NORTHERN Australia can never be the "food bowl" for China, a conservation group claims.
Wilderness Society northern Australia campaigner Gavan McFadzean said northern Australia could not hold the large-scale agriculture that would transform it into a "food bowl" for China.
The comments come after interest from Chinese investors in the Ord Two development zone in the Kimberley.
Regional Development Minister Simon Crean stated on ABC's Q&A program this week it was up to state governments to decide whether to sell or lease their land to foreign investors, but he said Australia could be a big contributor to the world's food security.
Mr McFadzean said a Northern Australia Land and Water Taskforce found in 2009 that northern Australia could never be the food bowl of the world, Asia or Australia.
"The task force found that irrigated agriculture in the north could be expanded from 20,000ha to 60,000ha - less than the size of some farms in Australia," he said.
"That answer wasn't good enough for the Coalition even though the taskforce was set up by the Howard Government, so Tony Abbot resurrected Bill Heffernan's scheme again last year.
"Now the Labor party is jumping on the bandwagon, with Australian trade minister Craig Emerson announcing a joint study with the Chinese government into transforming Northern Australia into China's food bowl."
Mr McFadzean said the extra 40,000ha of expanded agriculture would add just 0.1 per cent to Australia's farmed land.
"Australia now feeds 60 million people, so whatever way you cut it that insignificant increase in farmland still leaves a hell of a lot of China's more than 1 billion people with little in their food bowl," he said.
"Most of the rain in the north occurs on the coastal plains, which makes it very difficult to dam. Little rainfall occurs away from the coast where it would be easier to build dams. The rain occurs mostly in short, intense wet seasons, and the rest of the time the land effectively is in drought."
He added that the soils in Australia's north were nutrient poor and highly fragile.
Mr McFadzean said farming the north of Australia would have a detrimental effect on the environment and grazing, fishing and tourism industries.
"Seventy per cent of the world's tropical savannah, which once covered parts of Africa, Asia and South America, has been lost forever, and Northern Australia contains the world's largest remaining tropical savannah habitat," he said.
"It is also home to a breathtaking interconnected mosaic of escarpment county, heathlands, rainforests, coastline, floodplains, mangroves and coral reefs."
He pointed to the Ord Irrigation scheme, a pilot scheme for northern Australian farming, as an example of the concept's failure.
"Our most expensive northern food bowl experiment is now dominated by sandalwood plantations, not food," he said.
"Despite this, state and federal parties on both sides have indicated their willingness to pour good money after bad into Ord Stage 3."

http://greens-win.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/northern-australia-cant-be-chinas.html

We should not be selling any land to foreign interests. Campbell Newman will sell us to the cheapest bidder, he's Anna Bligh in a suit.

Irrigation on those ancient soils will ruin the area forever..if you have to irrigate any crops in this country you are growing the wrong crops in the wrong area.

adelcrow wrote on Jun 6^th, 2012 at 12:13pm:

Irrigation on those ancient soils will ruin the area forever..if you have to irrigate any crops in this country you are growing the wrong crops in the wrong area.

:o

Care to expand and tell us which areas which crops should be growing, so they don't have to be irrigated.

:-/

FriYAY wrote on Jun 6^th, 2012 at 3:19pm:

adelcrow wrote on Jun 6th, 2012 at 12:13pm: Irrigation on those ancient soils will ruin the area forever..if you have to irrigate any crops in this country you are growing the wrong crops in the wrong area. :o Care to expand and tell us which areas which crops should be growing, so they don't have to be irrigated. :-/

I'd leave it as it is..why destroy a beautiful area forever?

adelcrow wrote on Jun 6^th, 2012 at 3:20pm:

FriYAY wrote on Jun 6th, 2012 at 3:19pm: adelcrow wrote on Jun 6th, 2012 at 12:13pm: Irrigation on those ancient soils will ruin the area forever..if you have to irrigate any crops in this country you are growing the wrong crops in the wrong area. :o Care to expand and tell us which areas which crops should be growing, so they don't have to be irrigated. :-/ I'd leave it as it is..why destroy a beautiful area forever?

OK, so you were being a bit over dramatic.



