Providing environmental water to our farmers so they can grow fodder and food to get us through this dry period, currently there is about 3.5 Sydney Harbours of environmental water in storages.

The Murray and its tributaries have had many environmental flows over the past several years and are designed to go years without flooding. 

So, use the water put aside for the next years environmental flows towards farmers who are prepared to grow fodder and food to get us through this drought.

The need to do this is more important than ever.

If you are willing to gamble on the drought breaking in the next few months then you are happy to gamble with Australians lives, mental health and well being. 

Allocating some environmental water to farmers to grow fodder and food, without paybacks and financial gain will really show that social, economic and environmental outcomes are on equal footing.  

You have the power to do something. Don’t be the ones who destroy people’s lives. 

There was a meeting of the mayor and councillors at the library on July 30, where members of the public could ask questions.

I decided to ask about the chemical plant near the Sikh temple. I went to the library and met with the mayor and the councillors separately.

I asked them “why is the council not fighting the case in the higher court? The council should compel the owners to move the plant to the Hillston Road as there is plenty of land available there.”

The mayor’s response was that the owners have agreed to move the plant across the road.

“The common Sikhs are still disturbed very much. They think when the westerlies will blow the bad smells will still be coming to the Sikh temple,” I said.

I asked them about a lawyer who said in the temple that “these people can build a chemical plant only near a Sikh temple – they dare not build a chemical plant near a church."

We also worship one god in the Sikh temple. Sikh temple is also a house of God Almighty I think there is no difference between a church and the Sikh temple – I go to the church also. So the owners should not build a chemical plant near the Griffith Sikh temple. It was built by the contributions of the Sikhs all over Australia. The owners started building the plant only after the building of the Sikh temple was complete.

We at the Area News would love to showcase the fantastic photos being taken around Griffith and the MIA on our letters page each edition, as well as online. To submit your photo, email picture and details to editor@areanews.com.au or fill out this easy, mobile-friendly form.

I would like to thank the NSW community for their generous contributions to The Smith Family’s Winter Appeal.

We are very pleased to have raised over $4.5 million nationally to help thousands of disadvantaged children. 

The donations we’ve received will help us reach almost 11,000 children in need through The Smith Family’s out-of-school learning programs. It is heart-warming to see people responding with great care to this large-scale issue of poverty in Australia.