We know the rivers of the Murray-Darling are in trouble. Over the last decade, we’ve seen mass fish kills, toxic algal blooms and whole towns run dry.
It’s because too much water is being taken out of the river for irrigation, and there’s not enough left to sustain all the wildlife and communities that depend on it.
That’s why for years we’ve been at the front of the fight for our rivers. From heading to Canberra and delivering thousands of heart-felt stories from Basin communities to Federal Water Minister Tanya Plibersek, to publishing findings that failing to return water to the Murray-Darling Basin places 140 Victorian threatened species at increased risk of extinction.
In December 2023, after years of campaigning alongside First Nations & Murray-Darling communities and farmers , the federal government passed legislation to finally get more water for the rivers, wetlands, fish and water birds of the Murray-Darling!
The ‘Restoring Our Rivers’ Bill delivers a vital lifeline for the river ahead of looming drought, throwing essential ecosystems of the Murray-Darling a fighting chance of survival after a decade of neglect.
The bill means that the government can start buying water again to benefit the environment. It gives us the strongest assurance yet that 450 billion litres of water promised for the river system will be delivered. Plus, it opens the door for crucial improvements on First Nations water rights.