Archived Industry News for Water Professionals - April, 2014
Federal and state governments have not begun to deliver a promised $280 million concessional loan program for farmers.
New map puts big water data online
The divining rod has been replaced by a digital equivalent, with the launch of an internet database for groundwater monitoring.
New source eases water strain for West
A new source will supply gigalitres of water to mines in some of Australia’s harshest country.
Short shark cull over, longer season still sought
Western Australia’s shark culling trial ends this week, but the state is trying to extend it for three more years.
Contamination checks take pills for vast improvement
A team of chemical engineers is working on a way to reduce an entire water safety testing lab into a single pill.
Gas check to build baseline as CSG explodes
Researchers are investigating whether coal seam gas (CSG) activity could be causing methane seeps in Queensland.
Island nations' energy mix fixed by helpful neighbours
New Zealand is helping out its Pacific neighbours by supporting the construction of the region’s largest solar panel array.
Rubble wall called to fight shark trouble
West Australian builders are looking at a new project which could cut the death toll from shark attacks near beaches.
Court case only briefly interrupts Japanese whaling
Japan will hunt whales again, after it announced a ‘redesign’ of its ‘scientific’ slaughter.
Expert checks twenty years of water policy
An expert in water management policy has launched an investigation of one state’s policies and practice, while water bills continue to rise.
Household top bill honours trickle to SA
Adelaide’s water bills are officially “the highest of all comparable Australian water utilities”, and a new report blames the SA government.
Many millions to upgrade NSW water IT
The New South Wales State Water department has embarked on an overhaul of its IT systems, bringing cohesion to improve services for its 6300 licensed water users.
Micro-fossils shed light on million-year macro changes
Research has revealed a new way to gauge sea-level changes and deep-sea temperature changes over the past 5.3 million years.
Small relief triggers big dump
One US city has dumped millions of litres of drinking water after a local teenager was spotted urinating in the supply.
Tide of budget cuts could take National Water Commission
There is speculation this week that the Federal Government will look to axe a major water policy advisory body in the effort to cut costs.
Funds flow after feisty Ita floods
State, federal and local government authorities have toured cyclone-hit regions of north Queensland in the wake of the weekend deluge, with funding packages announced and rolling-out for thousands of residents.
Contamination warning written in the cells
Sydney water authorities have tried out a new set of sensors to gauge the health of waterways, turning to a natural alarm to check for contamination.
Hunt's team chips at Direct Action dream
The hand-picked team tasked with assessing the federal government’s Direct Action climate change plan says it will not work.
New idea could see thousands lost and billions saved in 'super-departments'
Public sector insiders say a push is on to save billions by squeezing all government functions into “super departments”.
Sperm count still low decades after last harpoon
Studies have shown decades after the end of large-scale sperm whaling, their numbers are yet to recover.
Storage checks find seedy supplies
Australian researchers have sought to find out just how clean our recycled water is.