ON THE ROAD AGAIN... IN THE MID AND LOWER MURRAY

CANBERRA, ACT, Sept. 24 -- Murray-Darling Basin Authority issued the following news release:

'On the road again' has been our theme song over the last four weeks here at the MDBA. Led by our Authority Chair, Daryl Quinlivan and Chief Executive Andrew McConville, our people have been touring the Mid and Lower Murray, talking with local communities, First Nations groups and industries about what matters most when it comes to sustainable water management.

Andrew McConville reflected on the tour:

The first leg of our tour kicked off in Albury, New South Wales with a visit to the Hume Dam. We were joined by our local Regional Engagement Officers and other MDBA staff, as well as key representatives from other water agencies. All were keen to take a tour of this vital piece of river infrastructure and learn more about how it operates.

Other key highlights of the tour:

* Meeting with the Riverina and Murray Joint Organisation (of Councils), a united voice on key issues for communities across the Riverina and Mid Murray. We heard their concerns about carp control, constraints, and uncertainty about water buybacks, among a range of issues. * Visiting key water Goulburn Murray Water infrastructure in Yarrawonga and Mulwala. * Visiting 'The Narrows' at the Barmah-Millewa Forest icon site and cruising the river with Traditional Owners from the Yorta Yorta National Aboriginal Corporation (YYNC). This was followed by a meeting with members of Moama Local Aboriginal Land Council to discuss the pause on environmental watering in their region and its impacts on Cultural flows. * Speaking to rice growers from the Rice Growers Association of Australia at the SunRice Mill in Deniliquin, where we saw rice production in action and listened to concerns about water buybacks which are creating uncertainty for their industry.

"Throughout my travels, I am seeing increasing levels of trust between people, governments, industries and communities, a great willingness to share ideas and information, and a shared commitment to making the Basin better," says Chief Executive, Andrew McConville.

"The upcoming Basin Plan Review is everyone's opportunity to reflect on lessons learned, what's working and what might need to change to support the Basin as our climate changes."

Our tour of the Mid Murray finally wrapped up in the Riverina town of Finley on Wiradjuri country. You can watch Andrew's summary video for more of the highlights.

We paused for a break before starting our next tour, this time in the Lower Murray beginning in Goolwa, South Australia.

Our first stop was the Coorong, Lower Lakes, Murray Mouth (CLLMM) Research Centre, a new research facility set up to address the impacts of climate change in the region. Here, we met with representatives to discuss local issues in water management.

The recent algal bloom outbreak in SA was a hot topic of discussion. We also heard about their deep passion for the Coorong - known as the Kakadu of the South - and listened to their concerns over lack of water and poor water quality. This sparked discussion on water quality monitoring measures, and whether they should be expanded to include other factors such as nutrient levels, chemicals and turbidity.

We then travelled to Hindmarsh Island, and after a quick trip to see the Murray Mouth, we met with a budding new group of First Nations rangers and members of the Ngarrindjeri Aboriginal Corporation (NAC). We heard about the important role First Nations science and knowledge is playing to drive practical solutions to local environmental issues. We were also shown some of the monitoring activities the new rangers will be undertaking as part of their new role in the region. This included the retrieval of fish traps to count and measure fish and yabbies.

Other key highlights of the tour:

* Getting a close look at the Goolwa Barrages in action. * Visiting the historic Bleasdale Winery in Langhorne Creek and learning about their sustainable production methods. We heard about challenges in the wine industry and how many growers are looking to diversify into other crops, and how the (Creeks) pipeline is positively supporting the region's agriculture. * We also met with the folks at Bormann Turf and learnt about their famous turf covering ovals from Adelaide to Canberra. * Talking to growers and irrigators at Eastbrook Farms in Tolderol who have been growing Brussels sprouts for more than 60 years. We heard how big rainfall events in low-lying areas can lead to major challenges with salination. * Visiting Tolderol Game Reserve, a protected area that is home to a wide variety of water birds. Here, we met with representatives of National Parks and Wildlife, and Darren Willis from the Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board who spoke with our Chief Executive Andrew McConville about how the Basin Plan is supporting this vital habitat. This meeting was captured on video.

"A lot of work goes into these tours to ensure we're covering as much ground as possible and talking to a diverse cross-section of people, industries and interest groups," says Regional Engagement Officer, Kate Bartlett.

Our tour of the Lower Murray ended in the riverside town of Mannum, where we met with the Mid Murray Council and a couple of local farmers. We heard their concerns over planned population increases and how it may impact water availability for local farmers.

We are planning to be back on the road again in late October 2025 to visit the Macquarie Valley region. Stay tuned for more updates on what we are seeing and hearing from around the Basin.

Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.