I’d leave it as it is as well. :)

FriYAY wrote on Jun 6^th, 2012 at 3:25pm:

adelcrow wrote on Jun 6th, 2012 at 3:20pm: FriYAY wrote on Jun 6th, 2012 at 3:19pm: adelcrow wrote on Jun 6th, 2012 at 12:13pm: Irrigation on those ancient soils will ruin the area forever..if you have to irrigate any crops in this country you are growing the wrong crops in the wrong area. :o Care to expand and tell us which areas which crops should be growing, so they don't have to be irrigated. :-/ I'd leave it as it is..why destroy a beautiful area forever? OK, so you were being a bit over dramatic. I’d leave it as it is as well. :)

Not really..its not like SEAsia.
We'll ruin the soils, groundwater and pretty much everything else if we irrigate such a delicate area.

I am not sure the Chinese would be bothered.

There's still plenty of cats to round up, put in a bag and dip them in boiling water...

Lovely people that they are....

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Jun 6^th, 2012 at 3:41pm:

I am not sure the Chinese would be bothered. There's still plenty of cats to round up, put in a bag and dip them in boiling water... Lovely people that they are....

I hate to generalise but Asian people arent big on animal rights

Shifting from a meat diet is one way for Australia to feed more people.

Also this shows finding a sustainable outcome for water use and the murray darling is important.

Alongside protecting water resources from mining pollution risks.

adelcrow wrote on Jun 6^th, 2012 at 3:35pm:

FriYAY wrote on Jun 6th, 2012 at 3:25pm: adelcrow wrote on Jun 6th, 2012 at 3:20pm: FriYAY wrote on Jun 6th, 2012 at 3:19pm: adelcrow wrote on Jun 6th, 2012 at 12:13pm: Irrigation on those ancient soils will ruin the area forever..if you have to irrigate any crops in this country you are growing the wrong crops in the wrong area. :o Care to expand and tell us which areas which crops should be growing, so they don't have to be irrigated. :-/ I'd leave it as it is..why destroy a beautiful area forever? OK, so you were being a bit over dramatic. I’d leave it as it is as well. :) Not really..its not like SEAsia. We'll ruin the soils, groundwater and pretty much everything else if we irrigate such a delicate area.

OK, so can you expand on this then?

“If you have to irrigate any crops in this country you are growing the wrong crops in the wrong area”
Care to tell us which crops we should grow where to avoid having to irrigate? Taking into account of course the perilous nature of “dry land” farming. I mean I’d hate to be sitting on a $1million crop of vegetables and praying for rain.

My guess there would be a lot of empty supermarket shelves and broke farmers.

FriYAY wrote on Jun 6^th, 2012 at 3:59pm:

adelcrow wrote on Jun 6th, 2012 at 3:35pm: FriYAY wrote on Jun 6th, 2012 at 3:25pm: adelcrow wrote on Jun 6th, 2012 at 3:20pm: FriYAY wrote on Jun 6th, 2012 at 3:19pm: adelcrow wrote on Jun 6th, 2012 at 12:13pm: Irrigation on those ancient soils will ruin the area forever..if you have to irrigate any crops in this country you are growing the wrong crops in the wrong area. :o Care to expand and tell us which areas which crops should be growing, so they don't have to be irrigated. :-/ I'd leave it as it is..why destroy a beautiful area forever? OK, so you were being a bit over dramatic. I’d leave it as it is as well. :) Not really..its not like SEAsia. We'll ruin the soils, groundwater and pretty much everything else if we irrigate such a delicate area. OK, so can you expand on this then? “If you have to irrigate any crops in this country you are growing the wrong crops in the wrong area” Care to tell us which crops we should grow where to avoid having to irrigate? Taking into account of course the perilous nature of “dry land” farming. I mean I’d hate to be sitting on a $1million crop of vegetables and praying for rain. My guess there would be a lot of empty supermarket shelves and broke farmers.

I suppose its ..more about the extent of the irrigation...flood etc.
Some states use irrigation on wheat, barley, canola etc whereas others like SA dont.
Irrigating citrus on dry porous sandy soils in the riverina/riverland is criminal where as minimal irrigation on rich loamy soil isn't a problem.

Deleted

FriYAY wrote on Jun 6^th, 2012 at 4:18pm:

Deleted

I was going to write..see above  :P

adelcrow wrote on Jun 6^th, 2012 at 4:18pm:

I suppose its ..more about the extent of the irrigation...flood etc. Some states use irrigation on wheat, barley, canola etc whereas others like SA dont. Irrigating citrus on dry porous sandy soils in the riverina/riverland is criminal where as minimal irrigation on rich loamy soil isn't a problem.

