Projects

The Murray Darling Association undertakes many projects to help create awareness of the preciousness of water and improve the state of the Murray Darling Basin, reduce urban usage of water and educate people about the Rivers and their surrounding environs.

Below is a list of projects, with their objective, location, progress as of June 2005 and contact:

Project: SAVETHEMURRAY.COM
Objective: To create and obtain a website which educates viewers on the current situation of the Murray, