Christmas Grinch
This is why we can’t have nice things! It wasn’t the notorious Dr Seuss character, but two young gentlemen who tipped the town’s Christmas tree in the Murray River last Saturday night. The shiny beacon of Christmas joy had already delighted hundreds of people who stopped for a photo with the tremendous tree.
Massive Murray Paddle concludes
The 55th Massive Murray Paddle finished on Friday in Koondrook having started four days earlier in Yarrawonga on Monday, November 18. Top athletes from all over Australia, New Zealand and the USA competed, along with at risk Indigenous youth paddling in teams following the Dungalayin Mileka Team model.
The Queen’s Loxton arrival
Sebastian Calderon. Loxton has become the Murray River Queen's (MRQ) new home after the boat’s successful voyage from Renmark ... The Paringa Bridge crossing was one of the highlights during her trip, as cars and people gathered to see the bridge go up and give way to Donna Neale and her team steaming the MRQ.
Wow for the wharf
Hugh Schuitemaker. A significant milestone in Renmark’s recovery from the 2022/23 flood event has been marked with the opening of the town’s new wharf. A large crowd of local residents, plus local and state government representatives, gathered at the Renmark riverfront last Wednesday to mark the opening of the town’s redeveloped wharf.
Riverina landholders hear legal perspective on river flows and easements
Helen Castles. Landholders are voicing their concerns about proposed environmental easements on properties along the Murrumbidgee River under the NSW Government’s Reconnecting Rivers and Landholder Negotiation Scheme (LNS). The draft LNS Regulation and negotiation guidelines outline the approach the NSW Government will take when negotiating voluntary agreements with landholders affected by future environmental water deliveries at higher flow levels, or under different regimes, than current operating practice.
NSW Water Minister abandons state’s farmers
It’s not only media requests that get dodged by NSW Water Minister Rose Jackson, but the plight of NSW family farmers is just as inconsequential. Independent Member for Murray Helen Dalton has called on NSW Water Minister Rose Jackson to stand down unless she can fix the water crisis facing rural NSW. “The role of Water Minister is one of the few ministerial positions where, if you get it wrong, people’s lives can be ruined immediately,” Helen said.
Moulamein Men’s Shed: Sustaining fish numbers
The Moulamein Men’s Shed is helping to keep the small village alive. The oldest town in the Riverina, members of the shed work hard to do whatever they can to keep various aspects of the town afloat ... Moulamein’s main drawcard is to fishermen and bird watchers.
Basin announcement big on spin, leaves critical questions unanswered: NFF
The National Farmers’ Federation has raised its eyebrows at today’s announcement the Federal Government has received 1000 responses to the southern Murray-Darling Basin open tender process. NFF Water Committee Chair Malcolm Holm said the announcement by Minister for Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek raised significant questions for farmers in Australia’s food bowl.
More than 1,000 willing sellers respond to Basin tender towards 450: Plibersek
The Albanese Labor Government’s voluntary water purchase open tender has received more than 1,000 responses across the southern Murray-Darling Basin, far exceeding the volume of water required ... About 27.5 gigalitres, or 11,000 Olympic swimming pools of water, have already been recovered – up from just two gigalitres in May 2022.
WaterNSW pricing proposal to double cost of rural water
Rural water users in NSW could see their costs more than double over the next five years if IPART accepts the WaterNSW new pricing proposal. NSW Irrigators’ Council CEO Claire Miller said the pricing proposal recommends hiking water bills by 21-24 per cent every year for five years, adding up to $40,000 to a ‘typical’ farmer’s water bill by 2030.
Work underway on Bookmark Creek upgrades
Hugh Schuitemaker. Upgrade works taking place at infrastructure along a major local creek is set to benefit native fish species and Riverland outdoor enthusiasts. The Department of Environment and Water (DEW) recently commenced upgrade works on Bookmark Creek infrastructure.
Record environmental flows for SA show Murray-Darling Basin Plan back on track: Close
More than 1650 gigalitres of water for the environment was provided to South Australia in the 2023-24 financial year, the largest volume since the introduction of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan in November 2012. ... "All of this work highlights the importance of recovering the final 450 gigalitres of environmental water under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan to ensure we deliver better outcomes for the River Murray": Susan Close.
Family dream comes to the screen
The story of an American father and his two sons who swam Australia’s longest river, the Murray, is now available for streaming in Australia ... ‘Take Your Dream’ was made by the Helmick family ... The film features their 120-day swim down the Murray from Corryong, through Lake Hume and Lake Alexandrina, eventually ending at the mouth of the river in Goolwa, South Australia.
Buybacks petition still needs support
Mrs Dalton wants the NSW Government to take a stand against the Federal Government’s move to take productive water from regions under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan using the water buyback scheme. A petition organised by Ms Dalton needs 10,000 signatures, and Ms Dalton said she’s got just over 5000 so far ... "10,000 signatures will bring on debate in NSW parliament."
It’s war over SA environmental flows
Hugh Schuitemaker. The State Government says the Riverland’s wildlife and plant species are seeing benefits of increased environmental water, however, senior local politicians have described the announcement as "misleading" ... Chaffey MP Tim Whetstone said the increased environmental flows were due to high storage volumes and the 2022-23 flood event.
The right way to achieve our goals?
Riverland-based MLC, and opposition spokesperson for regional South Australia, Nicola Centofanti, has provided the following speech she gave in Parliament regarding concerns for the listing of the Lower Murray as a threatened ecological community as part of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999…
Albanese Government’s draft water agreement declared ‘Detrimental to the conduct of water management in Australia’ by the Productivity Commission: National Irrigators’ Council
The independent advisory body with statutory authority to review Australia’s national water reform has published scathing feedback on the Federal Governments proposed National Water Agreement, calling the approach “detrimental to the conduct of water management in Australia”. The Productivity Commission … said “…the consequences of a shift in this direction should be considered deeply by all governments and their communities.
Furious farmers boycott water webinar
Farmers on the Murrumbidgee River claim they have been kept in the dark about a NSW Government plan to acquire flow easements along the riverfront to accommodate environmental water releases ... The scheme would allow the government to negotiate with landholders to acquire flow easements and, if no agreement can be reached, the water minister can decide to proceed with compulsory acquisition of the flow corridors "on just terms".
Farmers concerned about constraints process
Murray region landholders have increasing fears of government forcibly acquiring their land, and these have been exacerbated by a recently released draft discussion paper, followed by a series of meetings. The NSW Government is suggesting it may use compulsory acquisition of land to claim easements, which will allow higher flow levels of environmental water to be delivered to South Australia under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
Centenary at Murrabit
Sydney might be 236 years old, but Murrabit is catching up fast – having notched up its official first century at the weekend. And it was certainly one of the bigger parties the Murray River town has thrown in its first 100 years, pulling a bumper crowd of locals, former locals and the descendants of some of the town’s establishment names for the two days of festivities.
Tender time
Senior Riverland politicians have urged local irrigators to avoid signing up for the Federal Government’s latest expression of interest for water buybacks. The Federal Government last week opened the Restoring Our Rivers 2024: Expression of Interest 2 (Large Portfolios of Water Southern Connected Basin), allowing for water buybacks from Riverland communities.
Cohuna Carp Catch is back
The North Central Catchment Management Authority’s (CMA) Native Fish Recovery Program is hosting the popular event on Gunbower Creek at the Gateway Information Centre end of Garden Park on Sunday, October 27. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., there will be heaps of prizes based on the size and number of carp caught, as well as water bug activities, colouring tents, turtle and native fish displays, and a free lunch.
