Save the "Murray Fund" er TAX.....

[Dog_ger]

Should we still pay this fund er TAX...?

What a lot of CARP....

Comment Coorong.....

And everyone.

[Barto]

Send the bill to NSW and Victoria.

[SABRE]

Send the bill to NSW and Victoria.

Add a few extra zeros first !

[devilsadvocate]

Should we still pay this fund er TAX...?

What a lot of CARP....

Comment Coorong.....

And everyone.

It's funny isn't it.
We pay taxes (federal taxes I'm talking about here), which are used to fund subsidies to farmers growing massively water intensive items such as rice, cotton etc. in areas where agriculture is ridiculously unsustainable.
Bit of a funny circle isn't it. We pay taxes to save our river, which is being f***ed up by excessive water drawing by farmers that are only in business due to government subsidies, funded by the taxes we pay.......

[Psyber]

Yes governments help fund plans to grow unsuitable water intensive crops like rice and cotton pushed by big business interests, in the driest continent.
However, our oranges are increasingly coming from places like Chile, and our nuts from Vietnam.
And, we are building more houses over our best remaining farm land to house, but not feed, the population our governments think should continue to grow....
We are going to need more power for the desalination plants to provide water, let alone food.

[jackpot jim]

Simply Put - Australia is ****** just like the rest of the world (physically and enviromentaly) and whilst the Goverments vision is to continue to push population growth at UNsustainable levels - life as we know it will be a thing of the past very soon.

[smithy]

And, we are building more houses over our best remaining farm land to house, but not feed, the population our governments think should continue to grow....
We are going to need more power for the desalination plants to provide water, let alone food.

You couldn't be further from the truth Psyber.
Between Cadell and the border, the amount of housing taking up farm land is so minimal you obviously haven't driven this part of the land to back up your comment.
Primary industrial growers producing citrus, fruit, veg and livestock dominate this part of the river so much that the only housing you are likely to see is the farmers house themselves.

Downstream from Cadell, there are no new housing housing developments other than from people that have purchased land many years ago.
You are NOT allowed to clear land along the Murray to build a house.
On the "farm land" you mentioned, 99% of it is flood plain and useless to build a house on anyway.
Where were you talking about Psyber ? I'm curious

[Psyber]

And, we are building more houses over our best remaining farm land to house, but not feed, the population our governments think should continue to grow....
We are going to need more power for the desalination plants to provide water, let alone food.

You couldn't be further from the truth Psyber.
Between Cadell and the border, the amount of housing taking up farm land is so minimal you obviously haven't driven this part of the land to back up your comment.
Primary industrial growers producing citrus, fruit, veg and livestock dominate this part of the river so much that the only housing you are likely to see is the farmers house themselves.

Downstream from Cadell, there are no new housing housing developments other than from people that have purchased land many years ago.
You are NOT allowed to clear land along the Murray to build a house.
On the "farm land" you mentioned, 99% of it is flood plain and useless to build a house on anyway.
Where were you talking about Psyber ? I'm curious

I was not talking about the specifically rural areas, far from most of the population, but about the growth of our capital cities, where most Australians [and our new immigrants] choose to live, which were started on the best land where we could grow food nearby, and have extended over much of that prime higher rainfall land that is not river dependent, and vulnerable to the depredations of the upriver states.

In particular, I have heard from a source within the "development" industry that tacit approval has been given by the SA government for the spread of Adelaide's suburbs southward, all along the southern coast of the gulf, and around to link up with Victor and Goolwa. From there, I expect the inland territory of the southern vales will then be subdivided.

I have noticed in my local supermarkets and fruit and veg shops that all the nuts on offer are from Vietnam, and that increasingly the oranges are not Australian and the juices are blends including orange juice from overseas.

[Sojourner]

How is it that the Murray River is now controlled federally, yet SA residents have to pay the Save the Murray levy, whilst residents of Vic and NSW do not?

[dedja]

How is it that the Murray River is now controlled federally, yet SA residents have to pay the Save the Murray levy, whilst residents of Vic and NSW do not?

It's not, and won't be fully until 2019.