if the rains predicted come will ctp be broke?, page-14

OK, I will take the bait and jump in with some facts on the wet season in the NT. Until 6 months ago, I lived in Mt Isa for 5 years. I lived in Darwin for 20 years until late 2001.
So compared to many on here, I can probably be deemed a sort of 'expert' on the weather in the NT/ North West Qld area.

To get a grip of the wet season rains, you need a large map of the NT/NW Qld area, in enough detail that you can study the terrain and which way rivers will run when flooded.

I won't restrict this to the Kintore area but will include some in on the Georgina Basin, as that is very relevant given BKP's last announcement.

So, here goes and expecting to get a good 'kicking' so to speak:

Darwin NT to the Three Ways (so called becasue you can go through to Townsville, or to Adelaide, or to Darwin) is alomst exactly 1000 km from Darwin CBD (driven it many times). Road is excellent thanks to all the federal money poured into the NT economy - but even in low lying areas between Darwin and say, Mataranka (400 km south) the road will flood in any normal wet season. So, as an example, Katherine (325 km south of Darwin CBD) had a '1 in 100 year flood' in 1998. Since then, it has flooded 3 times I think.
So that should tell you one thing - the climate change and global warming is definitely affecting the NT weather - it's just that hardly anyone lives there compared to down south, so no one hears much about it.

Next lesson: Staying with the three ways (1000 km to the south of Darwin CBD), if you look Eastwards, you will see a massive body of water called 'The Gulf of Carpentaria'.
THis is very tropical and extends down to Karumba (featured by the weatherman on Ch 7 'Sunrise' show today) and Karumba is only 300 km due north of Mt Isa, the biggest town in the Qld outback. It is approx 500 kms drive from the three ways to Mt Isa. I can assure you, this major road (and only road) that goes all the way to Townsville, very definitely does flood and/or, get closed in the wet season, due to, in part, massive potholes forming that are big enough to swallow a small Suzuki Alto. Even Landcruisers can struggle and if the road is closed, it is the police who close it.

Now, lesson 3: if your map is big enough, stay in the same area and notice which way all the rivers run - all but one that is. They run into the Gulf of Carpentaria. The expection is the Georgina River which is the only river running south - all the way into Lake Eyre - which if anyone you have watched the ABC in the last 12 months, you will be aware became an inland sea - Twice in two years running, where it normally floods once in 20 years.
Hence BKP's recent decision to get out of the Georgina Basin (note the word Basin) til next dry season.

If you are still with me, here is the final bit. Kintor lies due west of Alice Springs and ALice Springs is 600 km from the three ways. So, we are into desert country now BUT note comments above about Lake Eyre and global warming.
If your map is big enough, you will see the area leading to it is called Haasts Bluff, indicating higher land and the road seems to run along this - but bear in mind, major highways can flood in the NT/NW QLd so impagine what a minor road could do to your vehicle.
If you look immediately south west of Kintore, you should
see Lake McDonald. Note the few rivers, dry most of the years, do run off Haasts Bluff and into the Lake McDonald area. Refer to above comments about the Georgina Basin and Lake Eyre.

In conclusion, no one can say (anymore) with certainty, that you will never get flooding in the Desert areas of the NT.
If you want further proof, follow the map back northwards, to the Tanami Desert and there, right on the edge of it(literally) is Lajamanu. I got stuck there in 1999, driving a Govt Nissan Patrol, brand new becasue the female driver failed to listen to my shouts of dismay as she approached a 1 km wide section of water just outside Lajamanu - I was yelling : "Slow down, you need to get into 4 wd drive and 2nd gear NOW". She decided to approach at speed and in 4th gear. Even a Nissan Patrol can't account for stupid drivers. We eventually when I got in the driver seat and did what I had told said female to do - 4wd drive and 2nd gear and keep the speed constant.

The end.