No Tillegra Dam Group

Hello everyone,

Below is a compilation of the many congratulations we received via email on the canning of the dam. I have finally found time to put them all together.

Being incapacitated does have “some” advantages.

I apologise I have not been able to compile them all and get them out to you sooner.

You all worked very hard to stop the dam proposal so it is only right you get to enjoy the many congratulations.

Cheers
Carol

 

 

Hi Carol and crew

And a big thankyou to you for fighting the good fight on behalf of the many, a fantastic outcome that reinstates my belief that a few dedicated people can change the world and certainly allow democracy to shine. Thankyou for everything you have given, you made it easy to be a part of the process and to give what I could.

Suzanne Pritchard

Springboard Science Pty Ltd

 

Congratulations to all of you for the guts and work you’ve all put in. You are all up there in my pantheon of heroes.

And even though it’s the third try to build the dam and the third time it’s been defeated I’m still mindful of Thomas Jefferson’s aphorism concerning liberty and eternal vigilance.

Good luck. Bill Holley

 

Mr Piper congratulates the No Tillegra Dam Group for its

outstanding campaign and its victory over the dam proposal and

regrets that he is unable to be with you to celebrate on 11 December.

 

Dear Linda

Congratulations on an amazing, mammoth campaign!  People are already

referring to the No Tillegra campaign as a model that others can use

as an example where the community has mustered up extraordinary

opposition to a thoroughly inappropriate development – and won

Again congratulations.  I know how tirelessly you and Bev and others have worked.  I feel bad that I did not do more on this matter but am

incredibly happy that you won and the Williams is saved.  A wonderful

outcome for the environment!!

Best regards BJ

BJ BeomJin Kim | Solicitor | Environmental Defender’s Office (NSW) |

 

many congratulations to you and everyone in the community for a great win!! Very inspiring!!  Mal

 

Dear Linda
As I had the wrong email address you didn’t receive the intended message below, which I attempted to send on hearing this great news.  Thank you for the invitation to celebrate, will pass on to John.  Unfortunately  am unable to attend.  Will get back with his reply.
Hearty congratulations with many thanks to you and the band of people who have worked tirelessly to bring about this wonderful outcome.
John & Dorothy Priestley

 

All you guys did such a great job keeping it on the agenda and making them sqirm.  Well done all you !!  WOOOHOOOO!   Helen Graham

WOOOOHOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO STUPID SHITTY ENVIRONMENTAL STUFFING UP DAM WOOHOOOO!!!!    Aaron

 

Congratulations. It’s fantastic news!
Louise West

 

Hello everyone and esp Carol and Sally

THANKYOU so much for your efforts to save the valley! I am completely stunned and happy that finally it is over and the river can flow as it always has done and people can get on with their lives without the dam cloud hanging over them..

I just happened to be at the farm this last weekend when a friend rang me about the news. Emma Swain (Maitland Mercury) rang soon after. Unfortunately she misquoted me in her article – it doesn’t reflect the complexity for us re the “buy back” situation. I would dearly love Dad to buy back but I  doubt he will.

Anyway, that is all for the future and now we can all breathe a big sigh of relief and realize that  “people power” can make a difference!

All the best,

Juliet

 

Hi Linda,

I’ve just heard the news! I can’t believe it’s finally happened.. Just thought I’d get in touch to say congratulations for all the hard work you’ve put in. I hope you and Ken are well, Richard and I are so pleased with this result.

Chelsea

B. Environmental Science
Australian Wetlands and Rivers Centre
UNSW School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Congratulations  – Les McAlister

 

Power to the people!     –  Rebecca, James, Charlotte

 

Hi Carol and  Dave and every one there.I am still short of breath from

shouting out aloud. What a geat result for everyone. Unfortunatly I am

in Queensland and wont be home for a few days,so will do my

celebrating alone.I am so amazed at what has been achieved from that

first meeting at the RSL club some four years ago,with just only about

12 people in total. To think that, that was just the begining and to

have defeated a State Govermenton on important issue like this is just

incredible. I can only just congratulate you all, on your tanacity and

incredible determination. I am glad that I am on your side!.Please

convey  my congratulations to all there, especially Sally, Warwick, and

yourself for your exceptional leadership and huge contribution.

Love and best wishes,

Jaime Mackay

 

 

CONGRATULATIONS ON THE DETERMINED AND SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN.

