Where the Bloody Hell Were You?

Here in South Australia, water is a topical issue.

The demise of the lower lakes has made headline news.

Our television screens were filled with images of the suffering of drought stricken communities.

That vision tugged at our heart strings - as did the shocking footage of the environmental devastation caused by the drought.

The water in the lower lakes became so salty that the prolific aquatic wildlife either died or suffered from awful calcification and parasitic worms.

The Murray river was drying up before our very eyes, regulators and dam walls were built at a massive cost to the taxpayer - tens of millions of dollars invested for things we never really needed.

And where were the politicians? Nowhere to be seen. They scampered away like river rats.

But how the tables have turned.

We've had an exceptionally wet winter and early spring - our dams are brimming with water and the lower lakes are slowly being rejuvenated by floodwaters from across the border.

It's all good news. So suddenly, every politician and his minder has come out of the woodwork to ride on the back of this sudden "salvation".

Everyone is talking up the water ... our water restrictions in SA have been lifted ... pollies are having a wow of a time riding on the back of what nature has provided.

But, "they" didn't make it rain, despite the fact that some would have us believe that they are a responsibile for this sudden turnaround in fortunes.

Forget about the fact that all the dams, roads and regulators are now not necessary; taxpayers money has been spent on infrastructure that is now defunct.

It's all about the pollies and the spin doctors talking up how they are helping to save the lower lakes and the Murray - honestly 6 months ago you couldn't get an interview with a water minister, now they're everywhere.

But, what our politicians on both sides should realise is that Mother Nature is a fickle woman; she has the power to turn fortunes and our current wealth of water may be short lived.

We're experiencing a LaNina this year - a weather pattern that usually creates wetter and cooler than average conditions - mostly across the eastern states.

But it won't last forever, we may yet again fact drought conditions.

So, I guess the river rats will go scampering back under cover.