Water

[riaan]

Hi

We are in the early stages of immigrating to Australia, but...

One thing that I am concerned about is Australia's poor rainfall.

Is this something that concerns other people? Are Australians concnerned about this?

Thanks

[Dolly]

It's a huge concern here in Victoria.

Here are some reservoir stats for VIC: http://www.melbournewater.com.au/con...ges.asp?bhcp=1 (not good reading).

We are on water restrictions here, if you click 'water restrictions' we're 3a.

TBH I cannot for the life of me understand why they don't recycle water here. Also, what makes me seethe is that the good citizens of Victoria really do adhere to the restrictions. But companies like Shell use precious drinking water when they could use grey water....doesn't make any sense.

Dolly

[riaan]

Thanks Dolly,

I have read through some of the site and links from it. Looks like the authorities are doing things that make sense (rebates for grey water systems at homes, talks of not increasing dams but rather looking atuse of recycled water and water use restrictions not so sure about the desalination plants)

Stage 4 seems like it will cause an uproar.

Everyone, would you consider this a reason not to emmigrate to Australia?

[sim]

I've pondered the same question quite a bit; Australia is clearly one of the first countries to significantly suffer from climate change, and unfortunately it looks like that for southern Australia it means even drier conditions than before.

I think it depends what your time frame is - if you're looking to spend 2-5-10 years in Australia, I wouldn't consider water problems a "deal breaker". If you're looking at 20-40-60 years (i.e. you and your kids) then I'd take a serious look at the IPCC models to see how the situation is predicted to change. Any longer than that (100+ years) is so far in the future that the entire globe might have changed beyond recognition.

Will you be out of drinking water? For sure no. And you can still take a shower. Victoria for one is building a huge desalination plant to ensure this - but the surroundings may not look very pleasant if things get much worse.

Personally, I consider the move to Australia as a sort of hedging of bets. If things get very ugly Down Under, I can always return to the northern hemisphere. And vice versa.

EDIT: You might want to check out this very interesting, if somewhat depressing, study: Climate Change - Potential Impacts and Costs - then find your current local equivalent and make your own comparisons as to what makes sense for you.

[kaz101]

Hi riaan,

We live in SE South Australia and we have very few water restrictions. It wasn't something we considered when moving here but we don't have a lot of the problems that other parts of Australia has with water.

Not all of Australia has water problems so it's worth investigating further if it's a big issue to you.

Adelaide is building desalination plants and there are rebates for changing to low use shower heads, toilets etc.

Regards,
Karen

[Sono]

Originally Posted by riaan

Thanks Dolly,

I have read through some of the site and links from it. Looks like the authorities are doing things that make sense (rebates for grey water systems at homes, talks of not increasing dams but rather looking atuse of recycled water and water use restrictions not so sure about the desalination plants)

Stage 4 seems like it will cause an uproar.

Everyone, would you consider this a reason not to emmigrate to Australia?

Hey Riann. There was actually an article in this month's National Geographic about the drought in Oz. I guess most of the water shortage has greatly affected the farmers more then anyone. There is a second article about world climate change and by 2040 we are going to see the areas that are already dry even drier and those that are already very wet will have even more rain. The image of what areas of Oz will be dry by 2040 are quite scary. Almost the whole country looks dry.
When I told my parents we were thinking of moving to Oz one of the first things my dad mentioned was the drought. We live in Florida and it doesn't look like things are going to be much better. So YES we are taking that into consideration..

[kaz101]

Originally Posted by Sono

Hey Riann. There was actually an article in this month's National Geographic about the drought in Oz. I guess most of the water shortage has greatly affected the farmers more then anyone. There is a second article about world climate change and by 2040 we are going to see the areas that are already dry even drier and those that are already very wet will have even more rain. The image of what areas of Oz will be dry by 2040 are quite scary. Almost the whole country looks dry.

But does that prediction take into account the policies that are being put in place or as things stand at the moment?

As I mentioned desalination plants and other measures are being put in place.

Here's a link to DAFF (Dept of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry):
Water 2010 - DAFF

Regards,
Karen

[Sono]

Originally Posted by kaz101

But does that prediction take into account the policies that are being put in place or as things stand at the moment?

As I mentioned desalination plants and other measures are being put in place.

Here's a link to DAFF (Dept of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry):
Water 2010 - DAFF

Regards,
Karen

That is a good question Karen. I believe with the farmers the damage has been done and they are pretty much out of business. They were talking to small family farms. Not the corporate larger farms. I do not believe the article takes into account the measures that are being taken to help the problem. The climate change is definitely frightening situation for the whole world not just OZ.

[Aussiejock]

Originally Posted by sim

I've pondered the same question quite a bit; Australia is clearly one of the first countries to significantly suffer from climate change, and unfortunately it looks like that for southern Australia it means even drier conditions than before.

I think it depends what your time frame is - if you're looking to spend 2-5-10 years in Australia, I wouldn't consider water problems a "deal breaker". If you're looking at 20-40-60 years (i.e. you and your kids) then I'd take a serious look at the IPCC models to see how the situation is predicted to change. Any longer than that (100+ years) is so far in the future that the entire globe might have changed beyond recognition.

Will you be out of drinking water? For sure no. And you can still take a shower. Victoria for one is building a huge desalination plant to ensure this - but the surroundings may not look very pleasant if things get much worse.

Personally, I consider the move to Australia as a sort of hedging of bets. If things get very ugly Down Under, I can always return to the northern hemisphere. And vice versa.

EDIT: You might want to check out this very interesting, if somewhat depressing, study: Climate Change - Potential Impacts and Costs - then find your current local equivalent and make your own comparisons as to what makes sense for you.

If what they say about climate change is correct, every country will be the same. Australia has always been a country of extremes, "drought and flooding rains." Read Dorothy Mackellar's poem " I love a sunburnt country." She says it much better than me. I have lived here for almost 43 years and there hasn't been an appreciable difference in the weather. We get plenty of rain but it is not harvested as well as it could be. Perhaps it's the size of the place and the small population that has caused this. Governments don't have the revenue that other similar sized countries have.
I certainly wouldn't let water, or the lack of it, stop me coming here.

[scottishcelts]

My Country
by
Dorothea Mackellar
(1885 - 1968)
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The love of field and coppice,
Of green and shaded lanes.
Of ordered woods and gardens
Is running in your veins,
Strong love of grey-blue distance
Brown streams and soft dim skies
I know but cannot share it,
My love is otherwise.

I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror -
The wide brown land for me!

A stark white ring-barked forest
All tragic to the moon,
The sapphire-misted mountains,
The hot gold hush of noon.
Green tangle of the brushes,
Where lithe lianas coil,
And orchids deck the tree-tops
And ferns the warm dark soil.

Core of my heart, my country!
Her pitiless blue sky,
When sick at heart, around us,
We see the cattle die-
But then the grey clouds gather,
And we can bless again
The drumming of an army,
The steady, soaking rain.

Core of my heart, my country!
Land of the Rainbow Gold,
For flood and fire and famine,
She pays us back threefold-
Over the thirsty paddocks,
Watch, after many days,
The filmy veil of greenness
That thickens as we gaze.

An opal-hearted country,
A wilful, lavish land-
All you who have not loved her,
You will not understand-
Though earth holds many splendours,
Wherever I may die,
I know to what brown country
My homing thoughts will fly.

Dorothea Mackellar