The Murray River has been formally listed as critically endangered and Australia’s largest river system is in dire straits. But with the long-awaited Murray Darling Basin Plan Review soon to begin, we have a once-in-a-generation chance to fix broken rules that allow too much water to be taken from our rivers.

Join our webinar with the Murray-Darling Conservation Alliance to learn more about the Basin Plan Review and how you can help bring the Murray River back to life.

MEDIA RELEASE 

27th June 2025

The Nature Conservation Council of New South Wales (NCC) has called on the NSW Government to strengthen water sharing rules in light of Thursday's alarming State of the Environment Report. The report found, that despite some wet years, the health of rivers, wetlands, native fish and waterbirds continues to get worse.

In the report, the health of native fish communities across the region has been assessed as being in poor condition, and the number of critically endangered native fish has risen. All key indicators show poor outcomes and worsening decline.

There has been a concerning rise in the number of fish kill events. Since 2019, the frequency of fish kills has increased dramatically. Between 2009 and 2018, the average number of events per year was 21. This has more than tripled in recent years, with an average of 69 fish kills annually recorded between 2019 and 2023.

Inland wetlands are also under significant pressure. Only 12% of these critical ecosystems are currently protected, and 17 out of 28 assessed inland wetlands are classified as being in poor condition.

The health of rivers in the Murray-Darling Basin is equally troubling. Many are rated as either poor or very poor, driven in part by extremely high levels of nutrient runoff. This pollution is a key factor in the declining quality of these waterways, significantly impacting the livelihoods and wellbeing of people living in the Basin.

Waterbird populations are also suffering. Both the abundance and breeding activity of waterbirds are rated as poor and continuing to decline, largely due to the ongoing loss of wetland habitat. 

As the first signatory to the Ramsar convention, Australia has a shared international responsibility to protect, restore and wisely use wetlands for current and future generations. But in inland New South Wales, that promise is a hollow one – with only 12% of wetlands protected. 

First Nations Peoples have rights and cultural obligations to care for water under their laws and customs, yet a wide gap persists between technical jargon and Indigenous knowledge and values.

Traditional knowledge must be central to the restoration of the rivers and wetlands of inland NSW.

Statements attributable to Mel Gray, Water Campaigner, NCC: 

“The law in NSW is clear, water sources and their dependent ecosystems must be protected before water is allocated to other uses like towns and irrigation.

“Drought or flood, fish just keep dying because the fundamentals required for survival are not provided by the water sharing rules – a problem the Minns government has promised to fix.

“Globally, the way freshwater is being used has tipped us beyond the safe zone. We must take better care of precious water on the driest continent on earth.

“No one should live in fear of their own water source. The people of Wilcannia, Menindee, Bourke, Walgett and everywhere in between deserve healthy, reliable water supplies.”

ENDS

Media contact: Madeline Hayman-Reber  
E: [email protected] M: 0404 935 157 

Note: Spokespeople are available for comment on request 

MEDIA RELEASE 

26th June 2025  

Today’s NSW State of the Environment Report paints a grim picture of the health of NSW ecosystems according to the Nature Conservation Council of NSW, the state’s leading environmental organisation. 

The State of the Environment report is NSW’s premier scientific report card, released every three years. It describes the health of our life support systems – the land, water, air and ecosystems, and it tracks trends over time. This year almost all indicators are “getting worse”. 

Key Report Findings 

Since the last report, 36 more animal and plant species have been listed as threatened with extinction. 

Since 2021, there have been 190 fish kill events, with tens of millions of fish dying in some events. 

Alarmingly, the fastest growing segment of threatened animals is those which are critically endangered, which grew by 35 species over the same period. This is a stark indicator of the worsening biodiversity crisis, and shows current settings to protect endangered species are not working.  

Across the state, distribution of native land mammals continues to shrink, with fewer habitats left to offer safe refuge. The clearing of native vegetation remains significantly higher than before land clearing laws were loosened in 2016, with agriculture the main driver. 

Projections show that only half of all native animal species currently listed are expected to survive the next 100 years. 

Recommendations 

In response to the State of the Environment report card, NCC is calling on the NSW Government to: 

• Rein in land clearing for agriculture by closing legal loopholes. 

