Editorial: Don’t flood our memories with fences
People need to be kept safe, but they should be able to witness a once-in-a-lifetime event, too, writes managing editor Peri Strathearn.
This post is the author’s personal opinion.
Happy new year from all of us here at Murray Bridge News.
Unless you’re talking about flood levels, from here, the only way is up!
What a time to be alive, eh?
For today’s children, this – and the COVID pandemic – will be their 1956, a time memories are made that last a lifetime.
It is a bit of a shame, though, that so many of us are unable to get a really good look at the floods, since so many riverfront areas have been fenced off and barricaded.
We’re not stupid, most of us: we don’t plan to swim in the floodwaters, or go skiing on them.
So it is disappointing to see that one of the first responses from all levels of government to these floods has been a warning to stay away – particularly when our tourism businesses are begging for customers, and when visitors are clogging up traffic on the Swanport Bridge just to try and get a good look.
We get it: people need to be kept safe.
But, as we have learned through COVID, the balance needs to be right.
Finally, we’re trying something controversial in today’s email edition.
Starting today, if we find a local story which might interest you, we’ll share it, whether it was written by us or someone else.
So you might spot links to stories from the paper, the radio station or elsewhere in the “other local news” section at the bottom of our newsletter – and you won’t need to go anywhere else to see if you missed anything.
Slip, slop, slap and have a great week.
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By all means everyone should have the opportunity to see the mighty Murray in flood. However please use common sense and respect for landowners along the river, by not entering private properties, blocking gateways and climbing over fences just to get that certain photograph!
Council's "public advice" was to prevent "Vehicle Access" only to Sturt Reserve but the fencing denies all access. In another following Council "public post" they are calling for food vans to apply for permits tu come and "feed the masses" of visitors coming to see the river in flood and their post includes #Sturt Reserve. Does the left hand know what the right hand is doing. !