Australian (ASX) Stock Market Forum

Worst drought ever

Jump to new
6 years later and the drought seems to be back at least here in Tasmania.

It has been dry for a while now but people are starting to notice it seems. Quite a few stories in the papers this week about farmers running into trouble with no rain, statistics saying we've just had the driest October on record (that's official BOM data) and September was very dry too. The outlook is for November to be dry as well.

Looking at actual rainfall, Launceston had a ridiculously low 1mm last month. Not much better elsewhere, with most of the state getting no more than 20% of normal rainfall (and only a few places got slightly more).

Impacts thus far seem to be limited to farmers without access to irrigation and home gardens although various irrigation water storages are running a lot lower than would normally be the case (since we've completely missed the normally wet months during which they'd refill) such that the impacts could spread more widely in due course. Needless to say, bushfires maybe a problem this Summer if the low rainfall and warmer than usual temperatures continue.

Not sure how the other states are going although my understanding is that the lack of rain particularly in October was reasonably widespread.
 
It rained all day in Hobart today but most of Tas missed out and is now getting ridiculously dry. As it says in the paper today, the farms are "pretty well buggered". It seems that the crops are so bad that it's not worth the time and cost to harvest them so things aren't good on the land.

http://www.themercury.com.au/news/t...ops-setting-seed/story-fnj4f7k1-1227605985915

I'm not certain about the situation in other states but I have the impression that Tas is being hit by the drought harder than most parts of the country. October, normally the wettest month of the year, and practically no rain across most of the state. Even the notoriously wet West Coast is dry now.
 
Drought, or more accurately, the lack of water is something us bushies constantly face and more often than not, have to live with.

Level 2 restrictions started started 1 Oct here with water tasting like the soup from the bottom of a yabbie bucket. Local water board's reverse osmosis unit "should" be ready by years end.

Water and the lack thereof has been a bone of contention since the Line of Lode was first discovered and its still a huge bloody stuff up. How in the hell can the lakes (Menindee Lakes) go from 117% capacity (due to flooding) to virtually bone dry in a couple of years is beyond belief and is inexcusable.

Gross mismanagement by our "authorities" yet again and the people are left to suffer, yet again. My pet hate, stupidity at the highest level. Fancy releasing water above what is needed and then again when we need it most. This defies logic, and speaking of defying logic, I certainly scratch my head with this restriction.

In addition, Level 2 water restrictions prohibit: - Construction activities utilising water.

Will this issue ever be sorted out? I highly doubt it.

http://nautil.us/issue/25/water/the-last-drop-of-water-in-broken-hill

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-...es-continue-as-tougher-water-restrict/6739800
 
Bloody scary isn't it ?

If we are in this very serious situation in the middle of November where will be after four very hot summer months ? :(
 
After reading the story on Broken Hills water supply I wonder what the situation is/will be with a range of other cities. Dubbo comes to mind for a start.

I think the Government needs to very quickly come to terms with the possibility that many country towns could be in very serious trouble before the end of summer and probably longer term.

It would be one thing to tackle one-three towns water supply problems. But if the number becomes much bigger the costs, engineering capacities and time lines could be problematical. :2twocents
 
basilio, due to blue-green algae Menindee, which is on the Darling River is already having water carted in.

Speaking of engineering costs. In Broken Hill there are two main water storages both near dry. We have been screaming out for years to have these storages desilted, especially the main one Stephen's Creek reservoir. Neither have been desilted for over 40yrs so instead of deep storage which minimizes evaporation, these are now just shallow ponds. The cost is in the 100's of mill's hence the political will is not there.

From our local fishwrapper: http://bdtruth.com.au/main/news/article/7881-Forget-bores-and-desilt-reservoirs.html

The push for bore water at Menindee Lakes goes on but the silence is deafening on the quality. Anyone who's dug down a few inches at any of the lakes will know how black and putrid and on-the-nose the decaying matter is. So, if this in going on in my neck of the woods, I shudder to think how our whole nation will fare.

Although we've had many a drought, none have been as bad as one old bloke's memory. He reckoned that the Murray was a series of ponds back in the late 1940's, that he used to drove cattle across the empty river bed in many places from the base of the Snowies and way down into Sth Aust. Reckons we don't know what a drought is and we've never had a drought like that one since.

I know that's around the time of the Snowy and Menindee Lakes schemes but geez, the mind boggles. :eek:
 
Smurf1976 said:
The drought would seem to be back and widespread, affecting most of the country.
Click to expand...

We are recently back from a 3 month trip north and western Qld. Areas around Julia Creek, Kynuna, Winton, Boulia are the worst we have seen it and we have spent time in previous years volunteering on outback properties doing it tough. Virtual dust bowls at the moment. Many of the remote towns are just surviving and thanking the many grey nomads travelling through and spending some money in the towns.
 


0:28
A grazier has shared drone footage of her herd surrounding a water tanker. The farmer, Amber Lea, told the Mercury: 'The tanker and trough was the only source of water for the cattle. We were carting 100,000 litres of water every day for their survival, often having to drive 50 to 70km one way to get water for them.'

And we are still in mid winter..:eek:
 
basilio said:


0:28
A grazier has shared drone footage of her herd surrounding a water tanker. The farmer, Amber Lea, told the Mercury: 'The tanker and trough was the only source of water for the cattle. We were carting 100,000 litres of water every day for their survival, often having to drive 50 to 70km one way to get water for them.'

And we are still in mid winter..:eek:
Click to expand...


Are Burrabogie Livestock and Contracting the farmers or stockwork contractors?

Sputnik International reported the same article and citing the drought the worst in 400 years ..... Vasco da Gama's family station perhaps?
 
50% of the population of the USA and 99% of the rural population relies on groundwater for their water supplies.

Instead of building more or bigger dams, why not develop the groundwater option first ?
 
SirRumpole said:
50% of the population of the USA and 99% of the rural population relies on groundwater for their water supplies.

Instead of building more or bigger dams, why not develop the groundwater option first ?
Click to expand...

This has been done in many places but unfortunately, when the bores were originally drilled early last century the water was allowed to flow freely when it surfaced naturally (as it was under pressure) and has depleted the aquifer.

There is still an enormous amount of water under there if pumped and most of the bores have officially been capped and piped but there is a limit to what is there.

In WA they are starting to realise that they are sucking it out quicker than it is going in and they will have a problem eventually
 

Similar threads

basilio
Are you Face blind or can you remember absolutely everyone?
Replies
8
Views
464
finicky
finicky
ducati916
September DDD
2 3 4
Replies
66
Views
8K
qldfrog
qldfrog
basilio
Ozempic: Magic Pill or Devils Bargain?
Replies
10
Views
1K
sptrawler
sptrawler
basilio
The love of my life has died: How can I ever be free to live again?
2
Replies
26
Views
3K
farmerge
farmerge
ducati916
May DDD
2 3 4
Replies
69
Views
6K
qldfrog
qldfrog
Top