We. Have. No. Water.
Dear All,
I have just emailed the Premier and Barnaby Joyce to tell them that I am starting a social media campaign. (I don’t actually know how to do this, being the wrong generation …).
Perhaps you can help.
We have no drinking water in Uralla. We have to fetch bottled water from out the back of our local shop. For the house-bound and the elderly, this is inadequate.
The state government is building sporting facilities in the city. They are intent on spending millions moving the Powerhouse Museum. Why is drinking water for NSW citizens not a burning priority?
We have no water.
WE HAVE NO WATER.
How can I make my voice heard? And the voices of Merle and Phyllis and Maggie and all the older people of this town?
Please help us.
Oliver Trymble.
(Originally published on Oliver’s Facebook page).
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22 comments
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David Evans -
DrakeN -
Jexpat -
New England Cocky -
Shevill Mathers -
Roswell -
Keitha Granville -
Phil Pryor -
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RosemaryJ36 -
johno -
Tim -
Robin Alexander -
Doug Steley -
Margaret Clarke -
The AIM Network -
Kaye Lee -
Nicola -
Matters Not -
paul walter -
Peter OHalloran -
josephus
Return to home pageSuggestion:,Just rename yourself The Uralla Water Sports Club and morrison will personally get involved, probably bring you a few million dollars worth. Just tell him that Merle and Phyllis and Maggie have to change behind the shelter sheds, he’ll come running! Bare feet and Hawaiian shirt and all. He’ll probably bring a crew of murdoch photographers as well. Seems about right……Good luck.
“There are none so blind as those who choose not to see.”
Likewise for the deaf.
They are deaf to yours cries because they do not want to hear.
Only by significantly threatening their grasp on power will you achieve any kind of recognition.
Rallying your community to take communal action to alter the politics of your electorate is the only way achieve anything.
Knowing the generational conservatism of most people, that will be very hard work.
Drake:
They just don’t care- and they believe there will never be any accountability. And in 2020’s Australia, they’re probably correct.
What’s interesting though is that the rest of the world is finally starting to twig to what the nation has become- and that will bear out some less than expected ways.
Hi Oliver, here in Armidale, 22km up the road, we have a similar problem. The Mayor of Armidale Regional Council (ARC), Dr Simply Simon, refuses to invoke the Force Majeure clause in the water supply contract to the Costas Guyra Tomato Farm that would suspend all legal obligations for the duration of any uncontrollable natural disaster. And with the present drought the worst in living memory, that counts as an uncontrollable natural disaster.
Now the Guyra Reservoir which originally sourced the water supply to the Tomato Farm has run dry and thanks to a Gladly Back-flip-I-can NSW Liarbral Nazianal$ misgovernment $13 MILLION taxpayer funded pipeline taking Armidale drinking water from Malpas Dam directly into the Tomato Farm to grow tomatoes and so allow the unimpeded flow of profits to the about 50% overseas shareholders in the Canadian agri-business corporation, while ARC ratepayers struggle on Level 5 Water Restrictions, with Level 6 being a very real possibility. The delicious irony is that Malpas Dam was initially built to drought proof Armidale City ratepayers. So much for metropolitan based unelected political hacks interfering in regional politics.
But the plot thickens. Reliable reports have the Tomato Farm pumping Malpas Dam water overnight every night for a minimal or free gratis water price. Meanwhile the Tomato Farm principal went to the market to raise about $170 MILLION to pay outstanding debts because previous profits had been used to aggressively purchase other business entities.
So why has the ARC Mayor declined or refused to invoke the Force Majeure clause in the best interests of the ratepayers, just as Coffs Harbour Council has cut off water to the Costas blueberry glass houses during this drought?
The clue lies in the unexpected and unheralded visit to Guyra by John Barilaro Nat$, Barnyard Joke representative of the Nat$ in New England, and Holla4A Marshall Minister for something and representative of the Nat$ in Northern Tablelands. Such political heavies rarely allow dust to get on their boots unless there is the possibility of some rich political donations in the air for “services to corporations”.
