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AUSTRALIA
WATER BRIEF
Australia is
the driest inhabited continent in the world, with annual rainfall averaging only
455 mm (although averages are poor indicators since rainfall is extremely
variable in time and place).
High
evaporation and transpiration rates result in runoff of just 11% and groundwater
recharge of 1% of average rainfall. Although Australia represents about 5% of
the world's land area, it has only 1% of the global river runoff.
Australia’s
overall population density is very low, so water resources per person are quite
sufficient and the population is concentrated along the southeast coastline,
where rainfall and runoff are generally plentiful.
However,
Australia’s rainfall variability makes water resource management difficult.
Typically, dams to provide reliable yields have to be double the equivalent for
world average climatic conditions, and six times the capacity of European dams.
Some
of the country's best water resources are in the Far North and on the west coast
of Tasmania – both far from centres of population and agriculture.
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WHO
OWNS THE WATER?
WATER is a
public trust; WATER is God given and belongs to ALL species on the planet Earth.
No one must have the right to appropriate it or profit from it at the expense of
the Australian people.
YET, that is
what the multinationals and merchant bank investors want to do.
They see OUR
freshwater lakes, rivers and aquifers as a rich reservoir to plunder. WE must
head off the gradual corporatisation and subsequent privatisation of OUR
priceless and public asset… WATER.
Like the
satirical version of the 'Golden Rule' motto: ‘He who has the gold, makes
the rules.’
In this
case, 'He who has the WATER makes the rules, and rules your life…'
That is of
course, unless you've discovered a way to get along without water!
If the
landowners do not take positive action, then the government WILL continue to
impose REGULATIONS or TAXES… or BOTH.
WATER is a
basic human RIGHT, not a government commodity that we must purchase in order to
survive.
The
inadequacies and inequality of the Queensland Water Act 2000 needs no
explanations from anybody.
The severity
and financial burden placed on primary producers and consumers is self-evident
by the following extract from the Water Act 2000...
Part 2 Water Rights - Division 1 - Preliminary
Section 19 - Rights in all water vests in State
All
rights to the use, flow and control of all water in Queensland are vested in the
State.
Unless
'…All rights to the use, flow and control of all water in Queensland are
vested in the people of the State', ALL Queenslanders, including primary
producers, will continue to be told and controlled by politicians, and unelected
bureaucrats, as to the amount and cost of WATER they are permitted to use!
Are we
running out of water… hell NO!
BUT… we
are running out of storage infrastructures to supply water... as a direct result
of belligerent and recalcitrant Governments NOT using OUR taxes to build dams
and other storage facilities to benefit Queensland!
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MONSANTO
IS AFTER OUR WATER
For years now, Monsanto
has been buying up seed, plant and biotech companies in order to establish
control over the world's food.
According to Mr Robert
Farley of Monsanto, "… what you are seeing is not just a consolidation of
seed companies, it's really a consolidation of the entire food chain. Since WATER is as central to food production as seed is, and without water
life is not possible, Monsanto is now trying to establish its control over
water. During 1999, Monsanto launched a new water business, starting with India
and Mexico, since both these countries are facing water shortages."
In other words, the
crisis of pollution and depletion of water resources is viewed by Monsanto as a
business opportunity, "The business logic of sustainable development is
that population growth and economic development will apply increasing pressure
on the natural resource markets... These are the markets that are most relevant
to us as a life sciences company committed to delivering food, health and hope
to the world, and there are markets in which there are predictable
sustainability challenges and therefore opportunities to create business
value."
By 2010 about 2.5
billion people in the world are projected to lack access to safe drinking water.
At least 30 per cent of the population in China, India, Mexico and the U.S. is
expected to face severe water stress. Controls over this scarce and vital
resource will, of course, be a source of guaranteed profits.
As John Bastin of the
European Bank of Reconstruction and Development has said, "Water is the
last infrastructure frontier for private investors."
Monsanto estimates that
providing safe water is a multi-billion dollar market.
The Indian Government
spent over $1.2 billion between 1992 and 1997 for various water projects, while
the World Bank spent $900 million.
Monsanto would like to
divert this public money from public supply of water to establishing the
company's water monopoly.
Another new business
that Monsanto started in 1999 was aquaculture in Asia. It will build on the
foundation of Monsanto's agricultural biotechnology and capabilities for fish
feed and fish breeding.
By 2008, Monsanto
expects to earn revenues of $1.6 billion and a net income of $226 million from
its aquaculture business. While the corporation's entry into aquaculture is
through its 'sustainable development' activity, industrial aquaculture has been
established to be highly non-sustainable.
It comes as no surprise
that attempts are being made by the World Bank to privatise water resources and
establish trade in water rights.
These trends will suit
Monsanto well in establishing its water and aquaculture businesses.
The
World Bank has already offered to help.
As the Monsanto
strategy paper states, "We are particularly enthusiastic about the
potential of partnering with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the
World Bank to joint venture project in developing markets. The IFC is eager to
work with Monsanto to commercialise sustainability opportunities and would bring
both investment capital and on the ground capabilities to our efforts."
Monsanto's water and
aquaculture businesses, like its seed business, aim at controlling the vital
resources necessary for survival, converting them into a market and using public
finances to underwrite the investments.
Water is, however, too
basic for life and survival, and the right to it, is the right to life.
A more efficient
conversion of public assets into private profit would be difficult to find.
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