The following letter was published in the Sydney Morning Herald on 9th. December, 2011:"The focus on the 2750 gigalitre (GLS) figure of claimed water "returned to the rivers" is highly misleading. This number refers to extraction entitlements. Irrigation entitlements grant the right to extract water only when when seasonal allocations are made and this depends on water availability. When water … Continue reading Entitlements and Allocations
Category: Uncategorized
Matt Ridley on Climate Change
My favourite author of the moment ("The Rational Optimist") Matt Ridley has given a highly acclaimed speech on Climate Change. I commend it to you_http://wattsupwiththat.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/ridley_rsa.pdf
Murray Darling Basin Authority Draft Plan-November,2011
After a quick "skim" of the new Report I have prepared the following Questions for the Authority-Guidelines For Questioners At MDBA Plan Meetings –November, 2011· What is the specific evidence on which you state the Basin is “unhealthy”, particularly after the recent wet years?(The MDBA website states -“Our use of the water in the Basin … Continue reading Murray Darling Basin Authority Draft Plan-November,2011
MDB Water-Two Contradictory Quotes
Quote - "A very uneven distribution of water resources across Australia and high year-to-year variability means that water resources in some regions are fully or over allocated, while others remain largely undeveloped" CSIRO Water -Science and Solutions for Australia, 2011 Given allocations are not fixed but made subject to availability, how can anyone argue that water resources are over allocated?? Sure, irrigators face great … Continue reading MDB Water-Two Contradictory Quotes
Our Unbalanced ABC
On 6th November the ABC Radio National programme"Background Briefing" featured the Qantas dispute.The programme concentrated on the Coalition's IR policy, or lack of it. I sent in the following comment:-David Boyd :14 Nov 2011 9:30:34amIt could only be the ABC "Lefties" who could focus a programme about the Qantas dispute on the Coalition's IR policy!How about … Continue reading Our Unbalanced ABC
Uncertainty
A quote worth remembering-"Perhaps more than any other parts of the Australian economy, farmers understand uncertainty. They live with uncertainty about rainfall and growing conditions. They live with uncertainty about the costs of their key inputs. And, of course, they live with uncertainty about the world prices for their outputs. It is this ability to … Continue reading Uncertainty
Latest Murray Darling Basin Plan-Apprehension
Those interested in maintaining Australia's long term agricultural productive capacity are awaiting the release of the latest iteration of the Murray Darling Basin Plan at the end of this month, with great interest and some apprehension. The attached video, particularly Louise Burge's comments, is spot on.The Murray Darling Basin rivers are not, in general, unhealthy. … Continue reading Latest Murray Darling Basin Plan-Apprehension
Irrigation Extractions in the MDB
This is worth listening to, especially when Tony Windsor (belatedly) expounds on the allocation process and the compere has a BGO (Blinding Glimpse of the Obvious) and immediately asks "well what's the problem". Good question! But, our ACF representative sticks with his programmed dogma and ignores the obvious.
A View of Murray Darling Irrigation from New York
Well known New York based Australian author and journalist,Kate Jennings,has contributed an interesting and colourfully expressed article to "The Monthly". It is well worth reading.
Europe
I have been much interested in the sovereign debt problems of the poor countries of Europe and how the creation of the Eurozone and the single currency, has removed the former main method of dealing with individual economic problems, namely currency devaluation, from the unfortunate members. How fortunate are the U.K. and the Czech Republic under my … Continue reading Europe
David Boyd's Blog 