Fisherman Henry Jones with his granddaughter Rebecca Jackson at the Lower Lakes. Source: adelaidenow
BUOYED by his critical role in finally forcing River Murray reform, Lower Lakes fisherman Henry Jones is gearing up for a new battle - a fight for his life.
Mr Jones, 71, yesterday declared victory in the century-old reform fight, after the Opposition pledged to support the plan to save the Murray.
He will now focus on his next great challenge beating an aggressive melanoma diagnosed just six weeks ago.
Mr Jones is the face of The Advertiser I Love Murray campaign and a fourth-generation fisherman from Clayton Bay.
He has fought tirelessly for almost 30 years to convince decision makers to reverse decades of over-allocation and save the ailing system.
Yesterday his local member, Liberal Jamie Briggs, phoned him to guarantee the Opposition would support Federal Water Minister Tony Burke's plan.
"I think it is across the line this time," an elated Mr Jones said. "Jamie ringing up like that, it just gave me a lot of hope.
"It has been a long, hard, bitter battle but it has been worthwhile."
Mr Jones became the face of The Advertiser campaign in March when he confronted politicians in Canberra and urged them to reach an agreement on river reform.
His impassioned speech to the likes of Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott and then Greens leader Bob Brown was hailed as a game changer, emphatically reminding Canberra that South Australia would not
rest until true water reform was delivered.
Last week Mr Burke personally phoned Mr Jones, urging him to be by his side when he announced the final basin plan at the press club in Canberra.
A doctor's appointment meant Mr Jones could not go, but yesterday he was beaming at the prospect that his life's work was almost complete.
"It just seemed to be the proper thing to do," he said of his fight.
"The last 30 years, I've had to earn an income of course, but apart from that I've been on every committee that deals with the Murray and fought wherever I could. I've just fought as hard as I can.
"I've got a whole heap of grandkids and this is such a great place and I could just see it dying before my eyes."
A doctor says Mr Jones has between three and 12 months to live. An aggressive and inoperable melanoma has rapidly spread to his spleen, liver and possibly bones.
But heartened by the river victory and his inclusion in a revolutionary trial treatment at Royal Adelaide Hospital, Mr Jones has vowed to fight on.
"I'd never been sick in my life until six weeks ago and now I'm in a pretty bad way, apparently," he said. "But I'm lucky to be in this new trial.
"One battle finishes and another one starts."
Mr Jones has hosted prime ministers, ministers and premiers at the Lower Lakes during his fight. He also has taken hundreds of interstate irrigators on his boats, trying to convince them the river dies from the mouth up.
Yesterday he was back on the water with his grandchildren Rebecca and Christine Jackson and Justin Phillips, who credit their grandfather with ensuring future generations of the family will be able to fish and enjoy the Lower Murray.
"I don't know whether the plan is quite enough, but I honestly believe it is as far as we could possibly go without buggering everything and the plan being shut down altogether," he said.
"We've pushed it as far as we can go and got the best possible outcome I think we could have achieved."
No comments:
Post a Comment