Tim Streater wrote
Rod Speed wrote
Tony Bryer wrote
The Other Mike wrote

It's not just Canberra either...

1,729.5mm Darwin
1,213.2mm Sydney
964.7mm Brisbane
850.0mm Perth

all the above having more rainfall more than
London, leaving just those below with less.

650.0mm Melbourne
616.2mm Hobart
544mm Adelaide

Yes, I came here in October 2008 at the end of a ten year drought.
In my first six or so months the dam levels fell from 31% to 26%.
In response to the 'something must be done' brigade our state
government commissioned a multi-billion desalination plant, still
under construction. Needless to say, since then it hasn't stopped
raining (until recently) - dam levels now 64.8% (at the end of summer).

And Sydney's desal got completed a while ago now, and its working,
and the main dam is more than 100% full, and the stupid politicians,
Labor, were actually stupid enough to write the contract so that the
desal plant is still working even when the water from it isnt needed
anymore. The voters have just given them the bums rush at the
ballot box very uncermoniously indeed, much more dramatically
than the state has ever seen in any election, ever.

What is it about Gumment entities that they are unable to write sensible contracts?

Dunno. Presumably the contract written that way got a higher tender offer.

God knows why some damned public servant didnt point that out to the pollys.

That govt was also stupid enough to go for a 60c/KWH gross feed in tarrif for solar electricity too.