Christmas Bells

Christmas Bells
Christmas Bells - Blandfordia nobilis

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Meeting the Farmers

The Dairy Farmers and Potato Growers of Robertson and Kangaloon gathered at the Robertson Pub tonight, for a get-together with the Save Water Alliance.

This event was scheduled early last week, as a "thank you" event to the local farmers for their financial support, for funding us to commission Ray Evans, a consultant hydrologist, who prepared two reports for us, on the state of the Kangaloon Aquifer.
David, Trish and Greg

In fact, since Larry Whipper's statements to the Southern Highland News last Friday, it was obvious it was necessary for us to try and calm down a bunch of angry farmers, who obviously read the local paper. Even before the meeting, one of the farmers asked if Larry Whipper was going to be there? When told that he had been invited, but had another engagement - the farmer said: "Shame. I was hoping Larry would turn up and try and smile at us while he's screwing us up the a*rse" - And those are not my words, I swear. It is a direct quote, from one of the affected farmers. It has a certain rustic quality, don't you think?

Anyway, tonight's meeting was not used to score cheap points, we wished to thank the local farmers for their support. We provided them with factually correct information about the hydrology of the Kangaloon Aquifer (which their funding has allowed us to commission), and also to bring them up to date with the legal situation regarding the SCA's Upper Nepean Borefield proposal, which is to be considered under Part 3A of the NSW EPA Act, and the Federal EPBC Act, thanks to Mr Turnbull's intervention.

Thanks guys. Its good to work with you. Let's hope we have a result.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

This looked a great and constructive social event. I was thinking of oft heard phrase "social capacity". It seems to me that through all this the community of Robertson has built itself quite a lot of social capacity. Don't overlook that or undervalue it.