Indeed, the Mayor has announced his interest in furthering his political career by opening an Instagram account with a Parliament House Canberra address, so there is a very real possibility that his political future will be at least partially funded by the Guyra Tomato Farm as a quid pro quo.
Uralla town water supply has an arsenic problem likely the result of a history of gold mining in the district. However, like most small towns in New England the real problem is the long standing neglect of public works by the predominantly Nazianal$ politicians at all levels of government.
Tony Windsor (INDEPENDENT) worked to fix some of these problems with a water supply pipeline to Kootingal and other dam sourced pipelines to Manilla and Barraba. However, except for Chaffey Dam named after the INDEPENDENT who got it built, only Barnyard has talked about building dams … but the hidden agenda is that these Barnyard dams are for water supply to the developing coal industry around Gunnedah and north through the Black Soil Plains.
So Oliver, nothing will change in New England until the local bogans take a real interest in politics as it effects them by the failure of government services, like the Great Northern Railway closed between Armidale and Jennings/Wallangarra to further subsidise the Sydney metropolitan network.
The bottled water you are getting from the back of the local store was originally ‘bought’ by China, put in plastic bottles made in China, then shipped back to Australia. The government arranged this intricate system to benefit a foreign country.
Someone please throw me a thesaurus. I can’t find enough words to describe how abhorrent this situation is.
I am dumbfounded on a daily basis at the total ineptitude of any government in the country and their management of the basics. Water, housing, healthcare.
We vote for these people, we have to vote for better ones.
Somehow, many of us who knowingly hate the shit foisted upon us have found us and the nation even further in the slime, while Barnaby Fist-Fuka and the Head Moron, aided by Gladys Bareabitothem and the corporate scavengers, parasites, cancers, bugs, grubs, enemas and assorted thieves take our water, resources, future. Who would vote for this filth? Who is brainless enough to listen to poxhead, the parroting pansy, Vomit skull Bolt, print harlot Devine, all brought to you by Yankee vomitpot Merde Hoch (hande hoch!) . We should have just let the country be overrun by the Asian peril, the nazis, the fascists, the Adolfs and Benitos and Tojos, instead of selling out to Trump and online corporate tech shit who enslave and rob with a grin. And, they know all about you and me…Unless this nation learns, plans, debates, argues, decides, investigates and aims at better, we are up a dead dog’s date and we deserve it. So, will Queensland voters with miniscule awareness see the truth behind fat George the filipino fist fornicator, Dutton the Dungbrain, Canavan the superstious primitive midget mussolini, Katter the dead rat in the skull, Hanson the whoreing harpy and Gross Clive the cunning thieving crook, and many others? Australia deserves better and will likely not get it.
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On Wednesday, in the NT capital of Darwin, Extinction Rebellion will follow Greta Thunberg’s example and start a weekly vigil on the steps of Parliament House. Our urgent local problem is fracking but if we succeed in stopping that, our vigil will continue until the Federal government establishes a decent policy to tackle the climate emergency.
Why don’t you all do the same and use people power to force change.
As DrakeN stated, this seems the best option.
Rallying your community to take communal action to alter the politics of your electorate is the only way achieve anything.
Make placards, join ER, contact the media and become unquiet Australians.
