Residents in SE Qld have every right to be frightened about the likelihood that they will run out of drinking water early in 2008 if we don’t get sufficient rain. The drought is as real as Climate Change but our greatest crisis is that of leadership. Here’s one example in an edited extract from ABC…
Category: Water
Brisbane’s Water Emergency Worsens
Shortly following revelations that our Water Commission has increased its own water consumption, the same organisation today announced that it wants personal water consumption to be reduced from the current 180 litres per day to 140 litres per day. Our personal daily water consumption at ‘Bellis’ has remained stable at about 116.66 litres since last…
Wetting Agents – Are You Buying Trouble?
Water repellant soils can be improved a number of ways so that they absorb and retain water more effectively, prolonging the benefits of watering and rainfall. Well-composted, well dug soils that are appropriately mulched may completely dry out, but they’re rarely water-repellant. Healthy soil biology is an important and overlooked aspect. It’s important for soil…
Celebrating Three Years Of Drought
Planted in September 2004 the plants in our front garden were watered for six weeks to establish them. Apart from the hedge and two potted plants, the garden hasn’t been watered since.
A Blot On The Landscape
In many ways SE Qld is Australia’s garden centre, propagating and supplying landscapers and nurseries throughout SE Australia. Despite this, many good nursery businesses in this region are suffering during the drought. Lost custom and level 5 watering restrictions are putting reputable people out of work, and businesses are closing down. Imagine you’re a professional…
Speech To Aussies Sustaining Australia
Good evening I acknowledge that this is aboriginal land and I hope that the gathering here can help to forward reconciliation by caring for this land as well as the aboriginal people did. I’m Jerry and my partner, Jeff, and I retrofitted an elderly queenslander so that it harvests solar energy and rainwater and recycles…
Water: Governments Asleep At The Wheel
For the last six out of seven global harvests, the world’s farms have failed to yield enough food to feed the world, thanks to industrial, chemical farming and Climate Change. Humanity is on the brink of starvation and only our reserves of food – fast diminishing – have saved us.
What A Difference A Day Makes
The vegetable garden is as drought-proof as it can be whilst still producing some food. In effect what follows is called water ‘demand management’ – limiting its use.
In Production Today
We currently have 43 crops in production in our 400 square metre back garden. SE Queensland’s dams are around 70% empty, but we’ve got just enough recycled water to scrape by. Due to this I’m not using any town water as yet, thanks to the few showers of rain that fell over the past few…
Jerry Coleby-Williams 