No.

You basically said we do not have to irrigate if we choose the right areas.

Here it is again....

“If you have to irrigate any crops in this country you are growing the wrong crops in the wrong area”

So, you admit this is not feasible?

And you were being over dramatic....

OK  8-)

____ wrote on Jun 6^th, 2012 at 3:49pm:

Shifting from a meat diet is one way for Australia to feed more people. Also this shows finding a sustainable outcome for water use and the murray darling is important. Alongside protecting water resources from mining pollution risks.

Screw that, Im eating my steak, chicken, pork and if I have to lamb.

Dont come at me with your vegi crap.

Verge wrote on Jun 6^th, 2012 at 4:27pm:

____ wrote on Jun 6th, 2012 at 3:49pm: Shifting from a meat diet is one way for Australia to feed more people. Also this shows finding a sustainable outcome for water use and the murray darling is important. Alongside protecting water resources from mining pollution risks. Screw that, Im eating my steak, chicken, pork and if I have to lamb. Dont come at me with your vegi crap.

Batmans a Vego

http://0.tqn.com/d/gossip/1/0/9/H/-/-/chris_bale_veg.jpg

The big fella is a vego

http://www.ecorazzi.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/michael-clarke-duncan-592x410.jpg

Verge wrote on Jun 6^th, 2012 at 4:27pm:

____ wrote on Jun 6th, 2012 at 3:49pm: Shifting from a meat diet is one way for Australia to feed more people. Also this shows finding a sustainable outcome for water use and the murray darling is important. Alongside protecting water resources from mining pollution risks. Screw that, Im eating my steak, chicken, pork and if I have to lamb. Dont come at me with your vegi crap.

Fine by me, just don't complain about the cost of feeding yourself luxury item priced food.

adelcrow wrote on Jun 6^th, 2012 at 3:48pm:

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Jun 6th, 2012 at 3:41pm: I am not sure the Chinese would be bothered. There's still plenty of cats to round up, put in a bag and dip them in boiling water... Lovely people that they are.... I hate to generalise but Asian people arent big on animal rights

You don't need to be Brigitte Bardot to have an issue with boiling cats alive, skinning dogs alive and clubbing them to death to increase taste.

I think its called common decency.

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Jun 6^th, 2012 at 5:04pm:

adelcrow wrote on Jun 6th, 2012 at 3:48pm: Andrei.Hicks wrote on Jun 6th, 2012 at 3:41pm: I am not sure the Chinese would be bothered. There's still plenty of cats to round up, put in a bag and dip them in boiling water... Lovely people that they are.... I hate to generalise but Asian people arent big on animal rights You don't need to be Brigitte Bardot to have an issue with boiling cats alive, skinning dogs alive and clubbing them to death to increase taste. I think its called common decency.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrxvxewC-gA

____ wrote on Jun 6^th, 2012 at 4:54pm:

Verge wrote on Jun 6th, 2012 at 4:27pm: ____ wrote on Jun 6th, 2012 at 3:49pm: Shifting from a meat diet is one way for Australia to feed more people. Also this shows finding a sustainable outcome for water use and the murray darling is important. Alongside protecting water resources from mining pollution risks. Screw that, Im eating my steak, chicken, pork and if I have to lamb. Dont come at me with your vegi crap. Fine by me, just don't complain about the cost of feeding yourself luxury item priced food.

I dunno...decent organic tofu is getting expensive

You do not have any right to take food from our country and our people to feed your empire.

adelcrow wrote on Jun 6^th, 2012 at 5:10pm:

____ wrote on Jun 6th, 2012 at 4:54pm: Verge wrote on Jun 6th, 2012 at 4:27pm: ____ wrote on Jun 6th, 2012 at 3:49pm: Shifting from a meat diet is one way for Australia to feed more people. Also this shows finding a sustainable outcome for water use and the murray darling is important. Alongside protecting water resources from mining pollution risks. Screw that, Im eating my steak, chicken, pork and if I have to lamb. Dont come at me with your vegi crap. Fine by me, just don't complain about the cost of feeding yourself luxury item priced food. I dunno...decent organic tofu is getting expensive

Buy it from an asian grocery. Fraction of the price of the duopoly supermarkets.

why not greens win? in the future united asian socialist republic we will all have to help each other out by specialising different regions to supply the masses.

