The Vanishing River - 

Voices From The Darling

An urgent video message from Badger Bates to the 

link -  Kimberley and Northern Territory

Thank you for coming to this website. 

 

This site reviels the very real and tragic human suffering

and the environmental vandalism now being endured in

Western NSW; it shares with the world, the voices of people

who actually live along the Darling River and

Menindee Lakes in Australia. 

 

Please make the time to hear about

the zero river-flows affecting 

peoples lives, environments and communities. 

Although engaging and compelling, 

the interviews below

are not entertainment,

they are serious. 

​

If you are interested

in better understanding

the crisis on the Darling and 

what is actually happening

with water in NSW;  

please read on

and engage with this website. 

​

Especially on page 4 of this site,

 the "Links" page.

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START - 

An ever increasing and multiplying crime against Australian peoples and our Habitat has been occurring for fifteen years 

right under our noses. 

​

By draining Menindee Lakes

and keeping them dry;  

every day for nearly five years

one  billion litres of water vapour 

(that is one million tons of water per day)

has been stopped from reaching

the semi-arid deserts

of Western NSW. 

​

The result is

a drying and dying desert ecosystem

and the destabilization of soils and plants

that have held the region together

for tens of thousands of years. 

​

And, increasing dust storms! 

​

Some say this evaporation is wasted water, 

actually, it is a miracle in nature. 

​

This is a link to the

Download Page

where you can download the podcasts of these interviews to your own computer or device. 

"The Future"

The future is not some place we are going to,

it is a place we are creating. 

​

The paths to it are not found, they are made, 

and the activity of making them,

changes both the maker,

and the destination. 

                                                      Anonymous  

To understand

what water does -

is to better understand

our world,

and what Life is.

- - - - - 

​

Every

living thing on Earth,

has water in it, 

if not

it is not living. 

 - - - - -

​

Water is part of 

Earth's Habitat 

and does not

belong to people,

and definitely 

not to governments

or the banks! 

- - - - -

​

Australia's large dams

are largely full of

private property,

not

publicly shared 

life-giving 

water. 

- - - - - 

​

When the fires subside and the world

is filled with smouldering embers 

and things that have died in flames,

we will realise,

it was, and still is,

all about water. 

- - - - -

​

To have allowed capitalism and the banks to control the hydrodynamics of our Habitat in Australia will likely be recognised as one of mankind's greatest mistakes ever. 

- - - - - 

​

The delicate balance of all natural systems must be protected

by law,

to preserve 

THE  RIGHTS

OF NATURE 

and biodiversity

to balance, continue 

and flourish. 

- - - - - 

​

Trees and all plants

bring water and life

into our world.

​

Bare Earth and cleared lands bring 

dust death

and misery. 

​

The evaporation and groundwater 

absorption of  Menindee Lakes

when full, is said to be about 

350 gigalitres per year, or 1 gig./day. 

 

That is one billion litres, 

or one million tons of water per day,

evaporating and blowing across the 

Semi-arid deserts of Western NSW.

​

This evaporation and the corresponding  condensation has supported plants and all 

life in the west of New South Wales

for over 500 thousand years.

 

To stop the Darling River flowing, 

drain Menindee Lakes and prohibit this vital absorption, evaporation and condensation 

is environmental vandalism

of the highest order.

 

It is a classic case of 

industry driven "Ecocide". 

​

It is a crime against our future!

​

 If continued 

it's very likely to unleash an atmospheric, geologic and social nightmare,

that will affect every Australian

for many generations;

if not permanently.

- - - - - - 

​

The Menindee Lakes and a

flowing Darling River

soaks down into the Earth,

filling vital underground aquifers 

that carry water

throughout the region. 

​

​This also seems to be totally overlooked

by irrigators, NSW Water

and the Murray Darling Basin Authority, 

as they continue 

to allow the retention and extraction

of every last drop of water

for northern-basin

irrigation operations. 

​

- - - - - - 

​

Eventually a federal royal commission

will find a way to understand 

the effects of water-trading

and floodplain harvesting 

on our land, our wildlife

and on our people. 

It is futile for governments

to resist this. 

​

The longer it takes

the federal government 

to make such a commission,

the closer we all get to civil disruption

unseen in Australia since

1854

at the Eureka Stockade. 

​

And if you don't believe that,

go out there west of Bourke and Cobar and talk to the people

who have had their ONLY truly sustainable 

supply of water CUT OFF

by selfish, shortsighted

money driven fools. 

​

The behaviour of federal and state 

Departments of Agriculture 

and our banks

have much to answer for

in all of this. 

​

- - - - - -

​

Talk with your family and friends

about this. 

​

We Australians have now

lost control of our nation's fresh water. 

​

 It is being sold

and left to corporations,

banks  and extractive overseas investors

to determine where and when

the rivers in Australia will flow. 

 

And even more importantly, 

where the water in the rivers

will eventually go.

​

The result of just fifteen years

of water-trading, is shown here

behind this text. 

​

The Darling River,

a cradle of life for millenia,

has vanished 

into environmental and social

catastrophe. 

​

Please enguage with the content on all five pages of this site.

There is a virtual mine of information contained here. 

​

There are some things going terribly badly in Australia;

for the sake of our children

and the amazing wildlife on this Earth,

many things have got be changed. 

​

The fact is that state and federal government pollicies,

are right now actually killing people and spoiling Habitat

in Western NSW. 

This, cannot be denied or tolerated. 

Link to the next page: 

A letter for The Prime Minister of Australia

And this also from Rob McBride at

link - Tolarno Station