Lack of Rain and WA's future

The dry winters are now becoming a serious concern, Perth will really start changing into a pretty arid area, with hotter summers and very dry winters, I know we are now reliant of desal for drinking water, but is it sustainable to keep growing in population?

More concerning is the collapse in grain production in the wheat belt, WA was the biggest grain exporter in Australia, what is the future of agriculture in WA with droughts now the norm.

I think it’s now serously tome to look at bringing water from the Kimberley if this state is to survive into the future.

Can we blame the Gillard Government for this as well.I am sure it will slide into a political debate sooner or later so thought I would get in first. :slight_smile:

Nah forget her she’s gone, the only pollie I know that has given this any serious consideration was Col Barnett with his canal.

Sorry AKA I just had to do that.
Yes it is a real worry.Lets not forget that the Labor Parliamentarian Ernie Bridge raised this issue was before Balmy Barnetts canal.
But it is something that surely has to be given some credence.
I am not sure the treated water from the sewerage is going to relieve the issue.The desal plants are too costly for sure.
The Pollies say we can’t afford to bring the water down from up North ,but I say we can’t afford not to bring it down.

Stole my thunder a/man.

Almost had agreement with me on this one Bazza. I believe there was a politician some time before Barnett, namely Mr Bridge, who suggested we should build a pipeline from up North. The positives about the pipeline would have been a guarantee of water supply and the ability to open areas to irrigation based on that certainty of water supply.

One could suggest that the lessening of rain in the south-west is aas a consequence of perhaps two factors:

the removal of vast areas of trees; and

climate change.

Stole my thunder a/man.

Almost had agreement with me on this one Bazza. I believe there was a politician some time before Barnett, namely Mr Bridge, who suggested we should build a pipeline from up North. The positives about the pipeline would have been a guarantee of water supply and the ability to open areas to irrigation based on that certainty of water supply.

One could suggest that the lessening of rain in the south-west is aas a consequence of perhaps two factors:

the removal of vast areas of trees; and

climate change.
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yep ernie mentioned it first , Barnett the only leader to look at it seriously but was slammed down a bit like C Y Oconnor was ,

Anyway forget that , it needs to be looked at seriously and soon.

I have no doubt at all climate change is impacting on this, if you have ever viewed the rainfall stats from 1970 onwards the drop has been so dramatic its incredible.

Removal of trees, yep impact there as well, and that will excellerate, the forrest on the darling range in dieing from drought and dieback , that will soon be gone as will the SW Forrests under stress.

One thing is for sure this is now a permanent pattern . nothing is changing, question is how are we going to survive and grow food going forward..

we seriously need to look at population sustainability as well.