#Andthentheystoleourwater
In the outback of Australia
Lay a deep artesian well
It covered half the continent
For as long as time could tell
The land was set in balance
With rivers rich and long
Plants and creatures plentiful
Growing beside each billabong
And then to this land of plenty
Came new folks from far and wide
And they settled in new cities
Then they ‘tamed’ the countryside
They discovered worldly riches
In the soils beneath the ground
And they dug up this new fortune
(muted earth, it made no sound)
Then they put in place new systems
Designed rules to serve the few
Sold off land to other countries
Human riches? Yes, they grew
Then they stole and sold our water
But it was never theirs to sell
And the water it stopped flowing
Through the great artesian well
So the trees, their blossoms finished
Then our farmers crops they failed
And wild animals, they perished
But yet still these men prevailed
And all around our planet
We repeated this attack
In a blink in time we scarred the earth
And now it’s fighting back
Our world is now rejecting
Human need for greed and power
All the wounds and scars inflicted
Now we face our darkest hour
So Australia, now it’s burning
And our billabongs run dry
While we try to pick the pieces up
We should ask the question why
Reading a remarks here really enforces my disgust overall with politics aimed mainly at LNP They are so blatantly obvious money chasers of the big boys of industry mainly coal now GAS! Living in Narrabri watching last few years development coal mines! Few years ago when first started our Mayor at time told us big BOOM need for 1500 new homes to house influx? we had flood prone area denied development to locals? sold to the company providing accommodations etc etc for Fly in out miners? Was extended to hold 100’s! yes RSL WAS PACKED 10 deep bar RSL decided spend $8million extensions? All sudden miners disappeared! Village was empty? RSL cancelled extension rental homes empty for over 18months? YES MANY Are employed from Our town many more from other areas? With now approx 5 mines ext. Water from Namoi both it & Keepit empty! I am 82 never seen river in such state my life trees all along banks are dead! now mines extract from Underground water huge amounts! Farmers cannot afford high prices Miners prepared to pay over top prices no farmer could afford to outbid them?Our main street always resilient in times droughts & floods no closed doors more than century thriving shopping area always! Now tragic sight closed doors all over few more next month? Skeleton only remains! Now PM pushing for big donor SANTOS to open PILLIGA FOREST GAS FIELD 850 wells progress to 1000? Water hungry? SANTOS will not guarantee no damage to underground water? PILLIGA FOREST area last NATURAL FOREST NSW refurbishment area ARTESIAN WATER THIS AREA how long in this long drought will this supply be sustainable Towns communities farmers depend on it for life in area? Plus demand Agriculture(cotton) Mines! now lge GAS FIELD! already bores gone dry in area?without replenishment now great drawdown will it maintain plentiful supply? Narrabri are promised once again BOOM times with Gas (only council NW to welcome) after viewing catastrophe Gas Booms caused to inland QLD towns (Charleville example) after Boom influx workers setting up fields! Once all done they leave? Leaving empty saleable houses businesses debt from extending coping with influx? Shopping area nearly non existent! all gone after 2 yrs Boom ! Eyes glazed over here prospect Santos boom! LNP State Fed gov. pushing! All about $$$ ? our rich beautiful NW area truly true aboriginal saying “CRY FOR MY COUNTRY”!
Stop your community from voting Nationals is the only long term answer.
Uralla does have water, but it is contaminated.
Oliver’s concerns were addressed several weeks ago.
Research and fact checking please!
https://www.uralla.nsw.gov.au/Council/Council-News-and-Media/Public-Notices/Uralla-Town-Water-Supply-Do-Not-Drink-Alert
Margaret, those links tells us that the water is still not of drinking quality.
Margaret’s link did provide a useful piece of information for Oliver and others.
“If you know of or have any concerns for friends, family or neighbours that may not be able to access the bottled water available please don’t hesitate to contact Council on 6778 6300 so we can ensure they are provided for by our volunteers, organisations and staff.”
Margaret. that is the whole point – the water is contaminated with arsenic and even the little non-potable water that is left will run out in a few months. They have not, as far as I am aware, been able to find the source of the arsenic.
Don’t ever ask the government for help, because the help which comes may not be the help you want. Like these towns are uninhabitable go and move to our brand new smart-city in Western Sydney! Simply do what needs to be done but leave the government out as much as possible!
Nicola re your comment(s):
Are you referring to a particular government? Or governments in general? Am definitely interested in your response – hopefully with explanation(s).
I sort of get what she is saying though, MN.
The current lot of politicians, sometimes puppets to oligarchs, have given politics such a bad name that people have lost faith in it.
Rural people need help, hopefully you are able to pull this off,
Rosemary J36 have you , have others, watched the documentary The Bentley Effect? People power. Forget the corrupt government.. Ghandi and his followers did it , the Larzac movement grew huge and did it, Bentley locals did it. Direct action. Come on young people, it is your future being destroyed. Take your eyes off the sport and the TV and lie down in the streets in your hundreds, shut down the belching power stations etc, but that works only if you have the numbers.