RARE PRAISE FOR POLITICIAN
I just wanted to do something I have never done before in my life. Praise a politician.
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I just wanted to say a huge thank you to our local member Helen Dalton. She is there for our community and her electorate, which is huge by the way.
What a David and Goliath battle she has had trying to do what is right. And most importantly what the community knows is right. She is the real deal, a quiet achiever. Thank you Helen, If you don't know what she has done for us. Just type in her name on the internet, there is plenty to read.
She doesn't fly all over the country to the opening of a letter, for a photo opportunity. She is here working for us.
Ask anyone that has spent time with her, or knows her work. Once again, thank you Helen keep up the good work .You should hold your head high.
John Bisetto, Nericon
LOVING THE LIFESTYLE
This is my last edition of The Area News, and I have enjoyed every minute of it.
When I left Sydney last year for our 'tree change' I couldn't even tell you where Griffith was on the map. I thought I was leaving all that I loved about the city for the slow, perhaps a bit more mundane life.
What I have discovered in my six months getting to know this town as a reporter is that Griffith is vibrant, diverse and full of passionate people working tirelessly behind the scenes to fill this community with culture, art, good food, support and compassion.
Thank you all for sharing your time, stories and expertise with me and my readers and for everyone who has helped me feel that Griffith is now my home.
Kat Vella, Griffith
ARE THEY LISTENING?
There was one very clear message that I took from the visit to (the Murray region) this week by Water Minister Keith Pitt and his entourage - either the Federal Government is not listening, or it doesn't care.
Tossing a few crumbs to 'development' projects in the region is not going to return the prosperity that has been taken away through lost water. While $34 million in grants might sound impressive - and is a clever political way to divert attention from the real problems - it is chicken feed compared to the economic value that has been removed.
The problem we face is there is no longer reliable water availability in our region, despite it being the closest to the water storages and therefore the most efficient to deliver and use productively.
This is exacerbated by an inability to address unintended and adverse consequences of the Bain Plan, along with the problems we have around water trading. How can we compete against foreign traders who have no interest in growing the food needed for our nation and the world?
A key problem that Mr Pitt and his government's colleagues will not acknowledge and fix are issues around the huge volumes of water that are being wasted because, with questionable science and a failure to account for the impacts of climate change, we have legislative requirements to send huge volumes to the lower ends of the system. This cannot be done without damaging river banks and unnecessarily flooding forests, which not only causes immense environmental damage but also wastes precious water that could be used to grow food.
This all makes one thing glaringly obvious from Minister Pitt's visit - in the political game of winning seats and votes, we are dispensable. The government believes it will retain the seat of Farrer despite local protests, while at the same time not risking political damage in South Australia or losing important environmental votes in capital cities.
It has no intention of addressing the real problems that have been created by a Basin Plan built on poor science, nor the unintended consequences of water trading and investing. Our government does not care that policy developed to protect the environment is in fact destroying it.
Laurie Beer, Mayrung
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