National Water Week kicks off today, an opportunity according to Eurobodalla Labor for Council to make a difference and make a splash across the shire.
“All of Labor’s candidates want to inspire Eurobodalla residents, education providers, and community organisations to work together to build awareness and understanding of water-related issues,” mayoral candidate David Grace said today.
“This week ahead is also an opportunity for Australians to reflect on how we can rebuild from our challenging recent years of floods, drought and fires in the face of climate change and a pandemic.
“Water has always been an important part of how we live in Eurobodalla,” he added.
The theme for this year’s National Water Week is ‘Caring for water and Country’. It is an invitation for everyone to think more deeply about their local environment and how First Nations care for Country, and the role water plays in local communities.
Rivers in virtually every country face an array of threats, and only through active involvement can communities ensure their health in the years ahead.
Eurobodalla Labor for Council’s councillor candidate, Moruya’s Claire McAsh who manages her family’s oyster business, says healthy rivers and waters are her lifeblood. She believes access to clean water is hugely important to Eurobodalla residents’ daily lives, and that it’s down to everyone to protect the shire’s and nation’s water environments and resources, and use water wisely.
“Here in the shire, we all recognise whatever our background or our job, that the protection of our waterways ultimately means more local jobs,” Mrs McAsh said.
“Whether that’s in aquaculture, in tourism or in sustainable building developments that people will want to live in, while protecting the natural areas for which they move here.
“Protecting our Eurobodalla waterways delivers successful aquaculture businesses that employ local people.
“For our shire’s future to be sustained, we must respect the fact rivers are the arteries of our planet; they are lifelines in the truest sense.
“In order to continue promoting our shire as the Nature Coast, we must all work to prevent polluting our waters because poor water quality leads to fewer fish for fishing and beaches being closed due to higher e-coli counts; the health and water quality of the estuaries have a direct impact on our beaches,” she added.
Eurobodalla Labor for Council candidates in the 4 December local government elections are: for mayor, David Grace in Broulee; and as councillors, Maureen Searson in Batehaven, Matthew Findlay in Batemans Bay, Claire McAsh in Moruya, Deirdre Russack in Narooma, and Jack Egan in Rosedale.