David Eltringham, Horsham Rural City Technical Services Manager, talks to John Francis about the impacts of ongoing drought in the Shire.

Further Information

TRANSCRIPT OF DROUGHT STORIES INTERVIEW EXCERPT 4

David Eltringham: There’s, I look at it there’s three impacts; the first is an impact on our direct works programmes, and our infrastructure; the second impact is on the general community issues, relating to recreation, and facilities; and the third impact is in the relationship to the environment, and attitude of people, living in that environment, whereby the drought has far-reaching attitude and psychological issues.

And this is the worst drought, or extended drought, dry-period, that I’ve experienced, I have been working, and I have worked, in other areas, like I worked in ah, the western part of New South Wales, which, along the Darling River there, which can get a bit dry away from the river, and I worked up there for a while, but the issues here were a lot different because you had a community that was basically dependent, on a reliable water, water supply, for the amenity of the area, and for its recreation, and obviously its household use, and that was taken away, so we have tried to make sure that we haven’t lost all of the advantages of that good water supply, and we’ve been able to maintain, and I’m pleased to say, as of today, the 30th of September, 2009, where we’ve had a remarkable change, over the last few months, we look around, and we have, maintained, kept, and not lost, any serious assets of the community.

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