Dryland and urban salinity is a significant cause of infrastructure damage across the Murray Darling Basin, according to a major salinity audit funded by the Murray Darling Basin Commission and National Dryland Salinity Program.
The audit found that the total current Basin wide cost of salinity is $305 m per annum, and that 220 towns experience urban salinity problems. Surprisingly, costs to dryland farmers represent only 33 per cent of total costs. The largest costs arise from damage to public infrastructure (including roads, buildings and water infrastructure) and from saline town water damage to households and business.
The findings have several important implications for Councils. They demonstrate that salinity is not just a ‘farm level’ problem. Rather, salinity is a far more insidious problem with its impacts affecting households, businesses, Councils, road and rail authorities, water, gas and electricity utilities, the environment and cultural heritage.
Secondly, the large increase in the number of towns with a recognised urban salinity problem has important implications for:
- people living and working in these towns
- Councils whose rates may be affected by declining property values and who are responsible for managing infrastructure and urban planning in these towns
- the focus of existing State and Federal salinity programs.
Thirdly, a substantial proportion of total costs attributable to saline town water supplies has important legal and operational implications for Councils responsible for supplying town water.
For information on this project and the results compiled for each Local Government area, contact Wilson Land Management Services Pty Ltd on (02) 6257 1447.
* Copy supplied by Wilson Land Management Services
