Aussie Scientists 'surprised' on climate change
Pastor Dale Morgan
Aussie Scientists 'surprised' on climate change*
By Evan Schwarten
September 04, 2006 04:27pm
Article from: AAP
AUSTRALIA'S rapid climate change had caught scientists by surprise, a
leading water expert said today.
Professor Peter Cullen, from the National Water Commission, said experts
had expected the changes, which have left much of the country suffering
drought conditions, but thought they would take much longer to take effect.
"I don't think any of us expected the climate change we have experienced
over the last five years. I was expecting climate change but I was
expecting it to take 30 years," he said.
Prof Cullen said Australia was drying out quickly and with water
restrictions already in place in many areas, governments needed to
consider all available options, such as recycling and desalination, to
prevent an impending water crisis.
"We've got to look at the full range of options, I don't think we can
afford to be doctrinaire and throw anything out," he said.
Prof Cullen said putting up the price of water was another option.
"I wouldn't be surprised to see water prices double in Australia in the
next couple of years, we are paying about $1 a kilolitre, in most
Australian cities," he said.
"In Germany they are paying $11 a kilolitre so we are very underpriced
in terms of some other communities."
Prof Cullen was speaking at Brisbane's International River Symposium
alongside University of Queensland Professor Paul Greenwood and the
World Wildlife Fund's Dr Stuart Blanch.
Dr Blanch said new dams should only be considered a last resort, urging
governments to fund the installation of rainwater tanks on private
properties and investigate water recycling initiatives.
He hit out at the Queensland Government's plan to construct a massive
dam on the Mary River on the Sunshine Coast, saying it was a bad choice
of location.
The river's catchment area did not receive enough rainfall to
consistently fill a dam, he said.
"I think panic has set in with the bureaucrats, government and water
engineers and they are jumping to big dams, big pipelines without doing
the hard work and seeing how far they can push recycling."
"What's the point in building big dams if they remain half full? It's
much smarter to move to recycling."