Media releases: Healthy Rivers
Just Add Water: it's a wrap!
Water gushing into Hattah Lakes. Image: Elke Kerr
ACF has wrapped up its Just Add Water initiative, purchasing and returning 400 million litres of water to Hattah Lakes in Victoria in May. The campaign was a huge success, prompting ACF to think about running the initiative again.
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What the Murray-Darling Basin Plan must deliver
Photo: Darren Seiler
Decades of poor decision making has resulted in governments allowing far more water to be extracted from the system than it is able to sustain. As a result the system is collapsing. What should be done? more »
The Murray-Darling Basin
The Murray River is part of the biggest river system in Australia, the drainage basin covering over one million square kilometres. Beginning in Queensland and extending through New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, the system supports agriculture, water supplies and a multitude of eco-systems.
The river is in deep trouble. Typical flows to the sea have been reduced by three-quarters. Leading river scientists agree that 1,500 gigalitres of water (that's about three times the volume of water in Sydney Harbour) must be returned to the Murray to give it a moderate chance of regaining its health.
The Darling River
The Darling River is the longest in Australia, with an even larger catchment area than the Murray, although even at natural levels, its volume is significantly less. Along the river are areas with evidence of the longest human habitation in Australia and it is still vitally important to indigenous people in the area including the Paakantyi, Murwari and Yuwualraay peoples.
The river supports a wide variety of eco-systems. Over a hundred species of native mammals have been recorded within the Darling River Basin, some like the Pilliga mouse which occur nowhere else. There are 241 species of reptiles and frogs and numerous waterbirds.
Like the mighty Murray River which it joins, the Darling is suffering severely from lack of water. Diversions for irrigation have seen the river cease to flow for years at a time through places like Wilcannia, which historically relied on a thriving paddle-steamer port.
The Darling River’s plight has so far been neglected by state and federal governments. ACF is joining with community, farmers and other environment groups to initiate a 'Living Darling' initiative to help return the river to health.
The Murray River is part of the biggest river system in Australia, the drainage basin covering over one million square kilometres. Beginning in Queensland and extending through New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, the system supports agriculture, water supplies and a multitude of eco-systems.
The river is in deep trouble. Typical flows to the sea have been reduced by three-quarters. Leading river scientists agree that 1,500 gigalitres of water (that's about three times the volume of water in Sydney Harbour) must be returned to the Murray to give it a moderate chance of regaining its health.
The Darling River
The Darling River is the longest in Australia, with an even larger catchment area than the Murray, although even at natural levels, its volume is significantly less. Along the river are areas with evidence of the longest human habitation in Australia and it is still vitally important to indigenous people in the area including the Paakantyi, Murwari and Yuwualraay peoples.
The river supports a wide variety of eco-systems. Over a hundred species of native mammals have been recorded within the Darling River Basin, some like the Pilliga mouse which occur nowhere else. There are 241 species of reptiles and frogs and numerous waterbirds.
Like the mighty Murray River which it joins, the Darling is suffering severely from lack of water. Diversions for irrigation have seen the river cease to flow for years at a time through places like Wilcannia, which historically relied on a thriving paddle-steamer port.
The Darling River’s plight has so far been neglected by state and federal governments. ACF is joining with community, farmers and other environment groups to initiate a 'Living Darling' initiative to help return the river to health.
Murray buy-back
ACF Report on potential properties for water buy-back.
The Murray from the air
The Murray from the air