• End native forest logging, protecting 1 million hectares of our most precious forest for conservation and recreation.  

• Reduce water extraction by irrigators, allowing inland rivers to connect and flow. 

• Restore coastal estuaries to protect communities from climate impacts. 

• Increase funding for environmental programs from 1.6% to at least 2% of state expenditure to resource an effective NSW Nature Strategy. 

Statements attributable to Jacqui Mumford, Chief Executive Officer of Nature Conservation Council NSW: 

"Every NSW resident should be outraged that our shared natural heritage is being stolen from under our feet.  

“The risk to First Nations cultural heritage is intolerable. Indigenous knowledge must be informing the protection and restoration of Country. 

“This report confirms what we already know, and the message couldn’t be clearer. Nature in NSW is in deep trouble and those in power are failing to turn this alarming trajectory around.  

"Our state's environment is being mismanaged, and until the developers, irrigators, and logging companies are kicked out of government back-rooms, nothing will change. 

"The ecological carrying capacity of NSW has been slashed to 29% of its natural level since colonisation. 

“Our rivers are being sucked dry, forests are shrinking, and species are vanishing. We need the NSW Government to act with the urgency that the biodiversity crisis demands. 

“The NSW Government urgently needs to develop and implement their Nature Strategy, fix the laws that aren’t working and truly chart a path out of this crisis.” 

“This is an opportunity for Premier Minns to secure a legacy as the government that stood up for nature by acting urgently to stop extinction, restore ecosystems, and protect the future for all of us.” 

Statements attributable to Mel Gray, Inland Rivers Campaigner, NCC: 

“This report is truly alarming. River health is plummeting. Waterbird populations have suffered sharp declines and native fish kill events have increased dramatically since 2018. 

“Even with wetter conditions in recent years, poor riparian and wetland health has meant a spike in water pollution and an increase in native fish kill events. Combined with the sudden crashing of water bird populations in inland NSW, it paints a chilling picture - and it's just getting worse.  

“Despite overwhelming evidence and years of promises from Labor in opposition and as a new government, for the people and wildlife of the Darling-Baaka River nothing has changed. 

“We know how to solve this. The Connectivity Expert Panel has provided a blueprint, backed by science and the law, for restoring the Darling-Baaka River to life, and yet it sits on a shelf.” 

Statements attributable to Jacqueline Mills, Senior Climate Campaigner, NCC: 

“NSW has warmed by 1.4 degrees since 1910, and sea levels have risen 12 cm in the last 35 years. 

“Climate change is one of the biggest drivers of species extinctions, yet NSW is not on track to meet its emission reduction targets.  

“The Minns government needs to redouble its efforts to bring on renewable energy and give nature a fighting chance. 

“Everyone in our state has been impacted by climate-fuelled disasters, yet coal and gas companies are pouring more fuel on the fire every day.  

“Today’s report makes it clear that transition to clean energy and a phase out of coal mining can’t come quickly enough to preserve our way of life.”  

ENDS  

Media contact: Madeline Hayman-Reber 
E: [email protected] M: 0493 733 529  

Note: Spokespeople are available for comment on request 

MEDIA RELEASE 
10th June 2025 

The Nature Conservation Council of NSW has today launched a landmark report which reveals the deep cultural, social and economic toll of poor water management in the Murray-Darling Basin. 
 
The Lifeblood of Inland NSW: The Socio-Economic and Cultural Importance of Healthy Rivers report paints a stark picture of life in communities along the Darling-Baaka and its tributaries, where failing river systems are pushing ecosystems to collapse and driving people from the land. 
 
“The Darling-Baaka and its tributaries are more than rivers – they are the arteries of inland life,” said Mel Gray, Water Campaigner at the Nature Conservation Council of NSW. 
 
“This report shows what many of us already know in our bones: when the rivers die, communities die with them. And right now, they’re both in crisis.” 
 
The report features case studies from across the Northern Basin, highlighting the real human cost of water mismanagement: graziers forced to abandon parts of their properties, families watching their livelihoods dry up, and First Nations people denied their rights to water and connection to Country. 
 
Nature Conservation Council NSW CEO Jacqui Mumford said the report strengthens the urgent case for implementing the recommendations of the NSW Connectivity Expert Panel, which call for the restoration of natural base flows and seasonal pulses through the river system.  

