"We’d love to have a lush lawn for our children to run around on and enjoy, but how can I carry on pouring so much water when others are so parched?"

Install a water tank to catch rainfall and use that to water your lawn?

From NORML: Cannabis (or hemp) farming in Canterbury are reporting no use of fertilizer, pesticides but most importantly NO IRRIGATION needed.

Which ever government is the first to legalize and support cannabis through the recession is going to have a major advantage. Its looking like it will be America (cali in particular) that reap the benefits but cmon New Zealand, we can do it.

Or redirect your washing machine/sink/basin outflow to a holding tank for watering the garden?

Or put yourself through the same RMA hurdles and costs in order to take your own bore water as the irrigators you say you criticise?

One way to keep your lawn looking green during the dry weather is to not cut it too short. My lawnmower is on the highest setting and the lawn is lush and soft, without any watering at all. It does need to be mowed more often so it doesn't look out of control, but that is just another way to get some exercise.

The blog is great, keep up the good work :-)

Of course everything is dry, it's summertime. Trying to have a green lawn in summer is the plain stupid and a waste of valuable drinking water. Forget your lawn, put it on the vege garden instead, NOT during midday either like some of those hypocritical Regional Councils and dumb*** farmers do.

So let me get this right, you criticise the NZ farmers who produce much needed food and provide employment even though you know there will be a shortage of both. You feel bad because some parts of Oz are very dry,(been drought there for many years nothing new ) and because your parents aren't able to water their garden and you can? But you don't even fix your leaky taps ?? That is the most unusual thinking I have read in a long time all ass about face to me.

Grey water (as Alan suggests) is an obvious answer. Now try rocking up to the Clueless City Council and getting a permit for this. By the time you've shelled out for:

A) - permit fees - scaffolding if it's an upstairs job - tradies (because amateurs Should Not Attempt This At Home) - and the joy of an RMA application if you're especially lucky

and compared this with core raw materials costs B) - basic tank (the old reccyled wine barrel at $100 from Bunnings) - pressure pump (unless you plan to flood or drip-irrigate) - pipe and fittings

you will be a sadder and wiser eco-germ.

FWIW, my estimate is that A = 3 (+/- 1) * B

Remind us all about the Incentives here?

Probably right, Waymad. I have a friend here who had an existing tank, plumbing and pump all running when he bought the house and the Council ordered him to close it down a few years ago.

Being a law-abiding type (unlike me) he did.