Is desalinization a solution for water shortages? Australia's experience

Click on this link to read a New York Times story (7-10-10) about the pros and cons of desalinization plants as a response to droughts and over-consumption of fresh water.  Are there better solutions, such as water conservation and population reduction, or is this expensive and energy-consuming technology the most realistic solution?  Attached is a video that was included in the WorldNews site that repeated the NYT article.