“We can’t continue with a system that puts upstream extraction and political convenience ahead of people, Country and ecological survival,” Ms Mumford said.  
 
“This report is a call to act before it’s too late.” 
 
Key recommendations include: 

• Fully implementing the NSW Connectivity Expert Panel’s recommendations to restore environmental flows.
• Recognising and enshrining Indigenous water rights and cultural flows.
• Investing in a just regional transition, including regenerative land management and community resilience.  

[ENDS] 

Background: 

• The findings of this report align closely with community calls to “Fix the Darling” and restore integrity to water planning across the Basin. The Nature Conservation Council NSW is urging the NSW Government to listen to inland communities and take bold action to protect this critical lifeblood of the landscape.  

Media contact: Madeline Hayman-Reber   
E: [email protected] M: 0404 935 157

Note: Spokespeople are available for comment on request 

Author: Mel Gray, NCC Water Campaigner

In 2023, Premier Minns, Minister Sharpe and soon to be Minister Jackson, flew out to Menindee the day after they were sworn in as the new NSW Government, giving the community hope that they were going to fix the Darling/Baaka River once and for all. Since July 2024, Minister Jackson has had the blueprint for how to do that - the NSW Connectivity Expert Panel report.  

The Connectivity Report outlines the step to fix the Barwon-Darling/Baaka River, providing the basic needs for its survival: 

• a base flow all the time 

• a small flush once a year 

• a larger flush every second year 

Over 95% of the Barwon-Darling/Baaka's water comes from its tributary rivers, both in QLD and NSW. Therefore it is critical that the tributary rivers that start in the NSW tablelands are allowed to hydrologically reconnect to the Barwon-Darling/Baaka. Currently, the rules prevent enough water from leaving these rivers and flowing into the Barwon-Darling: 

• The Border Rivers 

• Gwydir 

• Namoi & Peel 

• Wambuul/Macquarie 

Brand new replacement water sharing plans for the unregulated Barwon-Darling/Baaka, Wambuul Macquarie, Namoi & Peel and the Gwydir are due to be gazetted on 1 July 2025 - and the drafts the community has seen do not include any of the recommendations of the connectivity report - which begs the question - is the NSW government serious about fixing the Barwon-Darling/Baaka River? 

While we know not all of the connectivity rules will be ready for July this year, there are some very important improvements that could be made in time for the signing off of these 10 year plans that would indicate to the community that the government did mean what they said when they stood in front of tens of millions of dead fish at Menindee in 2023 promising to fix the Darling/Baaka River.  

For example: 

• Resumption of flow rules from the Barwon-Darling/Baaka WSP extended into the unregulated tributary water sharing plan. From the Connectivity Report:  

"During dry times – extend the current resumption of flow rules into the Northern Basin tributaries and provide for a small flushing flow following an extended dry period all the way to Menindee Lakes prior to allowing extraction."

• Increased cease-to-pump rules in the tributary water sharing plans that give effect to the base flow, small flush annually and large flush bi-annually in the water sharing plans in July with hard deadline for when they come into effect (once modelling and gauging upgraded). From the Connectivity Report: 

"During non-dry times – ensure that baseflow is protected across the Northern Basin and provide for small and large freshes consistent with the environmental water requirements outlined in the relevant Long Term Watering Plan."

How can you help?

Let's make sure that the NSW Government doesn't miss this opportunity for healthy rivers - email Premier Minns today. 

MEDIA RELEASE
24^th February 2025  

The Nature Conservation Council of New South Wales (NCC), the state’s leading environmental advocacy organisation, has welcomed the review of the water rules for Menindee Lakes and the Lower Darling/Baaka River by the Natural Resources Commission.  

The review of the Water Sharing Plan for the New South Wales Murray and Lower Darling Regulated Rivers Water Sources 2016 highlights the urgent need to change water-sharing rules in northern NSW to ensure enough water stays in our rivers, allowing them to flow and connect as they must.  

“For years, communities have been calling for action while report after report confirms the same truth – too much water is being taken upstream by cotton irrigation,” said NCC’s Water Campaigner Mel Gray. 

This review confirms that water rules introduced by the former government to regulate floodwater extraction are ineffective. 

