New research published by the University of NSW confirms that it is the over extraction and mismanagement of water that is causing most of the damage to the Darling-Baaka River, not climate change.

NSW Nature Conservation Council calls for the Federal Water Minister to stand firm on the timelines for water recovery in the Basin Plan, and restore the voluntary, open tender water buy back process.

Quotes attributable to Jaqui Mumford, CEO of NSW Nature Conservation Council:

“Report after inquiry after scandal has proven what river communities know – that too much water is taken from the Darling-Baaka and its tributaries.”

“Only real water can restore the wetlands and aquifers of the Basin, that is the only defense the rivers have against the worsening droughts we know are coming.”

“The horror of the Menindee fish kills in 2019 shocked the world. Australia has the laws to protect rivers from these catastrophic events, we just need strong politicians to implement the laws as they were intended.”

“There is a lot of work to do in NSW before the public can have any trust in water management, where reports of large-scale water theft continue to surface.”

“The floodplain harvesting regulations proposed by the NSW government are so unacceptable to the public that they have been disallowed in the Upper House a record four times.”

“While its clear climate change is here, and droughts and floods will continue to become more extreme, it is critical that less water be taken from the rivers so they, and the people who rely on them, have a chance.”

This article appeared in Wilcannia News, November 2022.