Lloyd Polkinghorne, The Koondrook and Barham Bridge Newspaper
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Landini pushes for new state
“Politics can be summarised in one short statement; politics is a numbers game,” said NSW Murray candidate David Landini ... Mr Landini is running in the NSW electoral seat of Murray in a bid to end the strangle hold of metropolitan populations’ control of policies across rural NSW and Victoria. Mr Landini sees the formation of a new state as the only way rural communities will take control of their prosperity and natural environment.
Yabby Festival
The World Wetland Day Yabby Festival was a huge success ... The Pollack Swamp is a 700ha flora and fauna nature reserve in the Koondrook-Perricoota Forest. Historically occupied by the Barapa Barapa people, the swamp has become a model of how locally driven projects can collaboratively engage community members, farmers and traditional owners to enhance environmental outcomes.
Water wars continue
It’s said “when you’re a hammer, everything is a nail,” and the blunt political instrument of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan is a jumbo hammer that swings with the force of the political party who wields it at the time ... Neglecting private environment and ecosystem function holds a certain irony as the plan has been for the environment with no consideration for the social and economic aspects of Australians who live and work within the basin.
Forest closures continue to hamper community recovery
As communities work diligently to recover from the recent flooding, local businesses are concerned that continuing forest closures are hampering the local economy’s recovery ... Further upstream, the Victorian Nationals leader Peter Walsh said despite the Moama Water Sport Club delaying the world’s biggest ski race until March 24-26 because of the floods, there is still no guarantee the banks of the Murray will have been reopened to the public. He says there is no reason beyond the usual government indifference, regional Victoria is “out of sight, out of mind.”
Native forestry set for the chop
Under the direction of Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, native forestry throughout the state of Victoria is set to be banned by 2030. The move has alarmed rural communities right across Victoria as the regenerative, carbon sequestering resource is not only a sustainable natural product, but provides significant employment, bushfire prevention and a boost to the economy.
Little victory on rough road
The 22 kilometres of unsealed road that joins the two largest centres in the Murray River Council footprint will receive some much-needed maintenance through a recent $5.5 million investment in the Murray electorate from the NSW Government’s Fixing Local Roads program. The Perricoota Road will receive $1,398,477 for gravel resheeting.
Go for launch
Nestled in our backyard, the popular Backroads Trail launched a new podcast last week sharing the stories of farmers, community members, artists and business owners. The six-part series titled ‘The Backroads Trail Podcast’ explores the origins of the Backroads Trail, which includes 22 attractions covering Echuca-Moama, Womboota, Bunnaloo, Barham-Koondrook, Caldwell, Deniliquin and Mathoura.
