On 7th and 8th of July a dozen volunteers from Friends of the Earth and the Students of Sustainability Conference took to the main street of Albury armed with blank chalkboards and time to chat.

We asked people 'What do you love about the Murray? What we can do to look after it?' and if they would like to send their answer to Murray-Darling Basin Authority Chair Craig Knowles and Water Minister Tony Burke.

Seven environment groups last week provided a detailed submission to the Federal Senate Inquiry into coal seam gas and the Murray-Darling, arguing that the industry represents one of the gravest new threats that has ever been seen to the Basin.

Over the weekend, news broke that the Wentworth Group had withdrawn its involvement with the Murray-Darling Basin Authority because of concerns over political interference in the development of a scientifically credible environmental flow regime.

With Victoria's new Red Gum Parks to be officially proclaimed in ceremonies along the river tommorrow, we are very sorry to have to bring you some bad news.

At the time of our last update on December 7, over 100,000 ha of new red gum national parks in NSW had just been announced... and then put back into doubt, all within a matter of days.

7th December 2009

Last Thursday, in his last hours as NSW Premier, Nathan Rees made an historic announcement - after a year of controversy over illegal logging, the NSW government would protect the state's globally significant Red Gum wetlands. A National Park would be created at Millewa Forest, along with new reserves along the major rivers in south-western NSW.

This is a magnificent environmental outcome.  It protects globally significant wetlands and threatened species that are facing severe long-term threats to their survival.

However, there is now massive pressure being brought to bear on the new Premier, Kristina Keneally, to reverse the decision.  This would be a disaster. ABC News and the Sydney Morning Herald have reported that the parks are in doubt, and rumours abound that anti-conservation forces within the ALP are lobbying against the parks. It is crucial that the whole of Cabinet receive a flood of emails this week urging the Red Gum decision be implemented.

This is the most important moment in the NSW Red Gum campaign.  We urgently need your help to lock-in this historic reserve outcome.

Please take action by doing any or all of the following:

1. Email the Premier and Cabinet Ministers - click here to use send an email from the National Parks Association website in just two minutes

2. Phone the Premier's office on 02 9228 5239. Below are some suggestions on points to make.

3. Encourage your friends, family and networks to take action by using the "share" button on the right to send this page to them.

Are you interested in joining us in our campaign to restore environmental flows and Indigenous water rights in the Murray-Darling?

Information session on Wednesday 29th September.

Friends of the Earth today expressed alarm at more detections of herbicides in the Barwon Water  Drinking Water Supply network.

Seventeen incidents of pollution occurred within the timeframe all consisting of the phenoxy herbicides 2,4-D, MCPA and 4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid. All of these herbicides are used in regards to killing broadleaved weeds on farms in grazing and cropping situations.

Friends of the Earth is extremely disappointed that Yarra Ranges Shire, gave approval at Council's meeting on Tuesday June 22, for the construction of the Eastern Golf Club at Yering.

The new course is to be built on the Yarra River floodplain, only one kilometre upstream from Melbourne's drinking water supply.

Friends of the Earth have released a report regarding water quality issues in Ballarat, Bendigo and Benalla.

Key findings of the report show that Ballarat had several times the breaches of the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG) that were recorded for Bendigo and Benalla combined.

There are public forums in Ballarat (Tuesday May 25) & Bendigo (Thurs May 27).