Eureka Democracy Award: 2023 - Phillip Moore
|
With a long strong commitment to the celebration of Eureka each year, Phillip Moore has provided leadership to Eureka Australia from its early years 2000 to 2007 and to the present.
Phillip has constantly drawn on the history of democratic thinking from ancient time through the 18th century French and United States revolutions and on to the great human rights and democracy writers. Phillip has drawn from the chartist movement principles in Britain, with the relevance of various popular uprisings in northern Europe, to the period of the late 1840’s and the movements responding to famine and disadvantage. Phillip has promoted the democratic processes utilized by the diggers on the Victorian goldfields to seek redress for their many grievances, which led to the stockade, erected in desperation as a defensive mechanism. Phillip has regularly promoted the importance of the Ballarat Reform League charter and its significance to our democratic journey in this state and country. His thinking has drawn upon his substantial experiences in community consultation, shaping and responding to community demands for just outcomes and his leadership work as Executive Manager of the Murray Darling Association, supporting twelve regional committees across NSW, VIC, SA and QLD and their Executive Council. The Murray Darling basin covers one seventh of Australia, and is considered the country’s food bowl with huge environmental, industrial, tourism and cultural significance. Phillip dedicated 16 years of his professional career to developing a deep understanding of the need for listening, and for effective consultation processes with government to develop sustainable policy. Phillip advocated a stronger entity to replace the River Murray Connission. As a result of this work the Murray Darling Authority was created by governments from the mid 1980’s. Phillip has also lectured and published widely on regional and environmental planning, tourism – including aboriginal cultural tourism - and of course on democracy and Eureka. |
|
Phillip’s citation reads:
“For his leadership of the foundational years of Eureka Australia, for maintaining annual commemoration of the Eureka Stockade, and supporting specific events including the Australian National University symposium on Eureka, the development of the Diggers’ March Route for Ballarat, organizing commemorative celebrations in Canberra in 2015, Sydney and Perth, for advocating the Pathway of Remembrance at the Eureka Centre, Ballarat, for those who fell at Eureka and for obtaining funding support from relevant embassies and Ballarat city for its construction in 2022.
For promoting Eureka’s place in the 1850’s goldfields quest for rights and representation through the direct democratic processes and actions of the diggers and their supporters, especially the Ballarat Reform League Charter, drawing on international democratic principles, and for highlighting awareness of the torrent of democratic reforms forming the immediate response to the Eureka events by the Victorian community which provided much of the basis for the robust democratic society we enjoy today in Australia. Phillip’s tireless support for the introduction and development of the Eureka democracy award from 2007 and his substantial contribution to the Eureka Australia committee is acknowledged. “
PHILLIP MOORE’S RESPONSE
“ I am honored to receive this Award and will cherish it; however this Award is really about all of us working together as a team; that is Eureka Australia Committee and our General members. And I thank you all for the privilege. “No man is an Island” said John Doe. So true.
May I suggest to you that among the most important assets of our country are our Democratic System of Government and our Murray Darling Basin River System. Both are dynamic systems that will always need our attention and which we need to appreciate, be engaged in their management where possible, and which we need to protect and enhance.
I would like to speak briefly on both, as I have been involved in both. I believe the important story about Eureka Australia and its main theme happened 15 years ago when it changed its original name “Eureka’s Children” to Eureka Australia and set up the following objectives:
In fact - Recently we have now gone international with our involvement in the Central Goldfields World Heritage submission to UNESCO concerning the Goldfield’s physical, social and democratic history and heritage.
There have been many wonderful projects completed by Eureka Australia over the years, some of which have already been mentioned this evening. Maybe we should have a list of them on our website!
My major employment occupation and involvement in the democratic process came when I was employed as Executive Manager of the Murray Valley League in early 1970. Later to become the Murray Darling Association.
It has always been my belief that our Murray Darling River System, which is the 4th longest in the world, requires a Murray Darling Basin Authority with a Charter that stipulates the integrated, multi-use and sustainable planning and management of the Basin’s resources.
However up until the 1980’s such management by the Government’s River Murray Commission was confined only to the Murray River Valley region of southern NSW, Northern Victoria and South Australia. The same applied to our Murray Valley League whose members comprised of councils, Irrigators, Industry, recreation and tourist operators and environmental groups.
