The Koondrook Barham Bridge Newspaper
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No: 4207 Print Post: 100002834 Thursday, March 4, 2021 Recommended Price $2.00 Inc. GST Pages: 20 Fully independent, local and yours, since 1909 thebridgenews.com.au QUICK NEW FACES PAGE 3 THINKING PAGE 7 HOMEWARD BOUND By Lloyd Polkinghorne performing construction work The steamer was officially downstream to Swan Hill to consisting of two railway lines challenging as the Murray had The Flywheelers Museum for Lawrence Martin. Frank registered in 1999. Frank was be slipped for maintenance at on a sloping bank, greeted the dropped one foot. Fast cur- has a new attraction after the also worked at the Barham always willing to raise steam David Bryan’s property. Skip- trio. rents, snags and a wind de- PS Barham completed its final Hospital for 10 years in general and kick the PS Barham into per Frank was joined by Bruce A fresh coat of paint was scribed as ‘awesome’ made for journey. maintenance and attending the action for the Flywheelers. Campbell and Graham Arm- applied to the steel hull with a slow return. The brainchild of Frank boilers that supplied hot water Whenever a function was near strong. The first day of sailing three gallons required for un- The final journey was on Armstrong (dec.), PS Bar- and steam. the river, Frank could be relied reported reaching John McK- der the water line and one gal- the back of a flat top trailer ham’s construction took place The 45-foot-long PS Barham upon to raise steam and blow enzie’s at Mellool. With the lon above. The paddle wheels and then PS Barham carefully at Noorong while Frank was was launched in February 1997 his whistle. final destination reached mid- required an additional three craned into position to add to restoring traction engines and at the annual Flywheelers rally. In 2002 the steamer travelled afternoon on day two, the slip, litres. The return journey was an already amazing collection. 2 – Thursday, March 4, 2021 | The Koondrook–Barham Bridge Letters to the Editor e: [email protected] PO Box 138, Barham, NSW 2732 ~ ESTABLISHED 1909 ~ THE KOONDROOK & BARHAM RUTHERGLEN In excess of $9 billion has BRIDGE NEWSPAPER STATEMENT been spent, yet we have: Contributors, please note: Dear Editor • Massive environmental People with many diverse degradation in our major The Koondrook-Barham Bridge welcomes any member of the public or organisation to respond to articles or current affairs in the “Letters to the Editor” section: The Koondrook–Barham Bridge is your voice! SHOP 2, 5 - 9 MELLOOL STREET, interests and growing con- river systems, particularly cerns about the Murray Dar- the Darling River, including Just remember that all contributors of articles or letters must have your name and current address clearly PO BOX 138, BARHAM NSW 2732 ling Basin Plan impacts met the intentional draining of indicated at the time of submission. You can remain anonymous or go under a pseudonym for publication. Inform us on your submission if you wish to do so. Your details will never be disclosed. at Rutherglen on February the Menindee Lakes. PHONE: 03 5453 2057 25 to discuss ‘The Future • Northern Flood Plain Your submission may be edited to correct spelling or grammatical mistakes, or withheld or not published of the Murray Darling Ba- Harvesting condoned by for legal reasons. thebridgenews.com.au sin Lessons from History the NSW Government and To maintain the impartiality of The Bridge Newspaper: unless your submission is an unbiased media release, 2021.’ The overwhelming MDBA which has caused a name must be applied to the contribution. > GENERAL INFORMATION, ARTICLE AND consensus was that current the iconic Darling River to PHOTOGRAPHY SUBMISSIONS: management of the Basin by be disconnected from the most precious resource, our point of collapse, delivering the cultural links of our First [email protected] Murray. the Federal Government’s water, to be owned by for- only 530GL in its gravity ir- Nation’s people. agency, the Murray Darling • A Basin Plan that at- > ADVERTISING (DISPLAY / CLASSIFIED): eign corporations and pen- rigation system in 2019-2020 It is imperative that there Basin Authority (MDBA), tempts to deliver environ- [email protected] sion funds, and traded as a compared with 1600GL 10 must be an immediate has failed the nation and its mental waterflow targets share commodity for profit years ago, and NSW South- change of direction by Fed- people on every level – eco- primarily using only the > ACCOUNTS PAYABLE / ADMINISTRATION: by these overseas conglom- ern Riverina Region facing a eral Government to account- [email protected] nomic, environment, social Southern Basin Murray Sys- and cultural. tem, causing concentrated erates whilst paying NO corresponding decline. able, transparent, inclusive The MDBA made the most and unsustainable social, capital gains tax. The Basin Plan has placed decision making, resulting /koondrook barham bridge newspaper basic mistake of failing to economic, and environmen- • NSW Southern Riverina at risk our nation’s ability to in adaptive management of allow for climate change or tal damage. and Victoria’s food bowl are sustain ourselves, provide the Basin Plan. use adaptive management • A water trade policy that facing permanent damage food security of our staple Jan Beer Editor / Photo-journalist, in the implementation of the is dysfunctional and cor- with the Goulburn Murray foods, enable environmental Cheviot Hills Proprietor/Manager: Plan. rupted, allowing our nation’s Irrigation District on the biodiversity, and destroyed Yea VIC 3717 Lloyd Polkinghorne, 0427 900 670 COURAGE LOST threatened, many have walked off tional Party mates) don’t have the po- family relies will be threatened. [email protected] To the Editor, the land and others are struggling, as litical courage to call it out and fix it. We need these ‘green’ Liberals to Peta Credlin bemoans the progres- are small rural communities that rely The Environment Minister, Sussan look beyond the next election and Sub-Editor / Journalist: sive, green bent of the Liberal Party on them. All because our green city- Ley, allows it to continue, despite develop a greater understanding of based Liberals thought that spending protests from her own local constitu- what must be done to reverse the (Sunday Herald Sun, February 28). Kirstin Nicholson, 03 5453 2057 $13 billion on a ‘plan’ would save the ents, because toeing the party line damage caused by the Basin Plan So do the hard-working farmers in [email protected] Murray-Darling Basin. is at the top of the Liberal pecking and other poor water and environ- Australia’s Murray and Goulburn Instead of saving it, we have an order. As former Liberal Minister, ment policy. Advertising: Valley food bowls who once pro- environmental disaster playing out Sharman Stone, has correctly point- Yours, duced so much of our staple food before our eyes, but these same city- ed out, unless we wake up, the staple Val and Ron McWhae Alison Bohn, 0408 190 965 supplies. Their livelihoods have been based Liberals (and their weak Na- foods on which every Australian Barham, NSW Reception / Accounts: UN-AUSTRALIAN mistake, it will stop vital flows trav- once thriving and sustainable horti- tive policy is killing rural Australia elling down an already stressed river cultural industry. and contributing to higher food costs Pam O’Neill, 03 5453 2057 Letter to the Editor National Party NSW Water Min- system. It has impacted the Barkandji at and reduced food security across the According to NRAR the regula- Wilcania to such an extent, their life nation. Production Design Manager: ister, Melinda Pavey, has done it again supporting her corporate cot- tion states water cannot be used for expectancy is now just 38 for men The winners of this regulation are commercial purposes – but it can be and 42 for women – without water only those people who can harvest Michael Douthat ton mates in the north by slipping through a murky emergency regula- held over indefinitely to cover evapo- their cultural traditions passed down water. ration, seepage or supplementary for millennia can no longer be prac- It is time the National Party was tion which can provide for limitless licenses. Enforcement is self -report- tised, leaving them bereft. Their tra- held accountable for its corrupt and take of water from floodplain har- ing and there won’t be too many tak- ditional food sources including fish, damaging policies in the next elec- vesting (FPH). DISCLAIMER ing up this option when their insatia- duck, kangaroo and emu have disap- tion – write to your local member, Any views or opinions expressed in this publication are Pavey slipped the regulation ble greed, supported by the National peared in the dust. This is genocide. voice your disgust and most impor- those of the individual, and do not necessarily reflect the through, unsurprisingly without con- views of The Bridge, its publisher or staff. E & O. E. Party, has already bled the Darling FPH has ripped at least 721,000 tantly put pressure on the water min- sultation, and at the end of a sitting River dry on numerous occasions. megalitres of productive water from ister. Published by Barham Media Trust Pty Ltd, period, ensuring it can’t be debated in FPH has already decimated a once Victorian and NSW Murray irriga- This is unacceptable, unlawful, un- at the Registered Office: Parliament for three weeks. Shop 2, 5-9 Mellool Street, Barham, NSW 2732. thriving ecological environment of tors – enough water to produce 2.1 Australian and it is killing the south- Printed at Newsprinters Pty Ltd, Make no mistake, this regulation the Menindee Lakes – home to more billion litres of milk or grow 860,000 ern basin. 1 McKoy Street, West Wodonga, Victoria 3690 does allow for floodplain harvesters bird species than Kakadu, and re- tonnes of rice.