At its annual general meeting on Friday, March 1, delegates decided on a self-imposed six-month recess.
Speak Up has supported southern NSW and Victorian communities for the past eight years by trying to convince governments and the general public of ‘failings’ in the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, while also presenting alternative solutions.
The group made its ‘difficult decision’ after having nearly exhausted all its funds which had been raised from member contributions.
The meeting heard that although the region was at a critical phase in implementation of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, volunteers were ‘burnt out’.
Outgoing Speak Up chair Shelley Scoullar said the group had done “everything possible” throughout its campaign trying to collaborate with government departments, politicians and the media.
Mrs Scoullar did not seek re-election at the AGM and no other nominations for chair were forthcoming.
The group organised street marches with simultaneous rallies being held in Deniliquin, Griffith and Leeton on November 21 last year.
“This campaign highlights what we have said for many years (that) the basin plan is about politics and winning green votes, not about working with communities to improve our environment,” Mrs Scoullar said.
“But how do you compete when ... we have a current federal water minister who will not even visit the region most severely impacted by her decisions and an Australian government that is prepared to spend huge amounts of taxpayer money on the recent misleading Murray-Darling Basin advertising campaign.”
Mrs Scoullar said the group had also undergone a long battle presenting alternative solutions.
“To be effective we need an executive officer and a media consultant, and at present we do not have the funds for either of these,” she said.
However, since the announcement, the phones have rung hot with members calling to ‘beg’ the group to continue.
“Members have been contacting us, asking ‘how can we keep things going?’,” Mrs Scoullar said.
“We need to reassess the situation and so I did agree to review it again in six months’ time, because I know how aggressive the Albanese Government is coming at farmers.
“I have not seen a government act so aggressively towards rural communities in my lifetime.”
Mrs Scoullar said that times spent at meetings and on the phone took time away from people’s work and family lives, and funding was needed to remunerate those involved.
“We need that funding for things that we need to do, to actually happen.
“So, if ever there was a time for our peak organisations to open their wallets, that time is now.”
However, association with Speak Up is considered a risk for companies because of the direct style of the group’s messaging.
“We are prepared to speak frankly openly and honestly and at times industry thinks it may be a risk for their political alliances,” Mrs Scoullar said.
Effectiveness of the campaign and something — Mrs Scoullar conceded — which would help reverse the group’s decision came by way of one member’s recent phone call.
“They said to me: ‘Tanya Plibersek will breathe a sigh of relief now that you’re stepping away’.
“I’ll be monitoring the situation very closely.”
