What a disgrace Australia is, don’t you think? Consider this over a glass of murky water, if you still have one:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7211833/China-revealed-biggest-foreign-owner-Australian-water.html?fbclid=IwAR2nFRr7AzHW9CZssODCjK1JtA00ayR64YCGiYAlG9eze1fmzFcMcjtJSeE
“Australia's water market should be more closely monitored after it emerged China is the largest foreign stakeholder, experts say. The Federal Government in March revealed that 10.4 per cent of Australian water rights are owned by foreign individuals or companies. Chinese investors own 732 gigalitres or 1.89 per cent of the water on the market - an amount more than Sydney Harbour which holds 500 gigalitres. In close second, Americans own 720 gigalitres (1.86 per cent) while British buyers own 414 gigalitres or 1.1 per cent. A string of investors from countries including Canada, France and Singapore own 0.5 per cent or less. The figures were revealed in a new ATO register of foreign ownership which was set up to monitor who owns Australia's most precious natural resource. But as China flexes its muscles on the global stage and seeks strategic influence across the world, experts say we must keep a close watch. A total of 10.4 per cent of our water being owned by foreigners is a significant amount,' Professor Quentin Grafton of the Australian National University told Daily Mail Australia. 'As such, it is important that Australians know who is using our water - it's a public resource and it's critically important to the country.
'We need to know who owns our land and who owns our water.' Professor Grafton said foreign ownership of Australian water is not necessarily problematic. 'Investors are not allowed to export the water so it has to be used in Australia,' he said. But the water economist said the government should watch carefully to stop anyone abusing their market power by hoarding water to push the price up. 'The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is currently looking into whether foreign and domestic owners are doing this,' he said. 'The issue comes in the context of market power and that is an issue that has been raised.' Asked whether he knew of any foreign entities hoarding water, he said: 'I have no evidence of that.' Professor Grafton said one thing that may help guard against hoarding is forcing buyers to state publicly how they use their water. 'Every individual or corporation that uses water should submit an annual plan,' he said. 'At the moment we don't know for sure what water is being used for - we can only guess based on the location and context.' For the register, the ATO asked foreign owners to declare how they use their water. A total of 66.5 per cent said they used it for agriculture while 26.3 per cent said it was for mining. But the ATO admits these figures only give an 'indication' because the uses are self-reported by the owner.
Water is often described the world's most precious resource and is particularly dear in parts of Australia that have been locked in severe drought for three years. Australia has some of the largest water markets in the world where companies and individuals can buy and sell access to water in a trade worth up to $3billion per year. Much of Australia's water, including 65 per cent of the Murray-Darling Basin, is protected by the government, meaning it cannot be traded. But a sizable portion can be bought and sold on the open market, and even be snapped up by foreigners. The foreign ownership figures raised concerns that Chinese companies are deliberately buying water as part of a state strategy. When the register came out in March, Conservative Party South Australian Senate candidate Rikki Lambert told the ABC: 'It's strategic because these countries are wanting to shore up their own food security and growing food in another country so they're not using their own water resources at home.'Asked if too much foreign ownership of water could be a problem, Professor Grafton said: 'We'll have to wait and see.' But federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said there was nothing to worry about.””
Nothing to worry about? Typical. It is a disgrace, no, it borders on national suicide, that in the driest continent on earth, water is sold off as part of a globalist market. If there is a need for careful regulation of anything, it is the precious resource of water. What if the Chinese decide to take it all home with them? What will we drink then? Dirt?
“'At the moment, there's a small percentage of water owned by foreign interests and much of that is by one property - Cubbie Station,' he said. The Cubbie Station is a massive Queensland cotton farm largely owned by a Chinese textiles company. The station's water storage dams stretch for more than 28 kilometres along the Culgoa River in the Murray-Darling basin - and the station can use up to 500,000 megalitres per year. Similarly, chief executive of the National Irrigators Council, Steve Whan, said foreign ownership was not a problem.”
What does it take for these elites to see a problem with foreign ownership? If Australia was sold 100 percent, would they see a problem then? I imagine not, for this would simply be globalisation and privatisation in action. It makes me tired, world weary, to see Australia going down the same stupid road, year after year, decade after decade. How long before we are put out of our misery?