The water minister and the missing water
Deputy Premier John Barilaro's letter titled "now is the time for a water stimulus", Leader Friday 24/04/2020, is a poor attempt to attenuate for his government's active involvement in water mismanagement at state level over the last nine years. Since his government's election in 2011, all water ministers are from his party - The Nationals - what better outcome to do something positive in that space when the water minister is from your own party. But sadly no, it seems vested interests and donors have got in the way.
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While I agree with him 100 per cent on the importance of domestic agricultural production and manufacturing, how many years have we seen his government acting against the best interests of rural NSW? The results speak for themselves each time there is an electoral redistribution, rural NSW loses another seat.
Losing rural seats is an unmitigated disaster for the voice of rural NSW. Nothing Mr Barilaro's government has done has stemmed the demise of rural NSW and their is concern another seat will go prior to the next election. Barilaro's Nationals have aided and abetted the loss of rural representation having ceded power and policy to their city-centric Liberal mates via a secret coalition agreement prior to each election in the desire to enhance their parliamentary ministerial trinkets and protect their diminishing electoral turf.
Little wonder Barwon, Murray and Orange electors have looked elsewhere for genuine and passionate country party representation in their Shooters Fishers and Farmers representatives and they are doing an outstanding job too.
Barilaro's Nationals had to be dragged to the point of acceptance of an unprecedented drought ravaging rural NSW in July 2018, up to that point their response was parroting the Liberal line "our responses are appropriate". I can clearly remember one day their responses were appropriate the next day, panic stations.
When locally I asked questions about where up to 34 per cent of Chaffey Dam water went during 2017/18 and 2018/19 water years, local Nationals doubled down and defended the mismanagement by refusing to ask questions of the Nationals Minister.
Then realising "Oops we stuffed up" they built a pipeline in record time from Chaffey Dam to the Calala Water Treatment Works and with Chaffey Dam sitting at just under 14 per cent we still can only hope that it will rain in the dams catchment. Added to that is the exorbitant promise of a new dam that will yield precious little for the half a billion price tag. Water recycling anyone?
We know how important water is to the people of our region, particularly Tamworth, Kootingal and Moonbi residents stuck on Level 5 restrictions, this problem has made people and most importantly businesses lose faith in our region and how can we grow our region without knowing some knuckleheads at state level won't again pull the plug on Chaffey and Dungowan dams when they fill up?
We need local water security and control and therefore some transparency and accountability.
The notion of "environmental flows" is also interesting, the Nationals have used that to shield their incompetence. In the Peel River amounts released as environmental flows are then measured at the Carroll Gap bridge as they enter the Namoi River as an asset to be traded and according to some in the Namoi system it doesn't get too far.
The Nationals blame the Peel Valley Water Sharing Plan for their incompetence yet many of our Peel Valley farmers have gone without, a full annual entitlement a distant dream, again how many years have the Nationals been in power?
Barilaro's comments are an attempt to thwart the erosion of trust in his party over this issue and others because he knows his party's reckless policies have failed rural people and that is glaringly obvious to many people in our region with 13.9 per cent in Chaffey Dam and Level 5 water restrictions.
We should consider taking the electoral pitchfork to his negligent party.
Mark Rodda, South Tamworth
International Guide Dog Day
On International Guide Dog Day (29 April), we at Guide Dogs Australia are saying an extra-special thanks to our wonderful Guide Dogs for the life changing work they continue to do amid unprecedented global challenges.
Guide Dog Day was created to celebrate the important role Guide Dogs play in helping people with low vision or blindness lead safe and independent lives, and this year it takes on a new meaning.
It's clear that the comfort and companionship a Guide Dog provides has never been more essential for, or cherished by Guide Dog Handlers.
The coronavirus pandemic has understandably presented challenges to us as an organisation but the welfare of Guide Dogs Clients and our dogs is always our number one priority, so we've simply had to find ways to solve these challenges.
This has meant supporting Clients through phone calls, video conferences, email and social media, while our trainers have been busy setting up obstacle courses at our campuses, or training dogs from home, so they can continue getting our Guide Dogs-in-training ready to change lives.
It's not been easy, but we've made it work, and for that I extend a heartfelt thankyou to all Guide Dogs team members and volunteers.
Recent weeks have also been a chance to dig into the community spirit we've been building into our organisation over more than 60 years, so I want to thank everyone who has extended their support to Guide Dogs and helped us continue our work during this very difficult time.
Dale Cleaver, CEO Guide Dogs NSW/ACT