REGIONAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN TAKES FLIGHT
- BIRD NUMBERS PLUMMET -
NEW ECONOMIC INFOMERCIAL LAUNCHED -
Wine for Waterbirds Offer Open until December 31, 2020 -
& A Thank You to our Sponsors
An alliance of 44 business, union, environment and wildlife groups are raising their voices in a series of half page ads running across major regional Victorian newspapers.
In about 90 days, family homes at waterways across Victoria will once again become government sanctioned warzones, homes of families of the feathered and non-feathered kind. And there are far less of one than the other. The latest aerial survey conducted by the University of NSW with four state governments paints a pitiful picture. Scientists warn "It's well below long-term average, with even fewer birds than last year". As Peter Hannam put it in the Sydney Morning Herald on Wednesday, “Drought-breaking rains have not been enough to boost wetland bird numbers”. With climate change wreaking havoc on our wildlife, will responsible Ministers really condemn remaining native ducks to be killed and maimed for the fun of a few duck shooters? Meanwhile over one million people now live in regional Victoria, many near waterways. Still no risk assessments or social/economic impact studies have been carried out regarding unmonitored shooting in public areas often near people’s homes, in some cases less than 30 meters.
We have stepped up the fight and been pleased to support our regional media outlets at the same time. The last few weeks our advertisements and editorials have run across the state from Gippsland to Echuca, from Warrnambool to Buloke, Ballarat to Wangaratta, Bendigo and Midland. Some examples are listed at the end of this newsletter.
Whilst we have unfortunately received no response from The Premier or Ministers for Agriculture and Environment to our joint letter to them of October 9, we would like to thank the 43 business, union, environment and wildlife groups who leant their names in support as cosignatories. Names include Australian Conservation Foundation, BirdLife Australia, Environment Victoria, Australian Education Union Victorian Branch and Australian Ethical Investment. Click here to see a copy of the letter by this alliance which was subsequently shown in The Age.
We’d like to take this opportunity to thank our major sponsors of the "Alliance" advertisements: Wildlife Victoria, Humane Society International and many others including Environment East Gippsland, Friends of the Box Ironbark Forests (Mount Alexander Region), Coalition Against Duck Shooting and Warringal Conservation Society. In addition, our sincere thanks to Animals Australia for their long-standing support.
And....
Thanks to Australian Wildlife Society for their support for our New Billboard in Gippsland from this Weekend!
And...
New Economic Infomercial Launched Today! Thanks to LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics who made this possible.
We will not rest until the Victorian government listens to constituents and protects our struggling wildlife alongside rural communities home to it.
Some of our regional ads and articles which have run and will continue to run across Victoria...
Wine for Waterbirds
Thanks to DeBortoli, you can order these fantastic wines and help our native waterbirds at the same time. 10% of purchase price goes directly to help native waterbirds. Offer ends December 31, 2020. Please click on the image to order.
On behalf of our beautiful waterbirds who cannot speak for themselves and the rural communities who love being home to them, thank you for your support.
We hope 2021 is a better year for us all.