the brief press release or statement from the MDBA and chair Ex Air Vice Marshall Sir Angus Houston.
The key end point is the announcement of a summit being held in Canberra from today 11th March.
We are bringing together these leaders from agriculture, natural resource management, tourism, finance, support services and government as part of our Basin Climate Resilience Summit, which starts on Thursday in Canberra.
The issues around the MDB and water security are many and complex. It’s appropriate they remain prominent and acceptable outcomes evolve.
Hopefully the outcomes of the summit as they are released offer a way forward for the needs of the environment, the 2.2 million consumers living in the basin and nearly 4million relying on it for water supplies.
P.S. noticed the following announcement by the MDBA that they will be conducting a series of regular Webinars on key topics. The first was scheduled for Tuesday 9th March, and should be available on line to view soon?
https://www.mdba.gov.au/media/mr/mdba-webinar-series-deep-dive-basin-water-topics
The competition for water resources across the basin is intense. It took decades for Australia to realise that damming and diverting water from the Snowy River to inland Australia was not without environmental losses. The Darling is a much more significant river, collection of puddles and wetlands.
Hopefully the summit noted previously invited a Murray Cod or two along, or at least someone who can translate fish talk.
The Darling is a long way from Canberra, so perhaps not?
Footnote:
Not the only Native species of Cod to come under pressure. Brisbane River cod are extinct, from overfishing, habitat destruction and siltation, and whole-of-catchment scale bushfires and ash fish kills in the 1930s.
ABC TV Landline had a good news segment today on the Murray Cod featuring farming of the fish.
Well worth watching on ABC iVeiw.
An article regarding an almond grower being fined some $47,500 for stealing some 4,870.726 megalitres of water
It does not state whether they paid for the water, but if I am reading the 2019 PDF on this website correctly, the average value of that amount of water was around $9,741,452.
https://www.agriculture.gov.au/water/markets/market-price-information#2019
Talk about a slap on the wrist with a wet tram ticket.
The magistrate appears to have considerable discretion.
Mr Coghlan said he recognised Brownport Almonds was a significant employer that had been in the region for a long time.
“We need good employers to provide strength to the economy,” the magistrate said.
In this there is no accounting of the prospective or actual damage or distress that may have been experienced by others affected by not having the benefits of the water volumes illegally extracted. An economic judgement that might be seen to favour one part of the region over others and also the environment.
Redress through the later exchange (allocation swaps) or purchases is mentioned, but the value attached is not evident. It may be protected through commercial arrangements. It does not redress the difference in timing of the illegal use.
Another case of water theft.
Some $58,000 in fines and costs for stealing some 1,200 megalitres of water which appears to have a value of around $7.2 million dollars.
Absolutely pathetic.
The water watchdog better watch their budgets! OTOH check the fines and aggregate $58,000 penalties compared to the $2 million max. Nothing about tearing their works down. More to come?
Prosecution well past its time, yet window dressing in practice?
The size of the penalties appears a reward for ignoring regulation and law. In comparison there are numerous instances in SE Qld of land owners being prosecuted for land clearing or disturbances of a few tens of hectares or a few hundreds of cubic meters of earth works. The fines have been as onerous, and restitution costing much more required. In instances the owners actions are also recorded as criminal convictions. Something that carries a lifelong burden. I’m not suggesting the Sunshine State is without failings re water regulation or use.
Is it any different in the Wild West of NSW? We’re missing an ABC interview with the local state and federal MP’s for an admonishment of their electors.
More bad news.
A good news article for a change.
