This year’s theme is ‘United by Water’, which aims to celebrate the vital role water has in connecting Australia, and how it drives economic growth and supports healthy ecosystems and communities.
Collaboration is a key part of the sustainable management of the Murray–Darling Basin, and requires involvement from the Australian Government, Basin state governments, and river dependent industries and communities.
Our dedicated team of Regional Engagement Officers play a core role in the development and maintenance of these relationships with Basin communities. In commemoration of National Water Week, our officers have highlighted the importance of being ‘United in Water’ and explored the different ways they collaborate with others in their roles.
Richard Unsworth
Menindee and the Lower Darling (New South Wales)
“Being united in water is such a foundational part of the Basin, and all that we do here at the Murray–Darling Basin Authority. We already have this united approach to water for economic, environmental and cultural needs, but there needs to be a deeper understanding of the connection between Basin communities.
It’s our job to help the people of the Basin understand that there are different perspectives and opinions on how water should be managed and shared. I believe that a healthy environment makes a healthy community, and ensuring everyone’s voices are heard and respected will always be a key part of that.”
Kate Bartlett
Lower Murray (South Australia)
“To be united is to have a healthy respect for others and to give Basin communities the space for their voices to be heard. I think the biggest thing that brings people together in my region is their willingness to listen to others, and the understanding that we all have a common goal of creating a healthy, sustainable river.
Moving forward, education for the younger generations around how the Basin Plan unites us all will continue to be a very important part of what we do as Regional Engagement Officers.”
Lucy Sevil
St George (southwest Queensland)
“Water is one of the things that we all have in common – it is a critical resource that the entire world relies on. As a Regional Engagement Officer, I often see Basin communities with conflicting opinions about how the water in the Basin should be shared and managed.
A key part of the role is to acknowledge and listen to those different perspectives and reassure communities that despite the divide in opinions, we all have a common goal of being united in water.”
Peter Thomas
Lachlan–Macquarie–Castlereagh (New South Wales)
“Something I’ve noticed from being out in Basin communities is that people often support each other through times of hardship, particularly in rural communities that are being affected by drought or flooding.
The challenge of being a Regional Engagement Officer is to help those communities find a middle ground, where they can be united and support each other outside of those 2 extremes.”
Annabelle Guest
Namoi/Gwydir (New South Wales)
“Spending time out in the community and educating younger generations about how water is shared and managed is a very important part of our role. When I think about being united in water, I also place a big focus on the collaborative relationships that we have with other agencies and groups, and how those relationships form such an important part of how the Basin has been and will continue to be managed.”
For more information on how to get involved in National Water Week visit NWW Events.