The Murray–Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) and partner Australian Government agencies have been out this week in the Lachlan Valley in New South Wales to hear first-hand from communities about what matters most to them in water management.
MDBA Authority Chair Sir Angus Houston led the 3-day tour that kicked off in Cowra on Monday before travelling to Forbes, Condobolin, Parkes, and Reids Flat. This was Sir Angus’s eighth listening tour during his time as Chair of the Authority.
“The knowledge and lived experience of farmers, industry, community representatives, and First Nations people in the Lachlan Valley is critical to improving water management in the Basin,” Sir Angus said. “By listening to and learning from each other we can work together to secure the future of the region and the healthy river system that’s at the heart of the Basin Plan.”
The tour heard from locals about the key issues of water security, groundwater decline, and the proposed Wyangala dam wall raising. The group also attended the ‘Listening to the Lachlan’ conference dinner in Forbes, where they enjoyed the chance to meet people passionate about their communities and the environmental health of the Lachlan.
This included the Wiradjuri Condobolin Corporation (WCC), who met with the group the following day. Representatives from the WCC discussed their initiatives to build smart, sustainable economies in the region and develop pathways to employment opportunities for locals.
Recent rain has provided a boost for the environment as well as the local economy, which in many parts is still dealing with the legacy of drought and the COVID-19 pandemic. Deliveries of water for the environment have also contributed to the health of the key ecological sites in the region, which include nationally significant wetlands such as the Great Cumbung Swamp.
However, as Sir Angus told attendees at the recent River reflections conference earlier this month, adapting to a hotter and drier climate overall is something all parts of the Basin will have to grapple with, and leaves us no choice but to work together, and pull in the same direction.