''Oh and Tasmania did run short of water during their drought and relied on Basslink connection.''
yes, they had a water crisis -------- but, as much as drought what they had was a management mega stuffup
insisting on selling power at very high profit margins - when they should have been conserving water - they just 'couldn't help themselves'
Tassie also has a power ravenous Bell Bay - which probably should have been sent packing decades ago - and the Tasmanian economy would have benefited hugely by selling the power that Bell Bay takes for a pittance long term contract prices ------ instead, selling the power off via Basslink at far far far higher prices - and reserving water for just those extreme high profit times