And commiserations to unsuccessfuls for having a crack.
Big surprise, the overall, unexpected Saturday’s national election result.
The electoral captains, kings and media commentators have now departed.
What does the outcome mean for us in Nicholls generally — particularly in Greater Shepparton?
At first thoughts it seems to be projected business as usual, but is that what we really want?
Or can we create some structures for a more progressive future while countering some difficult threats to rational infrastructure and social advancement?
The concepts of political collaboration and community co-operation spring to mind — federal, state and local government and interested citizenry speaking as one voice on priority social and amenity projects — new school and tertiary institutions, SAM, rail services including fast trains, north-south freeway and east-west highway bypasses, freight logistic centre, health facilities (the list goes on).
Lobbying strength is nothing without unity.
Forget about the knockers who really need a breather break from their addicted Facebook duties.
Plan our combined funding sorties and get about it.
Maybe a workshop of politicians, councillors, committees, Committee for Greater Shepparton, utilities, service clubs, professional groups, unions and sundries — we are too disjointed as we are.
The main threat is party versus party — political, organisational and individual.
For instance, having different striped state and federal government, sometimes the temptation becomes too great resulting in a slagging-off-result being counterproductive.
Ditto at all levels.
One thing the election result has not resolved, locally or most broadly, is the Murray-Darling Basin Plan — socially, economically or environmentally, exacerbated by the drought and the related exorbitant prices of water.
The GMID is somewhat in peril caused by heaps of water transferred downstream ad hoc — more than 1000 gigs, no less.
Indeed that malaise is no further advanced toward satisfactory resolution in any way whatsoever extemporising the observation of the perceptive Mark Twain, ‘‘Whiskey is for drinking. Water is for fighting’’.
The debilitating debate goes on. Royal Commission, formal inquiry, ‘‘Pause the Plan’’?
Damian Drum might just be the pollie to step up and grab this fiasco by the throat — to save the rivers and minimise stakeholder impairment.
Like the boy with the wheelbarrow full of bricks, Drummy has the job ahead of him.
No mean task because the problems at home and in Canberra, like energy prices and climate change, have not diminished any between Friday and today.
We wish him well.
Shepparton’s John Gray has vast experience in local government, urban water reform and natural resource management.