One of our most celebrated and much-loved singer songwriters, Sara Storer, will team up with her brother, Greg Storer and the quintessential Australian band, The Bushwackers to perform at a Great Artesian Basin Protection Group (GABPG) fundraising concert at Armatree to raise funds for the #War4Water campaign.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The historic Armatree Hotel, will play host to the 2018 #War4Water concert, the first of it’s kind, held Sunday, June 3 commencing at 1pm.
The Great Artesian Basin (GAB) provides the only reliable source of fresh water throughout much of inland Australia, the world’s driest inhabited continent. GAB water is the lifeblood that links communities across this dry country and GABPG are determined to save this priceless and finite resource for future generations of Australians before it is too late.
More stories:
The #War4Water campaign focuses on serious threats to the environmental integrity of the Great Artesian Basin.
The immediate threat that mining and coal seam gas related industries has to this precious water has seen GABPG’s support swell. The #War4Water concert is an exciting opportunity to raise funds for the regional fight to protect their water and their way of life.
Sara Storer is one of Australia’s most celebrated and much-loved singer songwriters who became involved in the fight to save the Great Artesian Basin when the farms of her family came under threat from mining and coal seam gas companies.
In Sara’s own words, she grew up a farmer’s daughter.
“We relied and survived on two things, water and good music,” Sara said. and when I became aware of what those greedy and reckless industries were intending to do to my family’s livelihood and the livelihoods of their friends and neighbours, I got together with my brother Greg to write the song ‘Unite’ and help stage a concert to raise awareness and to build a fighting fund.”
Apart from being an award-winning singer and songwriter and a major contributor to his sister Sara’s songs, Greg is a farmer from the Warren district of NSW and is committed to the cause.
“All my life I've been taught the value of water and I reckon it’s getting harder and harder to come by. Coal Seam Gas threatens one of the greatest water storage systems on our planet - the great artesian basin. Let's fight it! Help fund the fight that is WAR4WATER.”
The Bushwackers, are well known for taking a stand against injustice.
Singer Dobe Newton elaborated, saying The Bushwackers had always been a band whose songs have a message.
“We’ve supported and sung about unions and life on the land throughout our 47-year career,” Newton said. “We’re very proud to be lending our voice to the ‘Lock The Gate’ movement and to the #War4Water concert.
“Our music sings of rural life and farming communities and that’s what’s really important in this movement. Water, farming land and the lives of the people who depend on the land and make Australia a wonderful food bowl for the world is crucial for our survival and our sense of who we are.”
The band recently released their 24th studio album, The Hungry Mile, which contained the modern protest song, Leave It In The Ground, written by veteran band member Roger Corbett who also had some words to say about the farmer’s struggle.
“As a country I believe we can do much better than digging it up and shipping it out as the song Leave It in the Ground says.
“Of course, there’s an economic big picture but as a country we need to invest in people and ideas and lead the world rather than just being one giant quarry,” Corbett said.
A common theme in the songs written by Sara, Greg and The Bushwackers is the involvement of our government and its politicians.