DROUGHT PROOF AUSTRALIA

It's a catch-phrase insidiously grabbing our attention

entering the lingo, a mantra for the decade

intoned by the PM and the equally egregious 'meeja'

until it rains.

Truth is ... Oz is waterproof

and we're in this Todd River regatta together

striving for footholds in sand and salt

and talking mightily through our freckles in euphemisms about 'challenges' and 'strategies'.

But together, we can start putting a few holes in that waterproofing

over the long-term and in many ways ... let's count 'em

educate the population about becoming water misers and mini-misers

offer big users of water incentives for more thought and less use

encourage and reward designers, planners and architects with awards ...

for washing machines or dishwashers with a save-cycle

or water-storage systems that recycle run-off into the ocean

it's a legacy worth striving for in this ... the driest continent on the planet

Pusillanimous politicians will postulate, prevaricate, procrastinate and pettifrog

about who pays what and when and where or why

on a positive note though ....

it's never too late for it will rain

Meanwhile, let's not be cargo-cultists

today, we can start to gather the manna that falls tomorrow ..

that will sustain the well from which we all drink

but only if we do it well and wisely