Community briefing on TRAILERS! region’s wait for rain
W
immera-Mallee water managers waiting for spring rain have used a seasonal water briefing to explain what continuing dry conditions might mean for community groups later this year.
With regional storage lakes and dams less than 30 percent full and the catchment dry, authorities are planning for a variety of scenarios if there is little run-off in the next few months. Collectively, the past three years represent one of the driest sequences on record in the Grampians catchment. Wimmera Catchment Management Authority, GWMWater and Victorian Environmental Water Holder officials discussed circumstances with representatives from 13 community, sport and government organisations during the briefing. GWMWater officials reaffirmed that regional supply was secure and remained confident there would not be a need for greater water restrictions in summer. But they are part of a chorus acknowledging the impact the extensive dry period might ultimately mean. Customer relations manager Helen
Friend: “Yes it’s very dry but it is important to stress that urban and rural customers’ supply is secure and it is not envisaged that there will be restrictions.” Wimmera CMA chief executive David Brennan said his organisation would use a variety of options suggested by forum participants to keep the community updated on environmental water. “We also worked with the group for their ideas to best retain waterway values for the community and environment, particularly during summer,” he said. “It is easy for people to get the impression we have plenty of water when you look at the river at Dimboola and Horsham and you see plenty of water in the weir pools. In reality, the upper catchment of the Wimmera River is dry and has been for several months.”
Shocked
Dimboola Ski Club president Mark Gaulke, among briefing attendees, praised water managers for keeping stakeholders updated. A long-time member of the ski club, Mr Gaulke said he was shocked to learn the region’s water reserves were so low.
He said when you saw water in the river and were not experiencing water restrictions, it was easy to think there was plenty of water available. “Early planning means a lot to the club. We try to be proactive and look after our section of the river because we don’t want to lose it,” he said. “With the CMA and GWMWater letting us know what might lay ahead, we can plan and prepare. I prefer to know the worst scenario rather than the best scenario, and we can all work together with the water that is available.” Mr Gaulke said the value of the river to the Dimboola community was crucial. “The river is life for the town and it means a lot to a lot of people. Where there’s no water, there’s no life,” he said. “We are trying to look after the river the best we can, so getting an insight into the current water situation is invaluable for our future plans.” Mr Brennan encouraged individuals and groups interested in more information about environmental water releases to call Wimmera CMA on 53821544 or email wcma@wcma.vic.gov.au.
CENTENARIAN: Melva Peterson, nee Block, formerly of Horsham, celebrated her 100th birthday on Saturday. When Melva was born on July 20, 1915, her family was farming at Katyil West. Her family moved numerous times during her younger days to places such as Dimboola, Murrayville and finally settling at Kellalac. A romance with her neighbour, Edgar Peterson, resulted in their marriage in March, 1940. They bought a grazing property at Langkoop in 1956, where they stayed until 1970 when they moved to a grain growing property at Remlaw. After Edgar died in 1989, Melva moved into Horsham before moving to Longridge Aged Care Hostel, atNaracoorte, two years ago. Melva has led a remarkable 100 years – fortunate to have retained all her faculties, seen her two sons and two daughters grow and prosper, and now takes pleasure in her 10 grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren. At her celebration afternoon tea on Saturday, she said: “I didn’t know I had so many friends.” Melva, sitting middle, is pictured with her sons, back from left Alan and Neil Peterson, and, daughters, front from left, Elaine Zerk and Glenda Schomburgk.
Advance Australia where? BY DEAN LAWSON
It’s incredible that more than 100 years after Federation many of us continue to struggle to understand or define what it means to be Australian.
We seem to be caught in a perpetual cultural cringe, either hoping for or wishing to be something different or grasping at ethereal notions that have somehow made us feel Australian. It stands to reason, as a free and open and democratic country firmly entrenched on the international stage, that levels of confusion and anxiety about national ideology bubble to the surface. Nasty clashes between groups in Melbourne highlighted the cultural contradictions involved in the latest chapter of our evolutionary story. It is too simplistic to call the Wednesday, July 29, 2015
EDITORIAL groups right and left wingers or racists and do-gooders, although there are obvious elements of both hitching a ride on feelings of discontent. The issue is much deeper than that. The so-called ‘right’ is possibly seeing political correctness off the leash and blaming it for opening the door to what it considers repressive and foreign ideals that threaten, believe it or not, Australian freedoms and egalitarianism. Some of us suspect that many of these protesters are not precisely sure about the best way to express their anger and confusion. So they use iconic Australian images and sounds such as the Australian flag and musical anthems to emphasise their position, much to the dismay of artists such as John Williamson and Jimmy Barnes.
Then there’s the so-called ‘left’ that sees the ‘right’ as trying to use the promotion of Australian values as a poorly veiled tool to promote or accept blatant bigotry and national socialism to threaten, wait for it, Australian freedoms and egalitarianism. Many in this group can’t see the difference between culturism and racism. In their fight in the name of ‘respect’, neither group can claim this if the mayhem that occurred on Melbourne streets a couple of weeks ago is an example.
Stupidity
Perhaps, if we were to combine these two groups and remove the fundamentalist and bigoted elements of both, then somewhere in there would probably be the ‘perfect’ Australian standard – or not. Surely it is obvious that there
is no such thing. People are simply people and are as diverse as they are complicated. Racism is illogical nonsense and bigotry, or intolerance of others, is another word for stupidity that opens the door to evil. We also have a responsibility to protect values we hold dear and our failure in finding noncontradictory and appropriate compromises that fit into this ideal is where we often come unstuck. As Australians we have history, interjected by major upheavals and events, be they good or bad, dating back at least 40,000 years. You would think we would have the ultimate magnanimous Australian notion of a ‘fair go’ pretty much down pat by now. Obviously, we need to do a lot more work to get this right.
www.theweeklyadvertiser.com.au
Wimmera Bearings stock a huge range of trailer parts, so when building or repairing a trailer, come and see us!
SKF Distributor
14B Sloss St, Horsham | (03) 5381 0800 | Fax (03) 5381 0801
ATTENTION:
ALL WOMEN Spend your tax dollars
✓
Before he does!
✘ 8am - 5pm or by appointment 62a McPherson St, Horsham www.curtainsbyrobyncreek.com.au
Phone 5382 4219 Mobile 0429 824 219 Call now for a free measure & quote
FREE
Measure & Quote Horsham Carpet Court 35 Wilson Street, Horsham Ph: (03) 5382 5277
www.carpetcourt.com.au
HORSHAM
Page
7