ALSO A BIG THANKYOU FOR A JOB WELL DONE

Helen & Arthur

 

Well done for all your hard work – what an outcome!!  Chelsea

 

Hi Sally and Carol,

Bob is in Canberra at the moment so asked me to pass on his best wishes for a great outcome re: Tillegra Dam.

I have also attached the statement he released today on the issue.

Kind Regards,

Sarah

P.S Great photo in the Newcastle Herald and Sydney Morning Herald today!

_____________________________________

Sarah Harrison|Chief of Staff

The Hon. Bob Baldwin MP

 

Hi Carol,

Well done!

It’s amazing that it took the govt so long to realise that there are 4 vulnerable ALP seats in the Hunter.  I mean, apart from all the practical considerations which screamed a big No to the dam, they seem to be too dim to be able to count their own seats.  Says a lot, doesn’t it?

Good on you!

Cheers,

Mal

(Coffs Harbour)

 

Congratulations…. I have spent time in Dungog in the past ,  but live in the United States, and I am thrilled to hear the news.  It is importabt for all of us to see that citizen-power and good sense really can prevail.
Best wishes,
Jill Roberts
New York, NY

 

Dear Carol and Dave

such wonderful news!  All that hard yakka, those long hours, all the worry and stress and planning and disappointments and false hopes and incremental victories – everything: YOU WON!  Congratulations!  A thousand thousand congratulations!!!  the group have proven to the world once more that a few ‘little’ people can change things, can make the world a better place.  You must and should be so proud of yourselves. BRavo!

 

Thanks for the invite, however I am meeting ..  I know you will understand, and send up a little prayer for them.

love and hugs all round

Pirrial

 

Hi Carol and Sally
We are all so very happy for you all that sense finally prevailed on Tillegra. It is such an incredible relief – maybe we need to rename November No Dumb Dams month! As you might recall it was in November last year that Garrett said no to Traveston.
enjoy the celebration!
Tanz

 

Hi Carol,

Saw this email this morning and had to go out and buy to paper – your photo shows you all looking ecstatic – good on you!

I hope you are able to now get on with it and starting dreaming and planning for your futures again.

Again – well done and thank you!

Cheers,

Jo Durand

Gwandalan

 

Dear Carol,

You all look great in the Sydney Morning Herald today.  Here are my comments to Nikki Coleman yesterday:

“I was so thrilled to see on the internet that it had been scrapped.

I was on my way to a bushcare annual luncheon for Ku-ring-gai Council volunteers, wore my Williams River T-shirt  and told the environmentalists that I knew would be interested.  They were also thrilled.

Wish I were with everyone in Dungog today!”

Ross and I actually drove through the Valley on the 4th of December in persistent drizzle. I think I saw the cemetery that would have been inundated.  It wasn’t possible to see from the road any of the homesteads/houses that will now be saved.  It would be of interest to me to hear your thoughts, your “de-briefings” on the campaign.  As you know I got involved shortly after a unit on Water Management at Macquarie University Graduate School of the Environment in 2008, where Leigh from the Total Environment Centre gave a guest lecture on Tillegra.  I was incredulous that such poor decision-making could be taken seriously, and I did my research paper on the proposed dam. There aren’t many wins these days.

Margery

 

Congratualtions on your Magnificent win!!!

Eve Lowson

 

Hi, Carol, Sally & Ken and all

Congratulations what a wonderful announcement we have just heard, Stephen called me early this morning when he heard Sally on the news, and one of my neighbours came across and mentioned it today too.

We have been away at Rivers SOS Conference at Lithgow and are catching up with news today.

Fantastic News!

Now everyone Hunter Water Board pushed off their land to sell to them…. needs their land given back to them at Hunter Water Boards Expense with no cost to the individual people.

and a full reimbursement to every household, where Hunter Water put the bill up for a dam that had not even been approved and is not going to be approved now either.

Well done its been a long time coming.  Great win for all and for that beautiful valley & the environment!

Kind regards

Amanda Albury

Limeburners Creek

ICAG/Rivers SOS

 

Great News and Well Done.  I have been quietly confident of the outcome since Sonia Hornery and I shared our concerns a few months ago. However it is now official, and that is such wonderful news.

Cheers Alan Saxton

 

Dear Sally, Ken, everyone

What great news. It is a credit to you all that the dam got knocked on the head.

