AUD to USD about to go below 80c........

[fourandsixpants]

.......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/

[lind9650 · Accepted solution]

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

[iapetus_rocks]

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.

[chameleon54 · Accepted solution]

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@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/

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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.

[vicr3000]

We need a few more Irrigation areas like up in WA.

OK, they built a dam but still a success.

Still think some water could be pumped over the hills into the start of the rivers.

[chameleon54 · Accepted solution]

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@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.

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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.

[fourandsixpants]

Thank you Chameleon.....yes, salinity is a problem in areas where trees and vegetation are completely cleared......crops planted that do not have the root systems in place to 'recycle' the low levels of salt present.... and in a few decades the low water table becomes too salty.....step in 'salinity' problems.

Scientists-environmental ones included, agriculturists, irrigation,  experts should be engaged to set this up.

The politicians should be kept right out of it.

No pests out there!.....therefore no need to use pesticides/herbicides for the main.

We could have organic produce.

Build railways to move produce, most economical mode of transport imo.

Erect vast areas of solar panels to make energy to power water pumps.......windmills in windy zones. 

Listen and follow advisers re.guidelines for artesian/deep water aquifer use....this is hardest part!

A plan that is based on need not greed

....jobs for generations, food, self-sufficiency, progress....a purposeful future imo

[fourandsixpants]

It would not matter too much then about the value of our currency.......compared to the USD, would it?