Hurry Save The Murray!

“Join us in the fight of our lives,” read the invitation to the River, Lakes and Coorong Action Group Inc (RLCAG) fund-raising dinner on Saturday October 31. “Help us save the Murray! Save Lake Alexandrina! Save Lake Albert! Save the Coorong! No weir at Wellington!”

In response to this call for support, over 130 people gathered at the Clayton Community Hall. Under the expert guidance of Gloria Jones, the bare hall was transformed into a festive dining room. Teams of volunteers prepared and served local food and wines, decorated the hall, organised a silent auction, a live auction, live music and cleaned up afterwards.

“We are still counting and donations are still coming in,” said Professor Diane Bell of the RLCAG, “But it looks like we have raised over $7,000. What remarkable effort by a community that has been at the forefront of the struggle to save the lakes for so long! We are now in an excellent position to continue the fight and to take our message to Adelaide. We’re not slowing down or going away.”

Anne Hartnett, Chair of the RLCAG, noted that is was just on 3 years ago, on Melbourne Cup Day 2006, that Premier Rann proposed a weir across the River Murray near Wellington. Since that time the RLCAG has campaigned vigorously against building weirs/dam/regulators/bunds that disconnect the river from the lake and the tributaries and has advocated addressing over-allocation instead of blaming the drought.

“Our People’s Movement is gaining momentum,” said Diane Bell. “Our supporters came from Adelaide, Mannun, Murray Bridge, Meningie, around Lakes Albert and Alexandrina, from Milang, Finniss, Pt Sturt, Clayton Bay, Langhorne Creek, Strathalbyn, Normanville and the Adelaide Hills. They represented many different issues and organisations but when it came to the crisis we are facing, there was one voice: We need fresh water. We need a healthy river. Flooding the lakes with sea-water is not the solution.”

RLCAG supporters were joined by Adrian Pederick, Liberal member for Hammond, and SA Independent Senator Nick Xenophon, while Independent MLA David Winderlich and SA Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young sent apologies.

“We’re in this together,” Adrian Pederick stressed as he enumerated the growing coalition of concerned communities up river and their resolve to work towards a solution for the river.

“I’ll be meeting with Peter Garrett,” Nick Xenophon announced and pledged to fight against flooding the lakes with sea-water.

Each speaker emphasised that water was the critical agenda issue for the upcoming election and all candidates would be grilled on their platform.