Rivers and wetlands

Restoring our precious rivers and wetlands

Healthy rivers and wetlands are essential for native wildlife, Aboriginal cultural heritage, local communities, and a diverse range of industries, from floodplain grazing to tourism and recreational fishing. The rivers and wetlands of NSW are under extreme stress after decades of catchment degradation, water-course diversion, unsustainable water extraction, and climate change. Over the past century, the Murray Darling Basin has experienced a dramatic decline in wetlands, waterbirds and native fish populations, due to a massive increase in the volume of water extracted for irrigation. On the coast, coastal rivers, wetlands and estuaries have suffered from a lack of oversight and inadequate water-sharing plans, putting vulnerable coastal environments and wildlife at risk. In response to these threats, we continue to provide a vital voice for nature in water policy processes at the state and federal level.

To restore rivers and wetlands and deliver water justice we are calling on the NSW Government to:
◦ Protect environmental water and low to medium and vital first flush river flows throughout NSW river systems to ensure connectivity.
◦ Prioritise and adequately resource monitoring of native fish populations and roll out fish screens for all in-stream pumps to keep native fish in our rivers.
◦ Specify total quantity of cultural and environmental flows and ensure they are protected from unauthorised extraction right across the state.
◦ Urgently audit floodplain harvesting extraction quantities, implement upfront cumulative environmental assessment of all floodplain harvesting structures and placeing limits on floodplain harvesting licences and extraction.
◦ Prohibit carryover extraction during times of drought or downstream cease to flow conditions.
◦ Rule out new dams or dam expansions, and promote more efficient water use and reuse age, especially in towns and cities.

For more, see: A Cleaner, Greener NSW – Policies for the 2019 NSW State Election and Beyond

Inland Rivers Network
We are a founding member of the Inland Rivers Network, a coalition of environment groups and individuals concerned about the degradation of the rivers, wetlands and ground waters of the Murray-Darling Basin. IRN has been advocating on behalf of the native fish, water birds and water dependent ecosystems in the Murray-Darling Basin since 1991. Learn more.