Ms Liz Connell has been appointed as Drought Co-ordinator for the northern areas region.
Ms Connell will co-ordinate drought related initiatives on behalf of local communities and be the main point of contact for farmers and regional organisations to go to for help on drought related matters.

She is currently Community Coordinator and Manager of the Visitor Information Centre with the Clare and Gilbert Valleys Council and previously worked as a Regional Farmbis Co-ordinator with Rural Solutions SA for two years.

Drought co-ordinators have also been appointed for the River Murray Corridor (Jim Caddy) and Eyre Peninsula (Brenton Parsons) as part of the State Government’s $70 million drought relief package.

Their roles include supporting and providing support to regional Drought Taskforces, assisting the development and delivery of drought related programs in their regions, and promoting information about support services available to drought affected producers, small business and communities.

The latest Drought Update from the Murray Darling Basin Commission (MDBC) indicates that storage volumes are currently 550 GL lower than at the same time last year.

The Commission says that increased flow rates will be observed over summer by preferentially drawing on the downstream storages - firstly Lake Victoria, then Hume and lastly Dartmouth Reservoir.

All efforts are being made to delivery water more efficiently, including lowering weir pools to reduce evaporative losses in order to conserve as much water as possible in Dartmouth Reservoir.

The Bureau of Meteorology states that a La Nina event is now well established and was starting to have its effects felt in Australia (for more information please visit www.bom.gov.au).

The flow at the South Australian border is currently 3 500 ML/day compared to the normal minimum daily entitlement flow for December of 7 000 ML/day.

A copy of the MDBC Drought Update is available at www.mdbc.gov.au

The drought’s impact on the River Murray has been further felt with the upstream Mannum Ferry closing last week.

Director of Road and Traffic Management, Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure (DTEI), Flett Steele said the downstream service remains viable and increased numbers of people working on this service during busy periods aimed to reduce delays.

DETI is preparing for the potential impacts on other ferries downstream of Lock 1. At this stage ferry services above Lock 1 will not be affected.

Falling river levels are the primary reason services are impacted and a 12 tonne weight restriction is applied – predominantly applying to semi trailers and truck/trailer combinations.

Based on river level modelling, ferries at Tailem Bend, Walker Flat, Purnong, Swan Reach will be subject to such weight restrictions.

Predicted weight restrictions are likely to be implemented as follows, dependant on evaporation rates:

• late December 2007:  Tailem Bend  (Alternative – Swanport Bridge)
• January 2008:  Walker Flat, Purnong  (Alternative – Blanchetown/Swanport Bridge)
• March 2008:  Swan Reach  (Alternative – Blanchetown Bridge)

Wellington and Narrung ferry services should continue to operate unrestricted for now.

“It is vitally important we give all stakeholders the opportunity to be as prepared as possible because the reality is river levels continue to drop,” Mr Steele said.

“Any vehicles above the 12 tonne weight limit will need to make contingency plans.”

DTEI will work with emergency services, primary producers and school bus operators through this period.

The festive season can be a stressful time, with the pressures of spending money, selecting gifts and entertaining family members. It can also bring pack painful memories and create strong emotions.
 
For those people already dealing with drought-related stresses, it can be particularly challenging.

There is an expectation that Christmas is a happy time, which can make it especially disappointing when hopes aren’t fulfilled.

But there are things you can do to make Christmas as stress free as possible. Consider the following tips from Country Health:

• set a limit on the cost of presents
• if you are hosting Christmas Day, ask people attending to share the cost or to bring a component of the meal
• try to have a rest day before Christmas
• lower your expectations of a "perfect" Christmas
• organise any parenting issues well in advance so there are no last minute complications
• try and clear the air with anyone you’ve had a recent disagreement with before you see them on Christmas Day
• be mindful of any stressful situations or family issues that might arise and try to avoid revisiting previous quarrels
• watch your alcohol intake (and avoid saying something you might regret)
• focus on the positive things about people rather than the negative and try to not to be critical.

If you are worried about a loved one over the festive season, you can support them by:

• encouraging them to talk about their experiences and letting them know you are there to listen without being judgmental
• suggesting they see a health professional
• assisting them to make an appointment and/or going with them to see a health professional
• talking openly about the person’s health and assisting them to find information
• encouraging them to exercise, eat well and stay involved in social activities
• keeping in touch and encouraging close friends and family to do the same.

It’s unhelpful to:

• pressure them to ‘snap out of it’, ‘get their act together’ or ‘cheer up’
• avoid them
• tell them they just need to stay busy or get out more
• assume the problem will just go away.

It’s important to seek help if you, or someone you know, are not coping. Call Rural and Remote Mental Health Services on 13 14 65 for support and assistance.

A temporary moratorium has been imposed on the drilling of new domestic bores in Adelaide from 7 December 2007 to ensure that groundwater levels in the shallow aquifer don’t deplete significantly during the current drought.

The decision affects the central region of the Central Adelaide Prescribed Wells Area – extending from Outer Harbour to Marino and bordering the Western Mount Lofty Ranges (from Houghton to Cherry Gardens).

The temporary moratorium will be reviewed next spring ahead of anticipated Summer demand.

The Minister for Environment and Conservation, Gail Gago, said her department had received a considerable increase for permits to drill new bores since July this year when tougher water restrictions were imposed no mains water supplies.

Domestic bores tap into the shallow aquifer which has been in modest decline in the last three years and in some areas is approaching record lows of 1999. This can result in decreased water pressure, water availability and increased salinity.

All applications submitted before the 7 December moratorium will undergo the usual consideration process. People with exceptional circumstances such as no other water source may have their special needs considered on a case-by-cases basis.

A temporary prohibition on new commercial, industrial and irrigation groundwater use in the Central Adelaide Prescribed Wells Area since 2005, remains in place.

An online “one-stop shop” that provides information on State Government concessions is designed to cut through the difficulties that people have in finding out what concessions are available to them, including council rates, energy, emergency services levy, public transport and water and sewerage rates.  A hotline number allows people without ready access to a computer to access the information.

The Concessions Finder is on the Department for Families and Communities website at www.sa.gov.au/concessions.  The Concessions Hotline is 1800 307 758.

Drought E-News is a regular newsletter updating the State Government’s drought response. If you’ve been forwarded this E-News and you would like to subscribe, click on the link below, complete the details and you will receive drought E-News in the future.

Feedback is always welcome, email Drought News.