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SA Water blamed for dry basin

SA Water is being blamed for the drying up of one of Eyre Peninsula's underground basins.

The Polda Basin, which is near Elliston, hasn't been pumped from since June in an attempt to stop the water levels from dropping and the salinity levels rising.

Landholders in the area have met with representatives from SA water.

Noel Linsell has land near the basin and is the spokesman for the other landholders.

He says SA water have not done enough.

"I blame SA water and the management and their expertise who I think never got out of an office chair to really come and have a look at the state of the basin."

SA Water were contacted and a statement from them says:

"SA Water holds a licence to pump water from the Polda Basin, which is issued by the Department for Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation. As part of the licence agreement the DWLBC sets an annual water allocation that we can pump from the Basin."

"In June this year SA Water committed to immediately stop pumping water from the Polda Basin - except for in emergency situations. This commitment was the result of a meeting which was held with the Eyre Peninsula Natural Resources Management Board and the local landholders who were concerned about the state of the basin."

Local WAB member joins in international conference

When you gather 130 women in one room with some problems to be solved...there is no doubt they will get to the bottom of things.

This was all happening at the Associated Country Women of the World's South Pacific Area Conference which was in Perth recently.

Women in Agriculture and Business were strongly represented from South Australia.

Tumby Bay's Barb Millard went along for the Eyre Peninsula and says she enjoys the meetings because she can catch up with other women involved in agriculture.

"This is my third South Pacific Area Conference that I have been too and over the years the friendships that you gain from these conferences and meeting the delegates and the learning is just great."

Facebook farmers

Matt Brann

When you think of a jackaroo, most people picture a burly bloke sitting high up on his horse rounding up sheep.

But many of those average jackaroos are now flocking to the internet and a site known as Facebook.

"Ringers from the Top End" has become one of the more popular groups on facebook and has more than 800 members...most of whom have worked in the cattle industry.

Simon Cheatham started the group because he wanted to find out what his old friends were up to since he last saw them.

"At the end of th season all of your mates either stay on at the station or they go and work elsewhere or go to uni so you sort of lose contact.

"I wanted to find a forum where you could find your old mates that you worked with and also have a place to share your stories."