The group, based in Shepparton, but representing supporters across Echuca, Kyabram, Numurkah, Violet Town and surrounding districts, is believed to be Victoria’s first new ABC Friends group established in about a decade.
Convenor Robert McLean said the gathering would begin at 1.30pm and run for about an hour.
“The idea is to just generally promote the ABC as a good organisation and an organisation that helps promote democracy,” he said.
The meeting will also be attended by local member Wilma Hills, described by organisers as one of the group’s active Echuca supporters.
ABC Friends Goulburn Valley was formed earlier this year after efforts to establish a Bendigo branch were unsuccessful, with local supporters instead deciding to create a broader regional group based in Shepparton.
The group was launched at a meeting at La Trobe University’s Shepparton campus, where retired ABC Melbourne presenter Jon Faine spoke about his experiences with the national broadcaster.
The event attracted about 50 to 60 people and included a discussion with ABC Statewide host Nick Healey, who is based in Shepparton.
Mr McLean said the organisation was committed to supporting the ABC as an independent public broadcaster and advocating for it to remain publicly funded and free to access.
“If we don’t have the ABC, we’ll end up with media organisations driven or owned by corporate interests who have certain agendas,” he said.
He said regional broadcasting and emergency information services were particularly important for communities across the Goulburn Valley.
“It provides all the emergency reporting and people don’t realise that it does that within this existing budget,” he said.
At a recent Shepparton meeting, members resolved to push Nicholls MP Sam Birrell for firm guarantees on ABC funding and to firmly reject any move towards a subscription-based model for the broadcaster.
The Echuca gathering will be a general discussion rather than a formal agenda-driven event, with attendees encouraged to raise issues and ideas relating to the ABC.
The meeting also forms part of ABC Friends’ 50th anniversary year, with a travelling ABC Friends exhibition scheduled to be displayed at Shepparton Library for the first three weeks of October.
Organisers believe about 300 ABC Friends members live across the wider Goulburn Valley region, including Echuca, and all have been invited to attend.
“There’s no need to book,” Mr McLean said.
“People should come along and get to have a chat.”
