Di Bell and Waterkeeper Paul Davis set out early on Sunday morning to drive around Lake Alexandrina to Meningie on Lake Albert and then along the Coorong to Mark’s Point. At Rumbelo’s Shack they met up with Gary Hera-Singh, third generation Coorong fisherman, who had offered to take them by boat to the gathering planned by Kate Elms and Liz Livingston on Mundoo Island. There they met with Kym McHugh, Mayor of Alexandrina Council, Hendrik Gout, journalist, Independent Weekly, John Bounty and Verity Starks. The conversation was wide ranging: the water crisis, water proofing Adelaide, drains in the south east, the problems with proposed weir at Pomanda Island, the folly of the Twin Lakes proposal, the changing conditions in the Coorong, the death of the southern lagoon, the need to keep the Murray Mouth open, and the reason why letting salt water into the lakes was not a solution for acid sulphate soils.
Di, Paul and Gary set out the facts and identified the lack of political will as the stumbling point. Kym had to leave early. Liz and Kate fed the group very well and over a few glasses of local red, we started to talk solutions. John had ideas and technologies for oxygenating dead water that are worth further exploration. Hendrick listened.
The sun came out, the wind dropped and the trip back along the Coorong was less choppy. Di and Paul came back through Narrung and across the ferry at the Narrows. The pumps have stopped. Water is no longer being pumped from Lake Alexandrina to Lake Albert. The pelican families had found a good resting spot on the bund.
