Hurry Save The Murray!

It is the festive season. Time to celebrate and the Fresh Water Embassy was in full swing on the steps of Parliament House today with their Awards Ceremony to mark a year of struggle and to present distinctive gifts to key players in the fight to save the River Murray, Lakes Alexandrina and Albert and the Coorong.

The South Australian and Commonwealth Governments have delivered early “Christmas presents” for the environment.

1. A Referral under the Environment Protection Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC) asking the Federal Minister, Peter Garrett, to extend the life of the so called “temporary regulators” for an indefinite period. We have 10 working days to respond to 140+ pages of technical materials, plus several pages of references. (Due Dec. 15)

2. An invitation for input to the Environment Impact Statement (EIS) that will “allow” seawater into the Lower Lakes.

3. A call to comment on the “Development of Sustainable Diversion Limits for the Murray. (Due December 18)

The Embassy felt is was only fair that we joined in the spirit of giving and sang the odd Murray Christmas carol for our politicians!

See video of Awards Presentation.

AWARDS

State Winners:

David Winderlich was there to receive his “Swan Reach Bowling Club Good Listener Award”.

Mark Parnell was gracious in accepted his “Private Member’s Bill for a Public Inquiry into Water Management Endurance Award”.

Adrian Pederick was hard at work on the West Coast so Stephen Wade accepted the “Meningie Show Day Community Consulting Award” on his behalf.

Robert Brokenshire was likewise out in his electorate but delighted to receive the “Berri Back-of-Ute Passionate Advocacy Speech Award”

Nick Xenophon, represented by John Darley, won “The Billion Dollar Man (well almost) Economic Stimulus Award”.

Sarah Hanson-Young, who had just flown into Adelaide, rushed to the steps of Parliament House and took out “The Bioremediation Economic Stimulus Award”.

What a team!

Not so auspicious.

Karlene Maywald, also out in her electorate sent her apologies. Her “Worst Case Scenario Award” was accepted by a member of the Fresh Water Embassy with a “Minister on a stick”.

There followed some spontaneous street theatre as various members of the Embassy accepted awards for absent Ministers.
Kevin Foley “Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People Award”
Penny Wong “Appointing Experts and Not Listening to Experts Award”

Kevin Rudd, Peter Garrett, Mike Rann and Jay Weatherill shared “Being Ministers but Not Being There Shared Virtual Awards”

We then enjoyed a spirited singing of “Everything needs fresh water” to the tune of “Good King Wenceslas” by the hurriedly assembled Choir of Slow Drips.
Our rulers Rudd and Rann looked out
On the dying Murray
Tortoises lay round about
Dead and sick and poorly
Once it was a perfect place
Full of life and future
Now it’s just a broken mess
Waiting for some wa-a-ter

Wong and Garret are perplexed
With the current problem
Greed is there in every state
Sucking up the water
We really need to stop it now
And save the Lakes and Coorong
Together we can be the ones
To save the mighty Mur-ray

And the gift of the Embassy to the River? A promise to stand together as “We the people” in the run up to the election and after.

• Cheltenham Park Residents Association
• Adelaide Stormwater Recovery - Brownhill Creek
• Save Adelaide Coastal Waters – Friends of Gulf St Vincent
• The Problems with Desalination – Save Our Gulf Coalition
• Friends of the Earth
• Australian Conservation Foundation
• River, Lakes and Coorong Action Group
• Fair Water Use (Australia)
• Cuttlefish Coast Coalition
• Upper Spencer Gulf - Save Point Lowly
• Conservation Council of SA Water

It is a powerful coalition that will continue to ask: If re-elected, what will be your policy on water?

To hear the responses from the awardees click on Fresh Water Awards Presentation