“It’s still the wild west of water take out here. The unlimited take of floodwaters will continue even after licencing – all that has happened is billions of dollars of water entitlements have been transferred from public to corporate control. 

“Our rivers must have enough water to survive, as required by the Water Management Act. 

“The Minns Government must deliver on its promise to restore the Darling/Baaka River and end mass fish kills for good.” 

ENDS 

Media contact: Anna Greer  
E: [email protected] M: 0493 733 529 PH: (02) 7208 9482   

Note: Spokespeople are available for comment on request 

MEDIA RELEASE
19th December 2024 

The Nature Conservation Council of New South Wales (NCC), the state’s leading environmental advocacy organisation, is calling on the NSW Government to urgently implement reforms that would return critical water flows to the ailing Darling/Baaka River.  

Indications are that the community could be in for another summer of mass fish kills in the Lower Darling/Baaka River. Oxygen levels in the water of parts of the Menindee Lakes system are nearing critically low, and in a few weeks water that is infected with blue-green algae will be arriving.  

Thanks to some heavy rain events in the north several weeks ago there are some fresh flows heading to the Darling/Baaka River, how much water gets through without being pumped remains to be seen.  

In July, the Independent Connectivity Expert Panel handed down its final report which recommended changes to water rules to restore connectivity and ecosystem health. The NSW Government is due to respond in 2025. 

Quotes attributable to Nature Conservation Council NSW Water Campaigner, Mel Gray: 

“The evidence is clear: reduced river connectivity is contributing to fish kills and having severe impacts on ecosystem health and downstream communities. 

“Unless we make changes, we will continue to witness these tragic fish kills along the river. 

“The Minns Government has the expert blueprint for reform on their desks. In 2025 Premier Minns and Minister Jackson must implement the Connectivity Panel's recommendations in full. 

“The Darling/Bakka River gets over 95% of its water from the tributary rivers to its north – the Border Rivers, Gwydir, Namoi and Macquarie/Wambuul. Unless the rules in these catchments are overhauled in 2025, we’ll keep seeing fish kills.” 

Statement ends  

Media contact: Anna Greer  
E: [email protected] M: 0493 733 529 PH: (02) 7208 9482   

Note: Spokesperson is available for comment on request. 

MEDIA RELEASE 
Wednesday December 18, 2024 

Murray-Darling Basin governments have been urged to deliver projects to reconnect rivers after a new roadmap was released today, laying out a pathway for natural flows to revive floodplains and wetlands in Australia’s largest river system. 

The Murray-Darling Conservation Alliance, representing conservation councils in NSW, Victoria, ACT, QLD and South Australia, welcomed the release of the MDBA’s Constraints Relaxation Implementation Roadmap (PDF), but echoed the sentiment of landholders quoted in the report who “just want the projects to be rolled out and the infrastructure delivered”.  

Murray-Darling Conservation Alliance National Director Craig Wilkins said: 

“We’ve all been waiting 10 years for these projects that will deliver more water to wetlands and floodplains so that fish and birds can breed, river red gums can get a regular drink, and the Murray Darling can start being restored to health. 

“We can feel the frustration of many people consulted for this report who have told governments to ‘just get on with it’. 

“With waterbird numbers plummeting 50% since last year in the most recent count, we’re concerned the Murray-Darling hasn’t bounced back despite decent rainfall during La Nina years.  

“One big reason we’re not seeing the recovery expected is that old rules and outdated infrastructure are keeping water within the river channel instead of the small, regular overbank flows that would revive the wider floodplain. 

“This roadmap shows the path forward but we need the Commonwealth and state governments to step up and drive it.”  

Mel Gray from Nature Conservation Council NSW said: 

“We have disrupted an important ecosystem process, and as a result the wetlands and floodplains of the Murrumbidgee and Murray are in decline. To reverse this ecological collapse, it is vital that environmental water be allowed to soak into the country, replenish wetlands and get creeks running again. 

“The land along the rivers is rich and valuable to people and wildlife because it has been regularly watered for thousands of years. 

“These projects have multiple benefits, for the community and for the rivers and wetlands of the Basin. It is an opportunity for landholders to flood proof their properties up to minor flood level, which could increase their property value and decrease insurance premiums. 