We should celebrate with a canoe trip down the river this summer. Something I have been wanting to do for some time

Hugh Jones

 

Carol and NTDG,

Congratulations and thank you and your friends of the Williams river for all the hard work that has gone into the cancellation of the damn dam. Well done!

Kind regards,

Tom

Tom Smith

Managing Director

Glendonbrook Wines

 

Thank you so much for your email!! We are overjoyed that the damn dam has been cancelled and the most beautiful area in the world has been saved. We loved that area and had been visiting the Barrington Guest House regularly since 1984 and felt the world had gone mad when construction of the dam was announced. We admire so much the efforts you and your members put into this worthwhile fight and congratulations to all involved. We immigrated toAustraliain 1978 from theUSAafter working overseas inMexico,SpainandNew Zealand. During that time we had the opportunity of visiting other countries in Europe but most of all we loved the Hunter especially the William River so thank you again for saving it!

Richard & Kay Fay

 

Dear Carol

I can only imagine just how relieved you must be.

Glad it has turned out this way despite the extended years of anxiety.

All the best, you can now get on with your lives.

Regards,

George

Hon George Souris MP

 

Hi Linda,

Congratulations!

Kind regards
Charmaine Crowe
Policy Coordinator
Combined Pensioners & Superannuants Association of NSW Inc (CPSA)

 

Dear Linda and Ken,

Spectacular, spectacular result. Congratulations, and I hope you celebrated very loud and very long. In fact I hope you’re still celebrating.

I spoke with John Kaye this morning. I’m writing a column tomorrow about the unsung heroes of all this, yourselves prominent.

Cheers. Joanne.

 

Congratulations to you all on a wonderful victory  for all you determined and principled campaigners.   Margaret Henry

 

Dear Carol & NTDG members,

I was so happy yesterday to hear the news, I’m still very much bouyed up by it now. I can’t begin to imagine how all of you and your families must feel about this decision. I am pleased to have played a small role in supporting the cause, but I take my hat off to all of you who stood your ground and have worked so hard for four years to make sure your voice was heard, you are all true champions for the environment, and for the community.

 

Kind regards,

cr. joe thompson

 

Congratulations Carol to you and your wonderful supporters. It is another good example of people power and I note the great support you received from Sonia Hornery who supported our Save Wallsend Aged Care Campaign.

We must remain vigilant as politicians may have another go

Bernard Ayrton

 

Fantastic news.

Thanks for your dedication and hard work. The Tillegra Dam campaign has kept a lot of us inspired.

Regards

Geoff Brown

President

Western Sydney Conservation Alliance Inc

 

 

 

Hi Carol

You are the one who should be congratulated for never giving up on this huge issue. We are thrilled down here in Wollombi.

I could not believe it when I caught the announcement on the web yesterday afternoon.

Next big enemy to our environment in this region (and elsewhere) – coal seam methane gas exploration juggernauts!

best wishes  Bronwyn Duncan

 

Well done everyone. Phew! What a relief! I hope the energy now goes into

the valley and that the community is strong.

Cheers,Steve

 

Hi Carol,

Yes, heard it yesterday morning.

I was going to call but I thought you might all be out sipping champagne J

Great news…….and the NTDG should be commended for being a shining light of how to change government thinking in favour of community concerns.

Great job!!

Regards, Dr Steven Lucas

 

Yes it was wonderful news!

Regards   Sue Wynn

 

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL WHO WORKED SO HARD.   felix

 

Congratulations Carol and all involved in saving this beautiful river and valley. I am just a ‘city girl’ but with a country heart, and have a special love for the area thanks to my many visits to Wangat Lodge and Dungog. I was appalled at the idea of the dam, and am hugely relieved that the plans have now been axed.

Thank you very much for all that you have done. Enjoy your well-deserved celebrations.

Regards,   Marilyn Austen

 

Just a brief note to congratulate you all.  Your tireless campaign against the dam serves as a reminder of the power of people to create change.

Great job.  A gutsy effort.

Next battle: desalination!  Kelly Tranter

 

HI Sally, Carol, Linda, Bev and John

Very big congratulations to you.

Well deserved result from a great campaign.

cheers

James Ryan

 

What a team! What an outcome! What a relief!

Cheers to all, looking forward to lengthy celebrations.

Great effort and well rewarded.

Still pinching ourselves.

