Kimberley Appropriate Economics Interim Report - Australian ...

Ord: Case study for inappropriate
development and poor planning
Tanya Vernes (WWF-Australia) & Tamsin Kilner
50
Introduction
The 650km long Ord River is one of the major river systems of Western Australia, stretching from it’s
source north-west of Halls Creek to empty into the Cambridge Gulf near Wyndham. The river has been
dammed twice; in 1961 the Kununurra Diversion Dam (KDD) was started, creating Lake Kununurra,
followed by the Ord River Dam (ORD) in 1973 forming Lake Argyle. The aim of the dams was to
provide water for irrigated agriculture within the Ord River Irrigation Area (ORIA) which currently
covers around 15,000ha with future plans to expand to 65,000ha under Stage II. The resulting large
inland water bodies are used for recreation, tourist boat charter, aquaculture and commercial fishing.
From an economic and social point of view, the river is a significant feature and attraction, however
many cultural values have been degraded since damming, including loss of heritage sites and disconnection
to country.
The Ord dam and associated agriculture are often advertised as a successful model for economic
development. However, the validity of the financial rationale supporting construction of the Ord River
Dam has been seriously questioned since its inception and in the 30 or so years it has been in operation,
the dam has been heavily subsidised. Further, the decision to dam the Ord was based on poor science
and lacking any ecological investigations or regard for Aboriginal custodians. As a result, there are
serious environmental and social repercussions. Mistakes of the past, made outside of a sustainability
assessment, with poor planning and lacking consultation, are now weighted on the current generations
to solve.
The purpose of the presentation is to give a perspective on the changes that have occurred since
damming and their impacts on local Aboriginal people and the environment. Social implications are
discussed, together with a brief history of how the decision to dam was taken, this draws heavily upon an
earlier review by Graham-Taylor (1982). The cultural consequences of construction are then described,
followed by the environmental effects of damming the river. The final section of the paper is concerned
with the economic validity of the project as a whole. In order to learn from past mistakes a critique of
the sustainability of the Ord Stage 1 will be given, highlighting issues for consideration prior to further
development. The Ord River is an example of a valuable river system with diverse benefits to many
people, and future planning decisions will impact directly and indirectly on a number of systems and
values.
1. Social
The decision to dam the Ord was influenced by the political climate of the time, most notably a
struggle for control of the north between the State and the Commonwealth governments (Graham-
Taylor 1982). In addition, there existed a fear of invasion from Asia and there was much debate
in parliament and in the press to develop measures for protection from the “thousand millions
of coloured people adjacent to West Australian shores” (Graham-Taylor 1982). Populating the
landscape (with settlers) could provide some protection and allay these safety concerns in part.
Early surveys of the Ord River valley showed agricultural potential and began the dream of opening
up the “unexploited tropical north” (Graham-Taylor 1982). Alexander Forrest’s exploration report
of the Ord and Fitzroy valleys in the late 1870s sparked an interest in these areas for the pastoral
industry and soon after the first enterprises began (Graham-Taylor 1982).
In 1926 the Commonwealth government offered to assume responsibility of the north-west (north
of the 26th parallel) but the Western Australian government did not accept. Having rejected the
Commonwealth’s offer the WA government was under pressure to formulate a policy for the