Reform Issue 89, Summer 2007 – Water
Every observant schoolchild knows that Australia is the world’s driest continent. However, it is only in recent years, with Australia gripped by another terrible drought; every mainland capital city on a regime of tight water restrictions; and the Prime Minister’s announcement of a $10b rescue plan for the Murray-Darling Basin—that water has become a headline issue.
The Murray-Darling is a particular focus of this edition of Reform. In the lead article, author and broadcaster John Doyle recounts his experience of travelling the once mighty river system, delivering stinging criticism of the historical inability of Australian governments to innovate or cooperate in managing our scare water resources.
The journal considers the drought and water management from a series of perspectives—the environment, Australia ’s Indigenous Nations, and farmers—as well as discussing issues such the interaction between state, territory and federal governments and communication on water.
Cr Dianne Thorley, mayor of the Queensland city of Toowoomba, writes about her championing of a desperately needed program for recycling drinking water—which was defeated at a referendum, while Dr Nicholas Ashbolt provides a lay reader’s guide to desalination and wastewater reuse.
Looking overseas, Professor Barry Goldstein, of the University of Puget Sound in the US, provides an overview of water law and policy in the United States, while author Fred Pearce provides a thought-provoking article on what will happen ‘when the rivers run dry’.
Articles on the ALRC’s work provide updates on our ongoing Privacy Inquiry, the completion of the Sedition Inquiry and the start of a new Inquiry into Legal Professional Privilege.
Books reviewed in Reform 89 are:
- What Price Security? Taking Stock of Australia ’s Anti-Terror Laws, by Andrew Lynch and George Williams, UNSW
- An Australian Republic , by Greg Barns and Anna Krawec-Wheaton, Scribe Publications
- The History of Australian Corrections, by Sean O’Toole, UNSW
- The Rights of Refugees under International Law, by James Hathaway, Cambridge University Press
Contents
Water
100 years of mad ideas—John Doyle
The Murray-Darling Basin Partnership—James Cleaver
Letting markets work for the environment—Arlene Buchan
Caring for Country—Steven Ross
The quest for environmentally sustainable water use—Jennifer McKay
Stop press: Prime Minister’s $10B water plan
A decade of dry— Clinton Rakich
Drought, water, farmers and the law—John Cherry
The changing face of drought—John Voumard
Much ado about water—Nicholas Ashbolt
Improving Australian water management—Steve Hatfield-Dodds, Geoff Syme and Anne Leitch
Toowoomba recycled water poll—Dianne Thorley
Water law and policy in the US —Barry Goldstein
When the rivers run dry—Fred Pearce
ALRC work
Towards national consistency in privacy regulation—Jonathan Dobinson
The private lives of Generation Y—Lani Blackman
The National Privacy Phone-In
Protecting personal privacy—Michael Lyons and Brett Le Plastrier
Fighting words—Kate Connors
At what price the truch?—Isabella Cosenza
Other
Good news/bad news in Canada —Peter Lown
Regular features
Comment— David Weisbrot
Commission news
Reviews
Reform roundup
Clearing house
Contacts