Sometimes things are unbelievably difficult and sometimes things are inexplicably easy going.(Mind you a lot of well planned and executed graft often has to go into the later!) But the news from Synod on the Murray -Darling Basin Proposal was satisfyingly good.
If you want it in a nutshell just read the 2 paragraphs below.
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| When it is good it is very,very good..... |
For a few years now the issue of the Murray-Darling Basin has been a contentious one. How can the water be best used? How can the land be protected? How can the farmers make a living and feed the nation in a climate of indecision and change regarding water use? Many on the land wondered if anyone has been listening to their side of the story and many scientist and ecologists felt no-one was hearing their message.
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| .........and when it is bad it is horrid! |
Well - Someone has been listening and the proposal to Synod, developed by the task group convened by the Moderator, was a statement which considered all views and which placed the church and Christians at the forefront of seeking justice for all concerned and which obeyed God's direction to care for the earth and all in it. The proposal (outlined below) was passed at Synod with remarkable, even somewhat miraculous, agreement and the people of the West and those who care for the state of the rivers can now feel relief that they have at last been heard, at least in this forum.
We eagerly await further developments.
If you want more information read the proposal to Synod and the rational which underpinned it, copied below.
From the
Moderator’s Murray-Darling Basin
Consultation
Proposal
That the
Synod
i.
Note
that the current crisis in the
Murray-Darling Basin is an extremely complex issue that impacts directly not
only on the health of the Basin and the lives of people who live there but on
all Australians.
ii.
Affirm that all Australians
must share in the cost of addressing the issue.
iii.
Affirm the efforts that
scientists have made to warn Australians about the poor state of the Basin's
waterways and to develop insights into living sustainably in the Basin.
iv.
Affirm the efforts farmers,
especially irrigators, have made and are making to implement more sustainable
farming practices.
v.
Calls
on the Moderator to ensure the church has a growing role in this debate in the
areas of (a) pastoral care for the people and (b) a prophetic voice for the
land and its peoples.
vi.
Request the President to
encourage the Synods of NSW, ACT, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria and
Tasmania to explore ways of working together for the common good of the Murray-Darling
Basin and its people.
Rationale
The current crisis in the Murray-Darling Basin affords us
the opportunity to work together through a consensual process so that Basin
communities can move toward a sustainable future, resulting in more resilient
communities and a healthier basin river system.
It is important to understand that Basin communities are
diverse and complex, and tensions exist between those of differing world
views. Further more, research has shown
that many communities are vulnerable and fragile following the last drought and
subsequent floods. Many residents have
lost trust in governments and the Murray-Darling Basin Authority which
exacerbates their sense of fear and insecurity.
There is also the sense that farmers and those living in
basin communities are not respected; their knowledge, skill and experience are
not recognised and have not been heard by the various government authorities
involved in water policy and management.
The Rural Chaplains and other members of the church are
currently working with and alongside those communities most affected. There is a need to harness further support
for this mission in a time of complexity and uncertainty.
There is also a lot of distress in the Murray Darling Basin
and beyond about the damage that is being done by current policies to our
wonderful rivers and the associated ecosystems. We need to work harder to
restore the rivers to good health.
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