February 25, 2007
Well now. Howard delivered to SA on water last Friday.
He guaranteed a minimium flow in South Australia of 1850 gigalitres,with a strategic reserve kept for aside for drought conditions. So Howard ensured South Australia's water security. He also agreed that the basin should be managed by an independent commission of experts, and that there would be a review of the takover after 7 years.
That should boost his prospects for hanging onto the Liberal marginal seats in Adelaide at the next federal election.

Matt Golding
That's one issue politically put to bed. The commonwealth is in control and now needs to get on with the job. A way forward has been found and Howard can take the credit.
Now for climate change. It's connected to water as it means less rain and runoff in the southern part of the Murray-Darling Basin. Alas for Howard, he's more rhetoric than substance on this issue.
Update: 26 February
On the ecological side of the water issue it is now probably necessary to start thinking in terms of reducing water use because the inflows into the Murray-Darling system will likely be reduced in the future, and the rivers are already stressed due to the basin wide over-allocation problem. Given the notable failure of the states to address over allocation of water in the Basin, the sustainable level of extraction is what is now needed. The water is just not there. This sustainability needs to include:
maintaining river health at an acceptable level;
serious cost-benefit assessment of irrigation proposals;
extensive use of drip irrigation technology;
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I am not sure that this is a good outcome.
So Adelaide and the new almond orchards become more dependent on the Murray? Or will the water just go to Lake Alexandrina and the southern Ocean. What about getting rid of those barrages below Lake Alexandrina and getting some real inflow as well as outflow from the system?
The Murray River has essentially been turned into an irrigation channel with the dams at the top of the system increasingly expected to supply SA at the bottom?
PS Adelaide is not even in the Murray-Darling Basin catchment area.