A quick thank you to people who have called, emailed or spoken to me in the past week passing on their congratulations for the Weekly making it to the final of the Walkley Awards.
To put this in perspective it is like Spring Gully Cricket Club playing in the Pura Cup final.
Less than a year ago the Weekly had a news staff of two – a photographer and I.
When we began the water campaign we had three staff.
Even today we only have seven. For a weekly newspaper with an editorial teanm of seven to be the finalist at Australia’s most prestigious and sought-after media awards is something close to incredible.
This nomination also belongs to those other six people – Lauren Mitchell, Sue Turpie, Andrew Perryman, Nicole Strahan, John Oswald and Barry Cail – not forgetting the great Kate Monotti and bossman Daryl McClure.
Without your courage and determination against all sorts of obstacles and pressure, our water supply would be running out in less than a year, and recognition in the form of a Walkley final would be non-existent.
This nomination also belongs to people like Don Erskine, Ron Poyser, Alan Powney, Rob Hunt and Robert Every who also had the courage to speak out for the good of the city, often in the face of very strong and personal criticism.
Finally, this recognition belongs to the thousands of Bendigo Weekly readers who wrote letters to the editor, signed the open letter and lobbied the government and Coliban Water.
Thank you and fingers crossed.
