Subject: Water?!
Australian explorer Charles Stuart dragged a whaling boat inland in a
bid to find the great inland sea. He found out what all Australians
are painfully aware of. Australia has a severe shortage of water. Yet
they now celebrate it! The annual Henley-on-Todd boat race has only
been cancelled once due to water in the dry river bed they use. Maps
mark more dry lakes and rivers then wet ones.
Australia has been in a seven year drought. Wollongong looked fine.
Brown unkept gardens and dirty cars. It just looked like the locals
were a little slovenly with outdoor work.
Western New South Wales - The ground is bare. The sheep are starving.
They search for the last blade of brown in a paddock of hard packed
red dirt. The sheep get stuck in the mud as they try to reach the last
water in the dams. The fruit trees produce dehydrated fruit. Whole
towns rely on trucked in water. The news is celebratory. One of
Australia's great rivers is flowing after a rainstorm. On television a
child jumps back in forth over a tiny channel of water. This small
flow made the news. The newscaster admits only a major flood will
alleviate the drought and fill the dams. A rain shower means nothing
as it is sucked up by the thirsty ground.
It was not until I saw Lake Wyangala that I understood.
Lake Wyangala is two and a half times the size of Sydney Harbour. It
is a watersport mecca, famed for its fishing and houseboating.
Pictures show campgrounds on beautiful swimming beaches. The dam wall
is over 1,500 meters long but the water doesn't reach the wall
anymore. The dam is only at 3.5 percent capacity (a modest improvement
from a few months ago). The lake is a mere puddle, a few trees
sticking up from the bottom and a kayak the only boat on its surface.
The water is three kilometres from the end of the substantial boat
ramp.
Water?!
A bucket sits in the shower. I am supposed to water the outside plants
with any water that splashes in. A timer is on the wall. Maximum four
minutes for my shower. This is a private house not an ecolodge. Each
week the family calculates it's daily water use per person. The state
governments goal is 140 L per person per day (average Canadian uses
343 L a day). This isn't rural Africa. This is suburban Brisbane. No
use of a hose allowed outside. You can't even top up your pool or spa
with city water. No car washing. Strict guidelines. You can't even use
a bucket to water your garden except during certain times on certain
days. Your neighbours could report you. Times are tough. It hasn't
really rained in seven years in this sub-tropical rain forest.
The climate is changing.
We foreigners use water as we do at home. The Australians are
horrified with the waste!
No comments:
Post a Comment