Australian Beef, Lamb and Chickens for Australian tables only, ban all food exports.

____ wrote on Jun 6^th, 2012 at 5:13pm:

adelcrow wrote on Jun 6th, 2012 at 5:10pm: ____ wrote on Jun 6th, 2012 at 4:54pm: Verge wrote on Jun 6th, 2012 at 4:27pm: ____ wrote on Jun 6th, 2012 at 3:49pm: Shifting from a meat diet is one way for Australia to feed more people. Also this shows finding a sustainable outcome for water use and the murray darling is important. Alongside protecting water resources from mining pollution risks. Screw that, Im eating my steak, chicken, pork and if I have to lamb. Dont come at me with your vegi crap. Fine by me, just don't complain about the cost of feeding yourself luxury item priced food. I dunno...decent organic tofu is getting expensive Buy it from an asian grocery. Fraction of the price of the duopoly supermarket

We do most of our shopping at the Asian markets, groceries and your right its much cheaper and the vegies are heaps fresher

adelcrow wrote on Jun 6^th, 2012 at 12:13pm:

Irrigation on those ancient soils will ruin the area forever..if you have to irrigate any crops in this country you are growing the wrong crops in the wrong area.

top marks for the first part, fail for the second. Irrigation is often inappropriately used but I doubt you'd find too much professional support for NO IRRIGATION ANYWHERE. This isnt england where it rains every day.

longweekend58 wrote on Jun 6^th, 2012 at 5:18pm:

adelcrow wrote on Jun 6th, 2012 at 12:13pm: Irrigation on those ancient soils will ruin the area forever..if you have to irrigate any crops in this country you are growing the wrong crops in the wrong area. top marks for the first part, fail for the second. Irrigation is often inappropriately used but I doubt you'd find too much professional support for NO IRRIGATION ANYWHERE. This isnt england where it rains every day.

I did change my reply to say minimal irrigation in the appropriate regions

adelcrow wrote on Jun 6^th, 2012 at 4:18pm:

I suppose its ..more about the extent of the irrigation...flood etc. Some states use irrigation on wheat, barley, canola etc whereas others like SA dont. Irrigating citrus on dry porous sandy soils in the riverina/riverland is criminal where as minimal irrigation on rich loamy soil isn't a problem.

Our problem and the same one with the issue of the murray is that a fair solution for all concerned - including he environment - simply isnt possible without decimating our food production. The options we ahve are about minimising harm and compromising so that nobody is happy but nobody is UNhappy. it is the classic compromise scenario.

And while we are at it, we can enforce actual restrictions on river towns like Mildura which used to claim harsh restrictions yet the council watered the median strips every day during the afternoon along with everyone in town watering their lawns while other places got fined for washing their cars!

If I had to be a vegetarian I'd ask them to stick a permanent IV to my arm since they've already taken the joy out of food ....... why would you not want to eat meat? In fact, I'm having a couple of nice dukka coated porter house steaks ...... YUMMY ... don't get me wrong, I love my veggies, they go  really well with the steak .....

Stop stealing Australian meat to feed your empire you vicious evil greedy savages and take your vegetarian propaganda and shove it.  Get out of Australia - Get out of my country, Get out you corrupt liars.

Prevailing wrote on Jun 6^th, 2012 at 5:32pm:

Stop stealing Australian meat to feed your empire you vicious evil greedy savages and take your vegetarian propaganda and shove it.  Get out of Australia - Get out of my country, Get out you corrupt liars.

OH it's C/W still claiming ownership over something that isn't his. You actually have to get off your bludging arse and do something before you can own it. DER :D :D :D ;D ;D :P

Get your filthy hands of Australia and its resources scum - that food is for the Australian people, its ours it does not belong to your empire or profits.  Get out of our country and bow yourselves to the Will of the people you evil greedy lowlife thugs.  Gillard has no right to export any Australian food that is not surplus and no right to allow this country to be used as a food bowl to the world the way England did to Ireland.  Get out of our country you corrupt snakes..Get your hands off our food, energy, water and resources.

