Given the critical water situation we have in Orange at present, what do you think I should do with this?

I had a chap contact me last week claiming he had the track record, knowledge, expertise and people around him, to take Orange out of harm’s way during drought times like we’re facing now. You can imagine my early thoughts. A couple of emails later, I decided to meet up with him and see whether he was just another nutter or if he really had something special to offer. Part of my reason for doing this was because I could relate to what was going through his mind, it can be very difficult and stressful indeed when you suggest things that are outside the square.

After spending an hour with him, my judgement is he’s a man worth listening to. What he had to say may be completely wrong, but equally, it could be completely right, and if that was the case, what he’s proposing would make him a local legend if it all achieved what he believes it will. The challenge he faces, and again I can relate to this, is the majority of people who take on the position of a knocker, even when they only have limited knowledge of what they dealing with or are not prepared to think outside the square because “we’ve always done it that way!” How often I’ve personally wanted to scream out “Don’t just disagree with me – PROVE me wrong!” They never do, and this chap probably faces the same fate. That aside, let’s put it out there and see where it goes. Can I encourage everyone reading this to strongly ponder the question “What’s if he’s right?”

Here’s a summary of what this fellow had to say –

He explained that water has been a long-time interest and hobby. His interest now is not for personal gain, he just wants to help Orange out of harm’s way with our water issues. He says running out of water, drinking muddy water and the related issues should be avoided at all costs. He referred to a serious drought in the 1940’s.

He related a number of cases where, when in business, he found abundant underground water supplies in places where “experts” weren’t prepared to look. He is not a water diviner, but he has been called psychic by some people. He doesn’t like this claim because it sends out wrong signals, but he does believe he has a gift for finding water. He claims there is a “lot of water” under Orange. He says you just have to know where to look for it and he mentioned three or four sites around Orange where he believes there is underground abundant water that can be tapped into.

He said a lot more that I felt sounded very reasonable but of course, what would I know. This man is unsure how to best go about getting a fair hearing because he’s getting older, has a few health issues and doesn’t want to be laughed at. After reading this, you can understand why he might feel that way.

To cut to the chase, this man would like to sit down with the appropriate authorities or stakeholders and have a serious, meaningful and open-minded conversation and evaluation about what he has to say. He has friends who are also experts in this field who he’d also like to involve - geologists, drillers, water experts etc.

This man has come forward now, right while we’re experiencing the ravages of drought, what better time than now to have such a discussion.

Feedback or comments? bob@oclife.com.au