So the question was : how can we expand our MVL’S regional area and membership and also help the Governments to move from a River Murray Commission to a Murray Darling Basin Authority.
In 1982 we persuaded the 33 Adelaide City Councils and those of the Iron Triangle : Port Pirie, Port Augusta and Whyalla – all dependent on Murray River piped water, to become members of the Murray Valley League. Thereby adding 1.3 million people to our approximately 300,000 in the Murray River Valley.
In 1984 the Murray Valley League considered changing its name to the Murray Darling Association and then commenced to grow its membership throughout the entire Murray Darling Basin covering 1/7th of Australia’s land mass. It also occurred to us that the states of NSW, VIC, SA, and the C/Wealth were now all Labor Governments; creating a wonderful opportunity for us to gain consensus for the concept of establishing a Murray Darling Authority.
So off I flew to Canberra, met with Gareth Evans, Minister for Resources and Energy, discussed the possibility of establishing a Murray Darling Authority, which he supported and which he agreed to making ongoing ministerial arrangements.
Consequently on November 15th 1985 the Premiers and Ministers of the 4 Governments- NSW, VIC. SA and the C/Wealth, plus the River Murray Commission and our Association, the President and myself, attended the meeting in Adelaide that established the Murray Darling Ministerial Council.
In 1988 this Council became the Murray Darling Basin Commission including Queensland. And finally, in 2008 it became the Murray Darling Basin Authority.
These efforts remind us of the time it takes to establish national projects. The Snowy Mountain Scheme took 25 years, The Murray Darling Authority took 25 years. All were a challenge, requiring persistence and commitment not just from politicians but also from the community which in both project cases would never have happened without them.
Today, this Authority as well as the MDA are now servicing and representing 2.3million people in the Basin and 1.3 million in Adelaide and the Iron Triangle. The MDA membership now comprises over 170 Councils throughout the Basin as well as the Basin’s various interest groups.
May I suggest there are three major issues requiring special attention today by the Basin Authority and by the Basin’s community. They are:
Guided by the Government’s recent comprehensive Murray Darling Basin Plan, it is now the responsibility in a democratic society for the Authority and the people to consider the common good of all, striving to determine and achieve what is the priority and best uses of the Basin’s resources and most importantly to maintain and enhance the Basin’s magnificent environment that serves all of us.
It has been a privilege to be involved in these two organizations and I thank you for the opportunity to address these topics.
*The Basin’s Comprehensive Plan is on the internet. So too are speeches by Tanya Plibersek MP – Minister for the Environment, and Andrew McConville-Murray Darling Basin CEO which they presented at the M D A’s AGM in September 2023.
“For his leadership of the foundational years of Eureka Australia, for maintaining annual commemoration of the Eureka Stockade, and supporting specific events including the Australian National University symposium on Eureka, the development of the Diggers’ March Route for Ballarat, organizing commemorative celebrations in Canberra in 2015, Sydney and Perth, for advocating the Pathway of Remembrance at the Eureka Centre, Ballarat, for those who fell at Eureka and for obtaining funding support from relevant embassies and Ballarat city for its construction in 2022.
For promoting Eureka’s place in the 1850’s goldfields quest for rights and representation through the direct democratic processes and actions of the diggers and their supporters, especially the Ballarat Reform League Charter, drawing on international democratic principles, and for highlighting awareness of the torrent of democratic reforms forming the immediate response to the Eureka events by the Victorian community which provided much of the basis for the robust democratic society we enjoy today in Australia. Phillip’s tireless support for the introduction and development of the Eureka democracy award from 2007 and his substantial contribution to the Eureka Australia committee is acknowledged. “
PHILLIP MOORE’S RESPONSE
“ I am honored to receive this Award and will cherish it; however this Award is really about all of us working together as a team; that is Eureka Australia Committee and our General members. And I thank you all for the privilege. “No man is an Island” said John Doe. So true.
May I suggest to you that among the most important assets of our country are our Democratic System of Government and our Murray Darling Basin River System. Both are dynamic systems that will always need our attention and which we need to appreciate, be engaged in their management where possible, and which we need to protect and enhance.
