Pages tagged "Rivers"
Review of Victoria’s North and Murray Water Resource Plan
Submission by Friends of the Earth Melbourne March 2019
As a collective that is concerned with water management in Victoria and across the Murray Darling Basin, Friends of the Earth Melbourne welcomes the opportunity to provide a submission to the Draft North and Murray Water Resource Plan.
Friends of the Earth's River Country has campaigned for 18 years with Indigenous nations along the Murray River to protect over 250,000 hectares of Red Gum Forests in new national parks and conservation reserves. Our mission is to see a flourishing Murray-Darling Basin where Indigenous peoples enjoy sovereign rights to country.
Read moreSenate Submission: Water Amendment (Purchase Limit Repeal) Bill 2019
When the Murray-Darling Basin Agreement passed with bipartisan support in 2012 it was hailed as the greatest environmental policy in Australia’s history. The plan was to restore the health of the Murray Darling river system by returning water to the rivers, allowing them to flow.
The recent fish kills in Menindee and scattered throughout the Basin have come as a shock to the public, while local communities have been crying for help for years.
Read moreMenindee to lose the last of their fish
The latest announcement by NSW Minister for Regional Water Niall Blair on the lower Darling has been dubbed a political stunt by Menindee locals.
This morning, NSW DPI began relocating the remaining fish that have survived the blue green algal blooms and fish kills the Wentworth weir pool and Narrandera Fisheries hatchery.
This announcement comes over a week after the third mass fish kill in the area with locals expecting another in the coming days as temperatures are expected to drop once again. On Tuesday, Murray Cod and thousands of bony bream were seen congregating at weir 32, unable to enter the fish ladder and stuck gasping for air.
Read more2018 River Country Campaign Diary
The Story So Far...
River Country has long campaigned for river red gums along the Murray.
Our Story in 2018 is one of connecting with grassroots in Victoria and further a field, building momentum and bringing creative flare to the water debate.
Read moreNew safeguards for who?
Victoria and New South Wales have released new criteria prioritising economic outcomes for water recovery projects under the Murray Darling Basin Plan
We all know the network of rivers in the Basin is invaluable to communities and indigenous culture. The Basin Plan was developed to restore the health of our river ecosystems after a century of over extraction brought them to the brink of collapse.
The environment was to come first because we can't survive if we kill the river.
The question begs, are water ministers acting to support all life in the Basin?
Read moreA Dead River’s a Real Drag
It’s quarter to midnight, and we are driving as fast as we can in a twin cab ute named Djinn on a dirt road that is mostly potholes, avoiding kangaroos and stopping only to pop a squat on the red dirt. We sing along to Aussie prog rock and admire all the stars in the clear sky. We have driven 800 kms from Narrm to advocate for a dying river system with queer drag and performance art.
MEDIA RELEASE 7th Sep 2018: When The River Runs Dry exuberant drag queens stage Lower Darling performance on #ThreatenedSpeciesDay
Two exuberant drag queens dressed as a Golden Perch and local Yabbie have performed to an audience on the Lower Darling to raise awareness of their threatened survival in the the Murray Darling Basin on threatened species day.
Fox Pflueger the local Yabbie got the crowd wet to a performance of “When the rivers run dry” on the dry and degraded banks of the Darling River at Tolarno Station. Weird Alice the Golden Perch blasted an incredible rendition of “I will Survive” at the Menindee Lakes.
The Menindee lakes is the largest fish breeding ground in the Murray Darling Basin and right now the iconic Golden perch is at risk of extinction because the lakes are being bled dry by over extraction and failed water management.
The queens, traveling through to Broken Hill for the annual Broken Heel festival, couldn’t go past this catastrophic dying ecosystem without bringing the story back to the cities.
Read moreWadi Wadi Traditional Owners Still Waiting
Discussions between traditional owners and government stakeholders have left cracks in dry soil.
Last week, River Country facilitated a long awaited discussion between traditional owners, concerned community members and government representatives from Mallee CMA, DELWP and Parks Victoria in Nyah-Vinifera on Wadi Wadi Country.
The four-hour long meeting saw tensions arise as took community shared their concerns for park management after changes in the Murray Darling Basin Plan.
Thomson River Diversion Tunnel and Horseshoe Bend
Friends of the Earth Objects to Heavy Earth Works Planned for Thomson River.
Friends of the Earth have grave concerns regarding the planned construction of an eight metre wide "fishway" near the Thomson River Diversion Tunnel, located 4km south west of Walhalla in Gippsland.
Heritage Victoria have recently approved the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority’s application to construct the fishway.
Read moreMay 2018 Update
Friends! Tax time is upon us and now is the time to dig deep and help us as we gear up for the November State Election. We have 5 key asks this election:
- Victoria's first climate focused budget, delivering investment in climate change solutions and protects communities from climate impacts.
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Powering Melbourne’s train network with solar and wind power to ensure
Victoria’s transport system is clean, modern and non-polluting while creating
sustainable jobs in regional Victoria and metropolitan areas.
- The creation of the Great Forest National Park (GFNP) and East Gippsland Emerald Link Reserve, delivering a transition plan for workers in the forestry industry.
- Commitment to a community focused transport plan for the future of Melbourne and shift funding from roads to critical public transport infrastructure, such as Melbourne Metro 2.
- The creation of a publicly-owned retailer, backed by 100% renewable energy, to ensure Victorians have access to clean, fair and affordable electricity.
Can you help us make this a reality? Please make a tax deductible donation here - together we can do this!
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