[LINK] OT: Water [Was: NBN Broadband Plan]

[David Boxall]

On 8/01/2010 10:12 PM, stephen at melbpc.org.au wrote:
> ... Northern Victorian farmers are paying full price for water they do 
> not receive ...
>
As I understand it, they pay for a licence which gives them the right to 
an allocation. The licence is an asset that can be bought and sold 
independent of the land. The licence fee is due annually. If it's not 
paid, then the licence is forfeit.

The poster child is Cubbie station: licensed to take more than the total 
flow; diversion channel three times the size of the natural water 
course. Last I heard they were in liquidation: went bust because there 
wasn't enough water to support their business. <http://www.cubbie.com.au/>

Downstream, there's another mob licensed to take more than Cubbie. This 
is called a "sleeper", because it's never been used. They still pay an 
annual fee, though. I've read that there are more than five times as 
many sleepers as active licences.

Bottom line: state governments are charging for five or six times the 
available water. Hard-headed business people keep paying the fees, so it 
must make sense at some level.

But Cubbie still went broke.

-- 
David Boxall                    |  My figures are just as good
                                 |  as any other figures.
http://david.boxall.id.au       |  I make them up myself, and they
                                  |  always give me innocent pleasure.
                                  |                     --HL Mencken