The British Royal Family engineered a famine that killed millions of people in Ireland by using that country as a food bowl to sustain its empire - thats right - they stole their food and let the people starve.  Stalin did the same thing to the Ukraine in the Soviet union.  We must not allow political thugs to do this to Australia - we must bring them down and exile them from our country.:P

Prevailing wrote on Jun 6^th, 2012 at 7:07pm:

The British Royal Family engineered a famine that killed millions of people in Ireland by using that country as a food bowl to sustain its empire - thats right - they stole their food and let the people starve.  Stalin did the same thing to the Ukraine in the Soviet union.  We must not allow political thugs to do this to Australia - we must bring them down and exile them from our country.:P

Whats wrong with killing the Irish?

Get out of my country you dog.  Whats wrong with killing imperialists then?

Prevailing wrote on Jun 6^th, 2012 at 7:23pm:

Get out of my country you dog.  Whats wrong with killing imperialists then?

they're not Irish

John Smith wrote on Jun 6^th, 2012 at 7:49pm:

Prevailing wrote on Jun 6th, 2012 at 7:23pm: Get out of my country you dog.  Whats wrong with killing imperialists then? they're not Irish

Hey if people are trying to starve Australians I am all for killing them.

Prevailing wrote on Jun 6^th, 2012 at 7:57pm:

John Smith wrote on Jun 6th, 2012 at 7:49pm: Prevailing wrote on Jun 6th, 2012 at 7:23pm: Get out of my country you dog.  Whats wrong with killing imperialists then? they're not Irish Hey if people are trying to starve Australians I am all for killing them.

Australia already exports the majority of it's produce ... and the proposal doesn't include existing agricultural land ... its about land that is currently not being used for agriculture being put to use to feed Australia .... Even if the proposal went through, we still produce more fresh produce then we currently use .

And I never said I was for it ...  I haven't made up my mind on this yet.... however your reasons for opposing it make no sense

Look, if some people are conspiring against the food water and border security of the Australian people, the Government should take them out with predator drones the way they would any terrorist scum.  Track down thier IP's and strike them.

What the hell is the government thinking of selling land to a non democratic country run by thugs?
The problem isn't not enough food but too many chinese.
We are a small population, we should not be flogging off our wealth to make rich investors richer. We should be giving every woman in the world free access to the pill, that will take the pressure off resource depletion.
Tax share turnover and abolish the corporate veil . (and religion)

The world is a better place when they take down terrorists with predator drones and anyone who conspires against the food, water, energy, border and economic security of the Australian people should be hunted down relentlessly as terrorists.

Who thinks the corporate world has been conspiring and waging war against the security and well-being of the Australian people and our ownership of our Government and country and should be declared criminal terrorist organizations and hunted down?

Did traitors and terrorists conspire to sell Australian sovereignty to China...

longweekend58 wrote on Jun 6^th, 2012 at 5:27pm:

And while we are at it, we can enforce actual restrictions on river towns like Mildura which used to claim harsh restrictions yet the council watered the median strips every day during the afternoon along with everyone in town watering their lawns while other places got fined for washing their cars!

I live in Mildura.

Your post is crap.

;)

adelcrow wrote on Jun 6^th, 2012 at 7:21pm:

Prevailing wrote on Jun 6th, 2012 at 7:07pm: The British Royal Family engineered a famine that killed millions of people in Ireland by using that country as a food bowl to sustain its empire - thats right - they stole their food and let the people starve.  Stalin did the same thing to the Ukraine in the Soviet union.  We must not allow political thugs to do this to Australia - we must bring them down and exile them from our country.:P Whats wrong with killing the Irish?

Well who would serve behind the bars and tarmack the driveways for 50 quid?

adelcrow wrote on Jun 6^th, 2012 at 5:19pm:

longweekend58 wrote on Jun 6th, 2012 at 5:18pm: adelcrow wrote on Jun 6th, 2012 at 12:13pm: Irrigation on those ancient soils will ruin the area forever..if you have to irrigate any crops in this country you are growing the wrong crops in the wrong area. top marks for the first part, fail for the second. Irrigation is often inappropriately used but I doubt you'd find too much professional support for NO IRRIGATION ANYWHERE. This isnt england where it rains every day. I did change my reply to say minimal irrigation in the appropriate regions

Changed your reply. Boy you let yourself off easy, hey. ;)

Back peddled a million miles an hour from a totally untenable comment.

Yeah, that sounds more like it. 8-)

(Though the “minimal irrigation in appropriate areas” is an ambiguous comment anyway)

You even threw in SA as some sort of “shinning light” then talked about irrigating citrus on sandy loam soils, just like they do in the Riverland.
::)