Bev

 

Sally,Carol,

I heard the good news about Tillegra yesterday, congratulations on the result of the years of persistent effort by all the people involved in the fight.  We simply cannot afford to have our rivers sacrificed to the whims of political corruption, in cases like Traveston Crossing and Tillegra dams. The effort that all the people in the Tillegra campaign put in helps change the political culture affecting all rivers in Australia.

 

I hope this decision thoroughly shames all the environmental-science-for-profit propaganda providers commissioned by Hunter Water and featured on their website.  I believe the corruption in the environmental science pay-per-conclusion industry is just as crook as the political corruption underlying many of these projects.

many thanks, and congratulations

Steve Burgess

(Save the Mary River)

 

Oh boy! The best campaign run in history! Well done! I’m here now crying with happiness!! Toni

 

Fantastic news!
WOW.. Well done NTDG!
Cheers
Sarah

 

Hi

Its wonderful news so pleased for you all its been a long time coming have a great Christmas it’s the best present to you all

Cheers

Louise and Cathy

We were part of the group SAVE WALLSEND AGED CARE and the Fair GO for the Hunter WE KNOW HOW MUCH TIME AND ENERGY you have all put into saving the river CONGRATS AGAIN

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

WEL DONE

 

Woweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

 

You stars. I always thought such a disciplined, passionate group would

win, I just couldn’t believe how long it could take!

 

Best wishes, from France where I am now living

Will

 

wow congratulations on all the hard work  Rosanna

 

Hi Carol,

Totally thrilled for you and your group.. well done!

Thoughts are with you.

Regards

Glenda Pickersgill

President

Save the Mary River Coordinating Group

 

 

 

 

hello,
i am so delighted, i was in tears at times thinking about the building of that awaiting disaster, I have so many memories of that valley and the winding road. I am now so happy its axed.
regards chris
bloody ripper!!!!!

Rick

 

Wonderful News,

Lets see what we can build off that.

$450M saved from this foolish investment can now be spent on sensible things.

I have a few ideas, and no doubt many others will too.

Look forward to hearing about the Celebration
Cheers from Newcastle

John L Hayes

 

Fantastic news!

but of course you can’t help wondering about a looming State election in March which Labor are worried about losing, being the most probable (read ONLY) reason the Dam was canned!

Anyway, no reason not to CELEBRATE!

and apparently we who have commenced paying for the dam are going to be reimbursed!

I am so happy for those of you who live in Williams River area, and who have fought so hard to save it!

THANKYOU.

Hopefully now you can all get on with living, working and enjoying life again.

regards, Nevenka

 

CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ALL !! A GREAT CAMPAIGN  – THE COMMUNITY AROUND DUNGOG AREA SHOULD BE GRATEFUL TO YOU FOR SUCH A GREAT WIN FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND FOR THE FUTURE OF THIS AREA – SHOULD GIVE A BOOST TO PROPERTY VALUES NOW THAT THE RIVER IS SAVED. REGARDS, Joan

 

Congratulations for your persistence. MR

 

What wonderful news, can we really believe they is it really gone or just on hold again? You have put up such a strong fight for the truth and it looks like you have won.

congratulations

Lurline & Jeff

 

I’ve not heard any details yet, I just want to say thank you for all the good work and hard fighting you have so diligently continued. I salute your sheer determination and persistence against enormous oppostiion that you and so many others have encountered.

Please pass on to Linda, Ken, Tracey and Bernadette, Geoff Berry, David Smith, Bob,Tom and all the many others who’ve continued the battle and the letter writing and the campaign that has stood up to the enormity of HWC and the Macquarie St hustlers.

 

I have been very much in the background for the last couple of years as family matters have taken priority, but we here have listened, read, and cheered from the sidelines, and talked the campaign up as much as we could.

 

Go the community outrage !!

Neredah Gill

Supporter of No Tillegra Dam

 

 

 

 

Heartiest congratulations to everybody concerned with the NTDG. YOU ALL DESERVE MEDALS. And now you can all go back to living a normal life. Hope it isn’t boring.
Cheers & cheers
R

 

THANK YOU ALL FROM THE WILDERNESS SOCIETY for your WONDERFUL SUPPORT, ENERGY, CAMPAIGNING and GUSTO!!

Congratulations all of your hard work has paid dividends

Regards Geoff & Heli

 

CONGRATULATIONS everyone!!

Fabulous news No Tillegra Dam !!!!

Best wishes and admiration for your hard work and committment to such an important issue!!!!!!

Anne Fisher