Hurry Save The Murray!

It rained and rained and we stood in solidarity.

Communities from along the River Murray, from the Lower Lakes to Mildura gathered on the river at Grieger’s Sandbar just out of Swan Reach. They came to decry the appalling state of the river, to name the mismanagement, and to call for an independent national authority to manage the entire Murray-Darling Basin in the interests of all Australians. Read more of the protest.

The bus load from Milang had written a song for the occasion and all present sang with one voice to the Prime Minister.

He’s got the whole river, in his hands

He’s got the whole wide river, in his hands,

He’s got the whole river, in his hands,

Kevin, take a stand.

Don’t forget to pass the cursor over the pic to see the caption. Click on the image to enlarge it. More photographs on Di Bell’s flickr page

The staff of the Embassy paused tonight and took stock. We have staffed the Fresh Water Embassy every day for 7 weeks (except last Saturday which was the RLCAG AGM).

Stay tuned: more pics to come.

New schedule: As of next week, the Embassy will be open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Please visit. See the devastation created by damming the River at Clayton and imagine what a weir below Wellington will look like.

Our mission: We set out to keep a peaceful vigil for the duration of the construction and we have done so. The Embassy has occupied a public space and we are very proud of the way in which we have negotiated our presence at Clayton Bay. We have created a place of respect, a refuge and a place of learning. We are proud of the protesters who have put their bodies on the line and delighted at the way in which the courts have meted out justice. We congratulate those who have created and continue to create memorials.

A day in the life of… The Embassy has had up to 60 visitors day. They have come to look. They have come with their questions. We have sat, talked, shared stories, a cuppa and scones. Each day we have set up the Embassy, the flags, the displays, the brochures, photographs, maps, the save-the-turtle materials, the banners, corflutes and lit the fires. Each evening we have taken it down.

And now? Now the Dam/Regulator has closed over the channel between Kumarangk (Hindmarsh Island) and Clayton Bay. The fresh water can no longer flow to Lake Alexandrina.

The pumps are being installed and soon the 24/7 pumping will start. We will be watching and reporting.

The Finniss regulator is stalled and the Currency Creek is not yet completed. The construction is happening out of public view in restricted areas. But we will be watching and calling for the folly to halt.

The Embassy is scaling down at Clayton Bay but will be ramping up for the fight against the proposed weir at Pomanda Island.

The Embassy is mobile. Next week we will be travelling to Swan Reach to join with other communities along the River.

Look for the yellow and black banners, Look for the critique of knee jerk responses to the crisis in the lower Murray and Lakes.

Embassy resolve. Thanks to all our supporters and to those who would promote more weirs as a solution to the crisis created by decades of mismanagement, we say ,”Take heed. We are not going away. We are watching and we will be taking action.”

Murray supporters are everywhere.

Watch out for the myriad of responses to the tradegy we have been forced to watch unfold day by painful day.  Hundreds of white crosses appeared on the foreshore at Clayton Bay on August 7 but this inspired “Death of a River Installation” was taken down that evening by the contactors. The floral tribute of the same day has survived.

In the last few days other symbolic representations have appeared: one huge and one smaller cross cut into the long grass of a paddock, crosses on private property, crosses at intersections and little yellow coffins floating on the black mud.

People are grieving, angry, frustrated and determined to continue the campaign for bioremediation, revegetation and keeping the river, lakes and tributaries connected.

All who share our concern for Australia’s River are invited to make their own memorials.