Drought and Water Restrictions

[Jon Chown]

How did the other Brisbane folk fare during the recent water restrictions?

I almost quit Bonsai and the following photos are why.

R.I.P.

my pics 089.jpg

my pics 111.jpg

my pics 083.jpg

my pics 017.jpg

my pics 107.jpg

NOW I've got a tank.

Yours in Bonsai
Jon

[Steven]

Very sad to know that these beauties have passed.




















That gap was me having 1 minutes silence in their memory.

[Jon Chown]

That gap was me having 1 minutes silence in their memory.

I hope that you played the last post during your period of silence.

I actually lost around 60 trees in all. (I guess I had too many anyway) I have now reduced my collection to around 60 and growing (now that I have decided to have a crack at some natives).

Yours in Bonsai
Jon

[ketutg]

i lost a few plants in last years record breaking heat wave in SA.
it's also hard knowing that to save the river murray we need to save water as well...

[Jon Chown]

i lost a few plants in last years record breaking heat wave in SA.

I am sorry for your loss were there any advanced trees among them?

Yes it's sad that while the Murray River is drying up so much water up this end just goes out to sea.

Yours in Bonsai
Jon

[Asus101]

Yes it's sad that while the Murray River is drying up so much water up this end just goes out to sea.

Being in Renmark I know that Queensland irrigators don't or didn't have restrictions on how much water they could use. It was why the Queensland government wouldn't hand over the control of the darling river system.
SO while river land irrigators whereon 1% allocation, having stock losses on a huge scale, going out of business, and leaving the area, Queensland irrigatiors where on 100% allocation.

My wildlife park where I help out a lot, had a tiny allocation, under 1%. We need water to keep animals alive. It was only after we did a lot of work that we got an addition of 18 mega litres.


Its sad though Some nice tree's where lost.

[Jon Chown]

Asus101 said
SO while river land irrigators whereon 1% allocation, having stock losses on a huge scale, going out of business, and leaving the area, Queensland irrigatiors where on 100% allocation.

Hey Asus, you might like to read this article http://www.acfonline.org.au/articles/ne ... 8&c=184919

This is the Murray River to which Queensland has no juristriction

Murray River Map.jpg

Jon

[Asus101]

The government was trying to take full control of the murry-darling watercourse, which Queensland irrigators take water from. Less water flowing from the darling means less is entering the murry river..

but this isnt about irrigation.

I would recommend that every aussie gets a rain water tank. There are many types and a quick google search will bring up many options for your budget and property size.
If you do choose to water regardless, please remember to be careful with wastage and try to limit it.

[Bretts]

I heard residential water amounts to a total of 6% OF Australias total water usage. So lets say we do the impossible and cut all residentail water by half that will be a total saving of 3%. Makes me wonder??

What water restrictions have we all got.

Last few years Parkes NSW generally have spinkler for 2 hours three times a week and hand water any time. Pretty easy to manage. I know a friend in Sydney was much worse.

[Steven]

Last few years Parkes NSW generally have spinkler for 2 hours three times a week and hand water any time. Pretty easy to manage. I know a friend in Sydney was much worse.

Yes Soltan, here in Sydney we are only allowed to water using hand-held hoses and drip irrigation on Wednesdays and Sundays before 10 am and after 4 pm. I believe watering cans are okay at any time.

S.

[PeterW]

Wow, i am so happy to be living where i am. Although they are talking of restrictions for us next year, we get such good rainfall here. Maybe we should evacuate buderim and turn some of the areas into big dams!
If people get stuck with there trees in drought and water restrictions, maybe we could start up some sort of boarding facility were you could send your trees until water restrictions ease up. I am fortunate to live on small acreage and have plenty of area. I am going to start ground growing soon (time permitting) and have a good constant supply of recycled water through our envirocycle system. I feel for those of you who are hurting in the dry times.
Peter.

[FlyBri]

Gday Team Oz!

Sorry to see and hear about your losses Jon. Looks like they were some very nice Bonsai. I would never have thought that anything could die in your neck of the woods through lack of water. Just goes to show how little we all know about each other's climate.

While we're about sharing our water woes, I thought I'd mention that metropolitan Melbourne is sitting on Water Restriction 3a. This means that I can water between 0600 and 0800 on Wednesday and Sunday. That's it. Luckily, I had the wherewithal to install 7000L worth of water tanks a year or so ago, no thanks to the Government(s) and their so-called incentives! . Without the tanks, my so-called Bonsai would be history. Further, I cannot remember the last time I watered my trees or my garden using mains water.

My latest hobby is watching the rain radar so I know exactly how long I can postpone cleaning my gutters.

Thanks and good luck.

Fly.

[kcpoole]

LOL fly

I do the same with the radar so I can find out how much I am going to get.
I put in 5000L this year and they have not been empty yet. I am considering ways to use waste water from the shower and bath to irrigate as well

If we can reduce the usage by 3% then that is great. Then We can pressure those the do use it all to reduce as well.

[Jon Chown]

Brisbane is still on restrictions and we can only water 3 times a week with a bucket for 30 minutes and once a week for 30 minutes with the hose.

Yep I am a tank person as well now.

Jon

[Bretts]

What we can save is nothing compared to what is wasted by bad farming. (It seems 19% may be more acurate to total houshold usage if you include Water supply, sewerage and drainage services Electricity and gas)
The sooner we adapt the big picture the sooner there will be plenty to go around.
Agriculture uses a woping 70% of our water for a value return of 59c per Kilolitre. We pay the goverment more than that for household water 85c-$1.20 per Kiloliter????
Manufacturing uses 3% of our total water for a value return of $32-$680 per Kilolitre
For one of the dryest continents on the world with an abundance of resources why do we bother with so much farming that wastes our water?
I for one would not follow the drakonian water restriction the goverment has placed in some cities. When they are following such stupid policy.
It is possible to register as a business to avoid the restrictions. My same friend in Sydney states that her aplication failed because she did not sell enough trees though
http://www.urbanecology.org.au/topics/wateruse.html