The drought has broken.

[stui magpie]

But only in the Goulburn Valley area, and only for residents.

Melbourne and most of Victoria is on Stage 3A water restrictions. Just on the NSW side of the Murray River, towns are on 3A as well and also have the government telling them that if they have a bore, they can only use it on the same restrictions as the town supply.

Yet in the Goulburn Valley area around Shepparton, towns are on stage 1 water restrictions. Towns that as recently as 4 months ago were on stage 4 restrictions, are suddenly on stage 1 in the middle of summer.

While both citizens of Wunghu can water their front lawn 24/7 if they feel like it, the orchardists, dairy farmers and farmers in the foodbowl of Victoria are still struggling to get enough water to get by.

Obviously they must have discovered some previously unknown water supply that is only fit for the town supply and cant be used by irrigators. I wouldn't possibly be cynical enough to suggest that it's a stunt by the Victorian Government to appease the locals who were up in arms about the proposed pipeline to take water from the area back to Melbourne. I mean, surely if there's enough water for all the locals to water their gardens all day when the rest of the state is lucky to get 4 hours a week, there's enough water to pipe some to Melbourne?

[Proud Pies]

lol Tess, i was thinking along the same lines.....now THAT's scary!

[stui magpie]

Scary that the drought may have broken or scary that I'd share the details

[Proud Pies]

[Bucks5]

I thought this was going to be about Sandy Roberts saying "the (premiership) drought has been broken" at the end of the 1990 GF.

[John Wren]

unlike other forums, hovering over the link gives you a snippet of what the thread is going to be about.

who made up this 3a restriction, how imaginative.

[member34258]

stui, didn't we discuss this in another thread?
I'm sure I pointed out that we went from no restrictions to stage 4 overnight about 6 months ago, then to stage 1 about a month ago.
And I'm sure I said something about politics..............

[stui magpie]

I must have missed that Member. I know that while water restrictions have been in the city for ages, it took a lot longer to catch on in the bush, where they did go from no restriction to severe restrictions in a very short space of time.

If you previously explained why you are back on stage 1, I apologise, I missed that, but I take it from your "politics" comment that it is about the pipeline?

My angst is genuine. My mother lives in Tocumwal. She moved house 2 years ago and lives for her garden. It's what keeps her going. She's done a great job at the new house with her garden and when the water restrictions came out of the blue, she paid to have a bore put in so she could water. She's now been told she can only use it in accordance with the 3A restrictions the town is on. Yet I drive along the Goulburn valley highway, seeing the dead dry surrounds yet see the "stage 1 water restrictions" signs at each town and ask WTF is going on.

[member34258]

Certainly the move to stage 1, which originally occurred in Shepparton/Mooroopna, was politically motivated.
We all know it, but are more than happy to have the water.

Here's the official line.
http://www.gvwater.vic.gov.au/Media_Releases/2007/Water_Restrictions_Eased_Stage1_151007.asp

[stui magpie]

Oh, I see. Must have been all that rain over winter that caused the extra water.

What a magnanimous gesture to let them go back to stage 1 when everyone else is on stage 3a or 4.

Yep, all ridgy didge. No political issue here. Move along everyone, nothing to see here.

[skaman]

Bloody well hissing down up this way!!!

[member34258]

I'm planning on washing both cars this weekend.
Stop me if you can!

[stui magpie]

Just gonna back em into the Shep lake are we?

[member34258]

[stui magpie]

Have fun spraying the water around. I didn't catch a look at the lake, I usually use the truck route that bypasses the town on the east. Interesting that the Murray is about a half metre higher than it was in early spring, but still very very low.