on 22-01-2015 03:35 PM
.......and some predict AUD to go as far down as 40c-50c in 4-5 years
http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2015/01/anz-aud-in-final-days-above-80-cents/
Solved! Go to Solution.
on 22-01-2015 06:36 PM
so if there's anything you want to purchase.... do it now
things may be more expensive in the shops as early as next week
on 29-01-2015 07:29 PM
on 29-01-2015 08:47 PM
@paintsew007 wrote:to am3
ref
Where would the water come from to irrigate in the desert?
............................................................................................................................................................
I used to work with/knew a woman who worked for Hugall and Hoile ....many years back.
She worked for several years over in Saudi irrigating their desert to grow fruit and veg.
She told me that Australia is just one huge artesian bore.....and same can be easily done here.
There is some truth to this. There are huge ( absolutely enormous ) reserves of water under much of the desert areas. The problem with much of this water, is that it is too saline for growing vegetables. I currently own an irrigation licence and come from an area where desert country has already been succesfully converted to irrigation. It has provided a boost to employment and increased land values.
Many of the growers have major problems with Coles and Woolies driving the price below cost of production. The supermarkets will import the vegies from Europe, NZ, South America etc. where they can be grown on natural rainfall ( no pumping costs ) with cheaper labour and favourable exchange rates.
Fracking is a major concern, with the current government allowing its mining mates to ruin the natural enviroment for ever ( and farmers livelihoods ) for the sake of a few energy dollars.
Another problem is that any project which shows any potential is promptly sold off, land and all to the highest international bidder, with all profits going overseas. ( and employees coming in on 457 work visas )
There has to be a better way than the disjointed, fragmented policies we currently have on these sorts of issues.
on 29-01-2015 09:29 PM
I used to live in Coober Pedy in the early 1960ties. We lived in dugouts and had to buy our water from the only bore that was then in operation. We were alocated one fortyfour gallon of water per person per fortnight.
Today Coober Pedy is a town with streets and houses and everyone has running water to their home.
There is plenty renewable water underground. Sure, in some places it is salty, but that also can be remedied with careful filtering.
We are living in the lucky country and could be completely selfsufficient, if we only had the right people in Parliament who are dedicated to serve the people instead of selfserving.
Erica
on 29-01-2015 10:15 PM
@paintsew007 wrote:Satellite picture - A satellite photo of green crop circles in the Saudi Arabian desert
I don't know much about all this but I guess using artesian water resources or fossil water would have to be carefully regulated........"Fossil water is a nonrenewable resource. "
https://malate.wordpress.com/2009/12/15/home-by-yann-arthus-bertrand-text-version-part-i/
The desert irrigation area that I have experience with is definately artesian, fossil type water. When it was first opened up for large scale irrigation ( early 1980,s ) it was extremly poorly managed ( and many believe corruption was involved ) A few wealthy established, statewide vegtable growers recieved free water licences along with a few shifty, fast moving, local establishment types who got themeselves elected on water boards and promptly got hold of large free licences. Some of these guys had never watered their own lawns and never actually used the licences. Existing local farmers had buckleys hope of recieving a licence.
As the licences where restricted and drought plagued River Murray irrigators they quickly became very valuable. ( in some cases worth millions ). The licences where for a given area rather than megalitre and so irrigators would have pivots running day and night. It was common on 40 degree days with northerly winds to see the pivots spraying water into the wind and just blowing away.
This angered the locals who complained loud and hard. Thirty years later and the licences are only now being converted to volumetric megalitre values. ( better late than never I suppose ) .
The licences are structured so that the water will effectivly run out in 100 years from the time they where issued. ( a water mining policy ). There is a second aquifer deeper than the current one that is supposed to be the back-up resource once the first runs out, ( in 100 years ) but I have heard that some irrigators are already tapping into this one. The irrigation area concerned is a circle with a radius of perhaps 50 km. Outside of this area the water rapidly becomes saline. Some livestock farmers on the periphory are finding their stock water bores are becoming too saline for their stock as the irrigation water is drawn out and the salty water is drawn from the edges.
These are some of the problems. While this is all a bit gloomy, I would have to say on balance, the irrigation industry has been very positive for the district and I do support it.
The short answer is yes it needs to be carefully regulated. Unfortunately this does not mean it happens in practice.
Many desert areas of Australia could be developed for irrigation. Suadi countries have vast wealth from oil and a desire to provide food security through irrigation. Australia is not as wealthy and seems to be more interested in pandering to the globalisation mantra than securing local employment and basic food and manufacturing industry security.
on 29-01-2015 10:23 PM
@iapetus_rocks wrote:What a success story. all that irrigated arable land!
and just think, in a few more years they will be able to replace those food-growing green circles with salt-producing white ones.
Salt has not been a problem in the area I come from. The vegies are grown in porous sand which leeches impurities well below the root zone. The water is very high quality without much salt in it. ( if it is too salty it wont grow vegies )
The salt is much more of an issue in wetter areas where the water table is close ( often only a couple of metres ) from the soil surface. In these areas salt is a major enviromental issue. By definition these areas are not deserts though.
on 22-01-2015 04:06 PM
on 22-01-2015 05:26 PM
I cannot remember when exactly but I do remember AUD previously went as low as 56c or 60c against the USD a fair few years back.
Maybe Australians will be encouraged and see it as a positive for the economy?....like start manufacturing things here again.
New Zealand's manufacturing stats are up, apparently.
22-01-2015 05:28 PM - edited 22-01-2015 05:30 PM
It was around the year 2000 I think NZ was 60c to 1 USD, so Australian $ wouldn't have been much higher than that.
NZ economy is booming due to dairy industry and rebuilding in Christchurch.
on 22-01-2015 05:33 PM
on 22-01-2015 05:37 PM
to am3
It’s now much better economically to have earthquakes than not to have them, maybe?
on 22-01-2015 05:39 PM
on 22-01-2015 05:41 PM
New Zealand outdo us on just about everything. Clever marketing and superb goods keep their economy bouyant.
on 22-01-2015 05:49 PM
One opinion I gues. Another could be: no-one asked NZ if they wanted a few earthquakes, did they?.....and selling one's soul to the Chinese market-both exports and imports to make a few dollars now may not be what is deemed a 'successful' outcome by expert marketers with great long term vision.
on 22-01-2015 05:50 PM
@paintsew007 wrote:to am3
It’s now much better economically to have earthquakes than not to have them, maybe?
Not if you live in the area. For builders, plumbers and other tradies.. boom time.