basin bullet

As I See It

Feedback about the Basin Bullet has been heartwarming. We set out to produce a newsletter that would be read, and we seem to have achieved that with responses from people throughout the DCQ Region and beyond. The latest estimate now has readership in the thousands.

The lead story in this issue - on Wild Rivers - was not an easy story to write. While I may have personal feelings about this legislation, it is part of a professional journalist’s role to keep these feelings out of his or her writing. The latest surge of protest on Wild Rivers and the Code that has been written to support it has been largely based on information supplied by Agforce. Many of the readers of the Bullet are members of Agforce.

My goal in writing this article was to find out, without fear or favour, what is the truth about the effects of the legislation in proposed declaration areas. What I found was the Government and Agforce putting out very different information. I have been very careful to simply lay the information before readers to let them make their own decision. The results may ruffle a few feathers. I have cross checked the information given to me by the Government spokesman. It seems Agforce, either by confusion or intentionally, has been giving misinformation to members over the Wild Rivers issue. This is not the first time that Agforce has run a fear campaign. Surely it is time that all those intelligent people who make up Agforce’s membership demand that when an issue arises, Agforce’s professional staff put both sides of an issue before members, benefits and detriments, so members can make up their own minds.

Which brings me to the subject of editorial independence. DCQ has been brave in appointing an independent editor for the Bullet. This independence allows me to write freely about subject matter of interest to readers. I do my utmost to write the stories in a balanced way – but always trying to find various and fresh points of view. The conclusions drawn are not necessarily the view of DCQ. Thanks for reading the Bullet and have an Easter full of love,

Bruce Honeywill

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