Greg Foyster, Rivers and Nature Campaign Manager at Environment Victoria said: 

“Last year federal Environment and Water Minister Tanya Plibersek showed how she could bring along state governments and the crossbench to reach a new agreement, and we’d like to see the same ambition and leadership brought to bear on this important issue of reconnecting rivers with more natural flows. 

“We’re pleased to see the roadmap includes some important governance reforms like a Program Board with an independent chair, assurance measures, key results and an Independent Panel to coordinate efforts along the Murray. 

“However it’s concerning that the flow rates to be considered are dramatically lower than the original range, reducing the environmental benefits. 

“After ten years of stalled progress, the wetlands and wildlife of our greatest river system are crying out for more natural flows and we urge governments to finally get on with the job.” 

MEDIA CONTACT: 

James Norman, Media and Content Manager - 0451291775 
[email protected] 

MEDIA RELEASE 
2nd December 2024 

A year since the passing of the Restoring Our Rivers Act in the federal Parliament, leading Australian conservation groups said today the new legislation has revived hope that Australia's biggest river system can have a healthier future.  

The Murray-Darling Conservation Alliance, which represents close to half a million supporters across all Basin states, said restoring a healthy Murray-Darling Basin is an enormous task that requires persistent effort over time. 

“After a decade of delays and missed opportunities, the recovery of rivers and wetlands that should have occurred by now has not happened,” said Craig Wilkins, National Director of the Murray-Darling Conservation Alliance.

This tragic failure has been laid bare by a new research paper by 12 of the country’s top environment and water policy experts, “Murky waters running clearer? Monitoring, reporting and evaluation of the state of the Murray–Darling Basin after more than three decades of policy reform,” that on Monday will be published online in the journal Marine and Freshwater Research. 

“Thankfully, on coming to office, Water Minister Tanya Plibersek acknowledged this failure and began a repair job of mammoth proportions. As a result, we are once again seeing signs of progress,” said Mr Wilkins. 

“But we have a long way to go, and having lost a decade, we have no time to lose and cannot afford any further setbacks. “The Restoring Our Rivers Act, passed one year ago, was a significant down payment on Australia’s biggest ever nature restoration effort. 

“The government Australians elect next year will have critical decisions to make as we approach the 2027 deadline for recovering water and completing the first ever rewrite of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. 

“This will be a once-in-a-generation opportunity to secure the health of our nation’s greatest river system, but missing that chance would almost certainly lock in terminal decline. “Ahead of the federal election we call on both sides of politics to commit to delivering a nature positive Basin Plan in the next term of parliament." 

ENDS 

MEDIA CONTACT: James Norman, Media and Content Manager - 0451291775 [email protected] 

MEDIA RELEASE
Wednesday 13th November, 2024

The Nature Conservation Council of New South Wales (NCC), the state’s leading environmental advocacy organisation, has today joined in calls from the NSW Government for an end to the spread of misinformation regarding the Reconnecting River Country Program in the Murrumbidgee and the NSW Murray.    

The program is a critical policy to allow environmental water to seep into the floodplains and replenish wetlands, returning ecosystem function to entire stretches of these iconic rivers.  

The NSW DCCEEW confirms the current flows being considered are very modest, typically occurring from August to October for a few days between three to five times in a decade. The heights being proposed would only cause a minor rise in the river. 

NCC Water Campaigner Mel Gray said: 

“It’s heartening to hear confirmed what we know – that a lot of farmers and river land holders support the program and are appreciative of environmental flows.  

“The land along the rivers is rich and valuable to people and wildlife because it has been regularly watered for thousands of years.  

“We have disrupted that important ecosystem process, and as a result the wetlands and floodplains of the Murrumbidgee and Murray are spiraling into collapse.   

“To reverse this ecological collapse, it is vital that environmental water be allowed to soak into the country.”  

For this ecological repair to occur, the NSW Government is negotiating easement arrangements and other projects like fencing and raising bridges with landholders.  

“This project has multiple benefits, for the community and for the rivers and wetlands of the Basin. It is important that exaggerated claims of impending destruction are dispelled, and the whole community has a well-informed, rational discussion.” 

Statement ends 

Media contact: Anna Greer 

E: [email protected] M: 0493 733 529 PH: (02) 7208 9482  

Note: Spokespeople are available for comment on request