A great time was had by all at our Christmas Bash

and we raised nearly $1000 to continue the fight for sustainable water policy

After a Busy and Tough Campaigning and Protesting Come and Enjoy

The Fun and Games –

FOR BOOKINGS AND NUMBERS CONTACT

MAGGIE – 0422 07 99 87 RSVP – ASAP p.s. a deposit would be great!

This was a great event, remember to keep
thinking globally and acting locally.

DESAL RELATED EVENT IN WONTHAGGI - Join the world-wide action to halt climate change. Meet others who share our concerns that the planet is being irreversibly depleted by our carbon-heavy footprint. Bring an example to read out of how YOU have changed your life to reduce your impact.

Spread the word - only by local climate change action can we get change happening !

Click here for the outcomes of our meeting with bank representatives.

AquaSure’s Community relations consultant arranged a meeting with senior representatives from both banks as requested. We are holding off on this action to see if a meeting will eventuate. Fingers crossed they will listen.

We now have a commitment from the banks to listen to our concerns. More information about the meeting, click here.

Watershed Victoria Still Campaigning on the Desal Disaster

In recent weeks Watershed Victoria and supporters have raised the issue of major financial backing of the desal plant in Wonthaggi by Westpac and the National Australia Bank.
Both banks have signed on to the “Equator Principles”, a comprehensive set of responsibility benchmarks to invest only in projects that have no damaging environmental and social consequences.
In recent weeks we have leafletted Westpac and NAB branches in Melbourne, with good responses from bank customers.

We are asking for an explanation of the banks’ financial involvement and a comprehensive environmental impact study by the banks BEFORE financially backing the energy guzzling desal plant. They are relying on the State Government’s flawed and narrow environmental assessment, a mistake both in terms of local environmental impact and climate change. The banks have also had assurances from AquaSure, the consortium building the plant, which is hardly impartial, that environmental impacts will be minimised.
The banks promised to meet us to discuss our concerns.

On the bright side, we have had many whale sightings on the coast this winter, including a Southern Right mother and calf last week.

Ring NAB Corporate Responsibility Officer on 03-86342734 or Westpac 132032 and ask for the Corporate Responsibility Officer. More details are available under a new ‘BANKS’ tab on our website, and form letters are under the ‘writing letters’ section. http://www.watershedvictoria.org.au/content/category/letterwriting/

We were to meet at 11am on Thursday 1st October at Flinders St Station for more leafletting of Westpac and NAB branches. Our confidence that the banks would agree to meet and listen to our concerns has paid off. The outcomes from this meeting is posted by click above. More info - Neil 0413 902571.

Wednesday 30th September

For Love Of Water.

A Frankston event welcoming Watershed attendance and/or input.

“F L O W” ,  a great documentary that explores questions related to the imminent global water crisis. Is water a human right or a commodity to be traded on the “free market” ?

Maude Barlow and Dr Vandana Shiva put the case for water as a Human Right, and question the future of water privatisation.

http://www.flowthefilm.com/trailer

WHEN ; Wednesday 30th September ; 7.30pm

WHERE :  Uniting Church Hall, 16 High St Frankston (Mel 100A A9)

Wednesday 16th September, 5.00pm, Fed Square

Watershed will be there spreading the message that politicians can’t just go on choosing the easy option for themselves, if it means a poorer outcome for us, and for the planet.  See the website above or phone Col on 0403769730 for more details.

Saturday 15th August

Watershed will have a brainstorming, food, music and film evening at Kilcunda Hall, 5.00pm to 10.00pm. Mark it on your calendar!

5  -  6 pm       BRAINSTORM - NEW DIRECTIONS FOR OUR CAMPAIGN

6  -  7.30 pm  FOOD AND CHAT (please bring a plate to share)

7.30 – 8 pm   RECENT FILMS FROM THE CAMPAIGN

8  – 10 pm     MUSIC WITH :

·      Jane and Ian Chambers and friends

·      Area 18

·      John Coldabella

WHERE ?  KILCUNDA HALL

WHEN ?   SATURDAY 15^TH AUGUST

COST ?    GOLD COIN DONATION

More details contact Watershed Victoria

Stephen 0407811778 or Jessica 0407 307231

A lone kayaker, Steve Posselt, has galvanized irate farmers to join Friends of the Earth, Plug the Pipe and other groups fighting for better water policy.

He started a paddle from Echuca on 1st August, and will arrive in Melbourne by kayak on Sunday 16th August.

Some of us will join with others to welcome him when he arrives by kayak in Melbourne on 16th August. Steve will arrive by kayak at Federation Square at 1.00pm, where he will drag his kayak out of the water and be greeted and cheered by supporters standing on the bank of the Yarra.

“Please have a heart Melbourne,” Posselt said before embarking on the trip. “Don’t let the Government steal this precious water. The river needs it. We have alternatives - the river does not”.

Follow Steve’s journey by clicking on the link here.

1000 to 1200 people attended this rally on September 12th and 13th

Location: Hazelwood

Power Station
Street: Brodribb Road
City/Town: Hazelwood  Victoria

Take action for renewable energy.!

Join what will hopefully be the BIGGEST protest of its kind- EVER!!!

Hazelwood is one of the dirtiest coal stations in the industrialised world, spewing an average of 17 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere every year.

Hazelwood was scheduled to be shut down this year, however it was given a life-line by the ALP state government in 2005 allowing it to continue operation until 2031. We need to remove that lifeline and instead support renewable energy, extending the life line to our planet.

On Sunday September 13, 2009, thousands of people from across Victoria, and Australia, will converge on Hazelwood for a day of peaceful community mass civil disobedience to Switch off Hazelwood and Switch off Coal – we will be taking direct action for renewable energy.

Camping and entertainment Saturday.

Past event - Monday 7th September

We gave out over 1000 flyers at various bank branches on the day. Basically we want the banks to meet with us to hear the real story of what they are investing in. You can see the flyers we used here for Westpac, and here for NAB. Feel free to print if you wish and distribute. Cheers, WV.

Neither Westpac or NAB, who are apparently involved in trying to find funding for the desalination plant to be built, will tell us what there involvement is. Hence we will be asking them what they are doing, and why they believe it is socially, economically or environmentally acceptable to support desalination ahead of the better alternatives.

We met 11.30 am on Monday 7th Sept. at Flinders St. station before we head for the banks to do some leafletting.

One comment from outraged Melbournian “I just got my water bill which despite my usage going down has gone up a huge amount. I think this is for the useless desal and north/south pipeline. My friends are cheesed off too.”

Past event

Feeling stirred up after this event? Why not flood the Herald Sun and the Age with letters?

hsletters@heraldsun.com.au letters@theage.com.au