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Pages tagged "Rivers"

Friends of the Earth’s winter speaker series

31531738_602038206823714_246279484951494656_n.jpgDuring winter we will be hosting a range of forums for our members, supporters, and allies. These will cover a range of topics, from the long campaign to protect the forests along the Murray River, to green economics, and climate change and grief.

They are free events and will be held downstairs at the Friends of the Earth café.

312 Smith street, Collingwood (#86 tram, corner of Perry Street).

All welcome.

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Federal Government Fails Murray-Darling River Communities

605_billion_Litres_small.pngHave you heard the news? Last week the Federal Government slashed the Murray Darling Basin Plan by one fifth.

The Basin Plan was an agreement to restore the health of the river after drought and decades of over extraction had decimated the ecological communities on the river. The river has been sick for a long time, the Darling has run dry, and fish, birdlife and wetlands are struggling near the mouth of the Murray. This change is one more nail in the coffin.

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Murray Darling Basin Plan Under Threat

The River Country campaign is calling on the Victorian Government to stop undermining the Murray-Darling Basin Plan (MDBP). City and country people are rising up to demand that Murray-Darling Rivers are kept alive!

The Federal Governments is trying to reduce the amount of environmental water that was promised for our precious Red Gum forests. Last year the NSW Government was accused of corruption and allowing water theft to occur, and now Victorian Minister for water Lisa Neville has decided to side with NSW by threatening to walk away from the MDBP.

That's why last month, people from around Victoria came together on the steps of Victorian Parliament to call on Daniel Andrews and the Victorian Government to stick up for the Murray and deliver the water that was promised to our fragile Red Gum ecosystems.

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River Country Returns in 2018

IMG_8560_blog.JPGLast year was a big year for the Murray Darling. The Darling ran dry, Four Corners exposed upstream water theft thrusting our river into the national spotlight and bickering over the Murray Darling Basin Plan threatened to cut back the amount water that is returned to the environment. With a Victorian State Election and a key decision about the fate of the Murray Darling Basin Plan pending for February, 2018 is shaping up to be even bigger.

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Water Act changes bad news for Red Gums

Agriculture and Water Minister Barnaby Joyce introduced amendments to the Water Act in Parliament last week that could see the burden of funding environmental works shifted onto the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder. 

Previously, proceeds from selling environmental water that was not used in one region had to be used to buy environmental water in another region. As we know, environmental water allocations are precious and many Red Gum forests, floodplains and wetlands do not receive the volumes they require to stay healthy.

The amendments to the Water Act mean that income from selling environmental water can now be used for environmental works, such as infrastructure and fish ladders. This could effectively reduce the amount of water delivered to drying Red Gum floodplains in the future. 

 

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As drought looms, help keep the Murray healthy

This week ABC news reported that flows into the Murray-Darling river system are as low as they were in 2002-2003 — the first bad year of the Millennium Drought. Meanwhile, a perfect political storm is brewing that could threaten the hard-won gains for Australia’s greatest river system. Friends of the Earth needs your help to secure a sustainable future for the Murray Darling Basin.
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Important campaign updates!

The Barmah-Millewa Collective has decided its time for a new name: the 'River Country Campaign'. This is an exciting evolution in our campaign, which points to a broadening effort to protect the ecosystems of the Murray-Darling Basin and to support land and water justice for Indigenous peoples.

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Call for water justice as Darling dries up

Indigenous leaders have presented an urgent demand for a more meaningful role in water management as the Darling River looks likely to cease flowing for the third time in 12 years. Meanwhile, an independent review of the Commonwealth Water Act has highlighted the importance of 'effective implementation' of requirements for Indigenous engagement in water management. 

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Save the National Water Commission

The National Water Commission is an independent body that provides frank and well-informed advice to Australian governments about the progress of national water reform. So why does the Abbott Government want to get rid of it?

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Keep the loggers out of our Red Gum Parks

What does ‘Ecological Thinning’ mean for your National Parks?

The Victorian and NSW State governments plan to run a trial of “ecological thinning” inside the Barmah-Millewa National
Park. The trial will use logging machinery to test weather cutting out trees from these River Red Gum forests will improve the health of the ecosystem. The project will have a range of impacts on this landscape of international significance.

Friends of the Earth is asking for your help to keep logging out of our iconic River Red Gum forests and to safeguard the natural environments we all love.

 

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