LIVING BASIN, LIVING MURRAY, LIVING COMMUNITIES

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1 LIVING BASIN, LIVING MURRAY, LIVING COMMUNITIES A partnership approach to care for the Murray-Darling Basin s natural resources Adrian Wells Murray Darling Association 2 March 2008 GTAV VCE Lecture - Melbourne University

2 The Murray-Darling Basin

3 Murray-Darling Basin 42 percent of the nation s farms Half of our cropping land 25 percent of our cattle Half of our orchards 75 percent of irrigated crops & pastures 15 percent of our forest products Agricultural products worth $10 billion

4 Murray-Darling Basin Not mountainous by world standards Snow contributes very little water to rivers Rainfall can be unreliable About 85 percent of the Basin contributes little or no water to the rivers Country can flood but floods are vital for river and floodplain health

5 Murray-Darling Basin Pointing fingers does not solve problems We all have to take responsibility The quest for cheap food can impact on land and water quality No-one deliberately set out to degrade our river systems We all have a responsibility to care for the Murray-Darling Basin

6 Murray-Darling Basin It took nearly 200 years to create the problems in the Murray-Darling Basin It will take many years to fix the problems We need more research Responses will require more than three or five year programs Many solutions require 50-year strategies

7 Murray-Darling Basin Australia has a long history of community involvement Community-government partnerships are a key to managing the Murray-Darling Basin s land and water resources There have been many key natural resource programs across the Basin involving schools, Local Government, Aboriginal & community groups, universities, service clubs, business and individuals

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9 Wiradjuri wisdom Ngangana-gu karrai Billa s dya,karrai Billa s durai Ngangana Nginda Look after the land and rivers, and the land and rivers will look after you Contributed by Cec Grant, Lavington NSW

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13 A healthy river and good water quality is vital for the environment, irrigation, industry, recreation, cultural values, amenity and local communities.

14 The Living Murray milestones: April 2002: Ministerial Council commissions study on cost/benefit of environmental water and agrees to consult with the community : Community consultation Nov 2003: Ministerial Council considers community and technical advice - The Living Murray First Step is announced. May 2006: A further $500m Australian Government investment announced

15 The Living Murray s First Step decision was a commitment of $500m over five years Additional funds were provided by the Australian Government in 2006 and 2008

16 Six icon sites identified for their high conservation, recreation, cultural, heritage and economic value

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22 The artery that connects the whole river system.

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24 WATER VOLUMES What is a megalitre of water? What is gigalitre of water?

25 WATER VOLUMES A megalitre of water is 1,000,000 litres (about the volume of an Olympic swimming pool) A gigalitre (GL) of water is one billion litres of water or 1,000 megalitres Sydney Harbour holds about 500 gigalitres of water l

26 Some achievements to date: 500 GL environmental flow in Improved growth of River red gums Massive spawning of native fish Thousands of colonial nesting waterbirds breed Growth and flowering of significant wetland plants

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28 GUNBOWER-KOONDROOK PERICOOTA FORESTS Some achievements to date: Largest breeding event in 13 years for Gunbower Koondrook native fish, birds and vegetation / Perricoota Forest Good response to flooding from frogs Provided habitat for large number of native fish, including threatened species Native vegetation thrived Private donation of water for iconic tree

29 Some achievements to date: Largest environmental water pumping project in history of Murray River Growth and regeneration amongst stressed River red gums. Habitat created for over 30 waterbird species, including threatened species. Some bird species breed for the first time since 2001 Increased breeding of tortoises and frogs. Few carp

30 Some achievements to date: Small amount of water provided due to drought 50 to 90% of stressed trees responded positively to watering Waterbirds relished revived wetlands Breeding occurred amongst frogs Increase in health of water plants

31 Some achievements to date: Environmental flow from Drought is still a problem New fishways have been built Successful dredging program continues Condition of Murray Mouth best since dredging commenced in October 2002 On-going concerns about ecological health of Coorong and Murray Mouth

32 Some achievements to date Environmental watering along the river Construction of fish ladders on weirs Re-snagging parts of the river Tagging and monitoring of fish movement

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34 Projects have been identified to recover 500 GL of water. This will lead to: improved irrigation infrastructure, creation of a new water trading program in northern Victoria more reliable access to stock and domestic water for landowners along the Great Darling Anabranch in NSW

35 WETLAND REGULATORS ENHANCED FLOW PATHS RE-SNAGGING FISH LADDERS

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37 A healthy river and good water quality is vital for the environment, irrigation, industry, recreation, cultural values, amenity and local communities.

38 Community consultation

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40 An Indigenous Partnerships Project has started with the support of the Murray Lower Darling Rivers Indigenous Nations (MLDRIN). Ensures Indigenous community knowledge, values and perspectives are considered in water planning and management at each icon site. Includes involvement of local Indigenous facilitators, Indigenous Working Groups and community members.

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42 Thank you