Can Australia afford to save the Coorong?

The urgency of the environmental disaster enveloping the mouth of the Murray River today has brought to Australia what might be the world’s first climate change triage challenge. The question is – do we save the Coorong at all costs, leave it to become something different as is already happening or invest heavily in ‘palliative care’, which will use up resources without ultimately changing its fate?

The Rudd government, true to its election promises, has moved to invest $400 million of taxpayer funds in water rights buy-backs and the South Australian government is considering a $120 million temporary weir to dam the almost dry Murray allowing the lower lakes to be inundated by seawater.

Tax-payers need to be involved in how their money is used in responding to climate change. We can try to save the Murray mouth whatever it takes; we can allow agricultural practices to continue as long as the changing climate permits so condemning the Coorong to change; or we can invest in shifting rural industries towards our future climate while also attempting to manage some minimal flow to the mouth of the Murray.