Thread: The Channel Country, from drought to a one in forty year flood.

Don't tell the Chinese it can't be done. Australia, the white trash of Asia. Did I mention banana republic?

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It would totally stuff up the rich coastal farming and environmental areas, and deprive the Great Barrier Reef of land flows, so as the coastal forests dried out, the population might get rather annoyed and demand their water back.

I agree the Snowy scheme certainly is only medium sized by world standards. Look at Tasmania. The hydro scheme powering Yangon in Myanmar, with multiple power stations along the same river, is also impressive. Built with Japanese and Chinese money as war reparations.

hopefully those waters will have made their way to Kati Thanda by the time I'm there in April.

although there will be no wildflowers , there will be enormous flocks of bird life as the lake takes on water.

Originally Posted by DiscoMick

It would totally stuff up the rich coastal farming and environmental areas, and deprive the Great Barrier Reef of land flows, so as the coastal forests dried out, the population might get rather annoyed and demand their water back.

You are suggesting the total water flow from the North would go South. Not so. Something similar to the ORD river scheme, with a massive water storage , and distribution , should do.

I have spare water, help yourself , i do have a severe shortages of bridges, they seem to be missing

Rainfall Data 2019
Plantation	Jan	Feb	Total
Hargy	1,151	1,508	2,658	mm
Navo	1,742	1,922	3,663	mm
Barema	966	1,781	2,747	mm
Bakada	998	1,445	2,444	mm

Originally Posted by bob10

Don't tell the Chinese it can't be done. Australia, the white trash of Asia. Did I mention banana republic?

YouTube

Maybe tell the Chinese it shouldn't be done?

There are apparently, three of these projects. The one you posted the propaganda video for (complete with typos) is the Central route to supply Beijing. I don't know if you've been to Beijing but it's literally in the desert. Putting to one side the forced relocation of 330,000 people for this route, the taking of water from farmers and industry along the way, the environmental impact, the impact on the Han River and doubtless other impacts, it might just have been better and cheaper for Beijing to focus on water conservation.

Bluntly, there's nothing in these projects that Australia can learn from, other than what to avoid doing. As an example, we spent a lot of money on the Ord River Scheme and how did that work out?

Originally Posted by Arapiles

Maybe tell the Chinese it shouldn't be done?

There are apparently, three of these projects. The one you posted the propaganda video for (complete with typos) is the Central route to supply Beijing. I don't know if you've been to Beijing but it's literally in the desert. Putting to one side the forced relocation of 330,000 people for this route, the taking of water from farmers and industry along the way, the environmental impact, the impact on the Han River and doubtless other impacts, it might just have been better and cheaper for Beijing to focus on water conservation.

Bluntly, there's nothing in these projects that Australia can learn from, other than what to avoid doing. As an example, we spent a lot of money on the Ord River Scheme and how did that work out?

Build a hwy in China you move thousands of people, and typos from Chinese to English can be understood. As for your assertions, produce facts. The Ord River scheme has worked out very well, with some early problems, granted. Magpie geese got the rice, [ same as in Darwin, so some one should have known] Bugs got the cotton, mainly because the government refused permission to grow GM modified cotton. GM modified cotton is now available, the only stumbling block is cotton has to be transported to the nearest cotton gin in QLD. Moves are afoot to build a cotton gin in the Ord area, which will see commercial growing and processing of cotton go ahead. Over the years farmers tried to grow commercial profitmaking crops, but were held back by a lack of government incentives, and planning . The mining industry was an easier way to put money in to government coffers.

The Ord Scheme has been going for over 55 years, and still the infrastructure necessary for transporting product to market is holding it back. Some farmers, frustrated by the lack of progress, have left. Others have soldiered on, and have had success in growing crops. Any way, some facts for you to look over, both negative, and more importantly, positive.

The Ord River Irrigation Scheme - Charting a Course for Economic Success - Future Directions International

EDIT,....I believe the developers chosen to move the Ord forward are Chinese.

The WA government called for a request for proposal for investors to take up development and farm the new expanded farming areas of Ord Stage Two. Kimberley Agricultural Investment (KAI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Shanghai Zhongfu Group, is the appointed developer. KAI has been building new farms consistently since 2013 and has now invested $200million in the region and assembled 25,000ha of new land to be developed.