I would like to speak briefly on both, as I have been involved in both. I believe the important story about Eureka Australia and its main theme happened 15 years ago when it changed its original name “Eureka’s Children” to Eureka Australia and set up the following objectives:
- To emphasize that democracy was at the centre of the Eureka events of 1854/55
- To illustrate that the Eureka events helped lay the foundations and legacy for the democracy we enjoy today
- To promote in various ways our Eureka message beyond just Ballarat and Victoria but to take it to the nation
In fact - Recently we have now gone international with our involvement in the Central Goldfields World Heritage submission to UNESCO concerning the Goldfield’s physical, social and democratic history and heritage.
There have been many wonderful projects completed by Eureka Australia over the years, some of which have already been mentioned this evening. Maybe we should have a list of them on our website!
My major employment occupation and involvement in the democratic process came when I was employed as Executive Manager of the Murray Valley League in early 1970. Later to become the Murray Darling Association.
It has always been my belief that our Murray Darling River System, which is the 4th longest in the world, requires a Murray Darling Basin Authority with a Charter that stipulates the integrated, multi-use and sustainable planning and management of the Basin’s resources.
However up until the 1980’s such management by the Government’s River Murray Commission was confined only to the Murray River Valley region of southern NSW, Northern Victoria and South Australia. The same applied to our Murray Valley League whose members comprised of councils, Irrigators, Industry, recreation and tourist operators and environmental groups.
So the question was : how can we expand our MVL’S regional area and membership and also help the Governments to move from a River Murray Commission to a Murray Darling Basin Authority.
In 1982 we persuaded the 33 Adelaide City Councils and those of the Iron Triangle : Port Pirie, Port Augusta and Whyalla – all dependent on Murray River piped water, to become members of the Murray Valley League. Thereby adding 1.3 million people to our approximately 300,000 in the Murray River Valley.
In 1984 the Murray Valley League considered changing its name to the Murray Darling Association and then commenced to grow its membership throughout the entire Murray Darling Basin covering 1/7th of Australia’s land mass. It also occurred to us that the states of NSW, VIC, SA, and the C/Wealth were now all Labor Governments; creating a wonderful opportunity for us to gain consensus for the concept of establishing a Murray Darling Authority.
So off I flew to Canberra, met with Gareth Evans, Minister for Resources and Energy, discussed the possibility of establishing a Murray Darling Authority, which he supported and which he agreed to making ongoing ministerial arrangements.
Consequently on November 15th 1985 the Premiers and Ministers of the 4 Governments- NSW, VIC. SA and the C/Wealth, plus the River Murray Commission and our Association, the President and myself, attended the meeting in Adelaide that established the Murray Darling Ministerial Council.
In 1988 this Council became the Murray Darling Basin Commission including Queensland. And finally, in 2008 it became the Murray Darling Basin Authority.
These efforts remind us of the time it takes to establish national projects. The Snowy Mountain Scheme took 25 years, The Murray Darling Authority took 25 years. All were a challenge, requiring persistence and commitment not just from politicians but also from the community which in both project cases would never have happened without them.
Today, this Authority as well as the MDA are now servicing and representing 2.3million people in the Basin and 1.3 million in Adelaide and the Iron Triangle. The MDA membership now comprises over 170 Councils throughout the Basin as well as the Basin’s various interest groups.
May I suggest there are three major issues requiring special attention today by the Basin Authority and by the Basin’s community. They are:
- The over allocation of irrigation water licenses especially in NSW
- The need for equity for the different interest groups for the multiple uses of the Basin’s water and environmental resources
- The need for better research and management of the Basin’s 25 sub- catchment’s distinct river eco-systems
Guided by the Government’s recent comprehensive Murray Darling Basin Plan, it is now the responsibility in a democratic society for the Authority and the people to consider the common good of all, striving to determine and achieve what is the priority and best uses of the Basin’s resources and most importantly to maintain and enhance the Basin’s magnificent environment that serves all of us.
It has been a privilege to be involved in these two organizations and I thank you for the opportunity to address these topics.
*The Basin’s Comprehensive Plan is on the internet. So too are speeches by Tanya Plibersek MP – Minister for the Environment, and Andrew McConville-Murray Darling Basin CEO which they presented at the M D A’s AGM in September 2023.
