The federal election may hinge on a new crossbench of professional women in wealthy inner-city seats and a rural revolt against the Nationals It will top 35 degrees today in the northern Victorian town of Stanhope, population around 800 and shrinking fast.
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A quick look at the Productivity Commissionâs draft report on national water reform reminds me of the repeated judgment from old Mr Grace, the doddering owner of the department store in
Are You Being Served? as he headed for the door: âYouâve all done very well!â
Its review of the progress of the National Water Initiative signed by the federal and state governments in 2004 â encompassing agreements on the Murray-Darling Basin â is terribly polite, understated and relentlessly upbeat.
Apparently, governments have made âgood progressâ in having âlargely achievedâ their reform commitments. All that remains is just the need for a teensy-weensy bit of âpolicy renewalâ.
Most Australians know all too well how precious water is. Sydney just experienced a severe drought, while towns across New South Wales and Queensland ran out of drinking water. Under climate change, the situation will become more dire, and more common.
It wasn’t meant to be this way. In 2004, federal, state and territory governments signed up to the National Water Initiative. It was meant to secure Australia’s water supplies through better governance and plans for sustainable use across industry, environment and the community.
But a report by the Productivity Commission released today says the policy must be updated. It found the National Water Initiative is not fit for the challenges of climate change, a growing population and our changing perceptions of how we value water.