Water Policy – Healthy Rivers

 Water Policy

HEALTHY RIVERS

Some of our major river’s flow through several states and as such if one state extracts too much water for the river the states down-stream will struggle to have sufficient flow in the river to be useful to their communities to utillise the much needed water. Because  of this there must be significant cooperation between the various states involved. If the states cannot find sufficent common ground to formulate healthy agreements then the Commonwealth Government must act to resolve agreements.

Rivers are vital to the health of our nation as water is so very important to our large Island nation that has some very long droughts and some very marginal farming land that we utillise to produce the food we need. Healthy rivers are flowing rivers and while we need to extract water from our rivers for use along it’s path, we should not stop the flow of the liver for the whole community is affected as well as the fish in the river – it is their world for life.

In New South Wales we have the might Darling and Murray Rivers that have been impacted quite badly by excessive extraction of water and this must stop. The Northern NSW and Queensland areas of the Darling must cease extracting excessive water the recent algae bloom must be of January 9, 2019 must never be repeated again. The death of the thousands of fish is directly associated with poor management of the waterway.

Policy:

  • As far as possible all dams will be off river dams.

  • Extraction of water must not compromise the healthy state of the river.

  • The massive dams at the upper reaches of the Darling will need to release the water held there and will need cease extraction until the river is healthy again.

  • Where off river dams are constructed, they will need to be dug deep and not just flooding valleys ect. As shallow dams have huge losses due to evaporation.

  • Where there is an on river dam the option of diverting the river to make the dam an off-river dam must be considered.
  • Interconnecting of water systems can keep rivers healthy by increasing the flow; and reduce the effects of floods if managed well.
  • If interstate cooperation cannot be found a constitutional amendment will be considered so that the best possible outcomes can be reached so that no state can disadvantage other states.