Less than half of target accounted for: There was good news for
the Murray this week when Victoria announced a $93 million plan to
conserve 145 billion litres for return to the river. But this was the
first such project to receive Commonwealth approval. Victoria has
identified another similar sized water saving, but NSW – again – is yet
to do its bit. This means little more than half the 500 billion litres
supposed to be returned to the Murray has been identified.
Next month’s council holds the key: The National Water
Commission was set up to circumvent this and has the lever of
withholding national competition payments but cannot actually knock
state heads together to get agreement. In the end, the Council of
Australian Governments, due to meet next month, holds the key to the
success or failure of water reform. The premiers – in particular,
Morris lemma in NSW – and Prime Minister John Howard need to show
leadership to match their rhetoric.
The Australian Financial Review, 20/1/2006, p. 86
Source: Erisk – www.erisk.net