A dam and canal system or systems in the northern parts of Australia

This is a past submission to Australian insurance council's competition completed on 6 April 2010, but it did not win.

What: to gradually build a dam and canal system or systems in the northern parts of Australia

Purpose: prevent floods and to regulate rain water to improve water supplies in other parts of Australia or river systems

How:

1. Making an overarch and flexible plan

2. Survey the geographies

3. Gather rain fall information, floods and etc

4. Start with the easiest parts

5. Start with the parts that contribute directly to floods control and prevention for communities with maximum benefits

6. Start with smaller dam and canal sizes and increase them gradually

7. Gradually build some dams first

8. Gradually build some canals/rivers to guide rain waters to dams and away from communities on flood routes

9. Gradually build canals to connect those dams with rivers, towns or cities where water is needed and water supply has increasingly become an issue

10. Parts of the canals may be large water pipes

11. Partner with local communities, councils, State and federal governments for priorities, cost and benefit

12. It could be imagined that over time, such system or systems will have huge benefits in terms of local floods control, community floods prevention, water ways improvement and water storage, providing more secure water supply for towns and cities

Why:

1. The northern parts of Australia have more rainfalls and can often encounter floods

2. Many communities in those areas are often subject to floods and damages by floods

3. There are often water shortage and droughts in many parts of Australia

4. It makes sense economically and environmentally to have a system that can both use the more abundant water from rainfall in the north and overcome or at least alleviate water shortages in other parts of Australia

5. Of course, it will improve the living environment of many parts of Australian communities

When:

1. It can start at any time once some basic work has been done and designs are made

Where:

1. Starts with Queensland, and canals can flow to NSW

2. Then extends to the NT

Benefits:

1. reduce floods to some communities and farms in the relevant areas

2. potentially improve the environmental flows of rivers

3. improve water supply to some parts of Australia

Costs:

1. Variable, depending on scale of the scheme

2. Could use work for the dole type employment scheme

3. Increase work scale when economic activities are slack