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Murray-Darling Basin Plan to be extended under a new agreement, without Victoria
Federal Minister for Water Tanya Plibersek today announced a new agreement to restore Australia’s largest and most important river basin. It comes just months before the original M…
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With less than a year to go, the Murray-Darling Basin Plan is in a dreadful mess
The Murray Darling Basin Plan is a historic deal between state and federal governments to save Australia’s most important river system. The A$13 billion plan, inked over a decade ago, was supposed to rein in the water extracted by farmers and communities, and make sure the environment got the water it needed. But now, less […]
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Victoria’s plans for engineered wetlands on the Murray are environmentally dubious
Governments love the idea of a win-win – even when it doesn’t exist. That’s why Victoria has been spending millions on planning “red gum irrigation ponds” – essentially, engineered wetlands along the River Murray. These wetlands are designed to save some red gum ecosystems, leave many others to decline, and redirect billions of litres of […]
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Money for dams dries up as good water management finally makes it into a federal budget
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 […]
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How to ensure the world’s largest pumped-hydro dam isn’t a disaster for Queensland’s environment
To quit coal and move to renewables, we need large-scale energy storage. That’s where pumped hydro comes in. Queensland’s ambitious new plan involves shifting from a coal-dominated electricity grid to 80% renewables within 13 years, using 22 gigawatts of new wind and solar. The plan relies on two massive new pumped hydro developments to store […]
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The hydropower industry is talking the talk. But fine words won’t save our last wild rivers
Technologies to harness the power of water are touted as crucial for a low-emissions future. But over many decades, the hydropower industry has caused serious damage to the environment and people’s lives. More than 500 new hydropower dams are currently planned or under construction in the world’s protected areas. And some 260,000 kilometres of the […]
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It’s official: expert review rejects NSW plan to let seawater flow into the Murray River
Co-written by Bruce Thom, Celine Steinfeld, Eytan Rocheta, and Nicholas Harvey.
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Fish kills and undrinkable water: here’s what to expect for the Murray Darling this summer
A grim summer is likely for the rivers of the Murray-Darling Basin and the people, flora and fauna that rely on it. Having worked for sustainable management of these rivers for decades, I fear the coming months will be among the worst in history for Australia’s most important river system. The 34 months from January […]
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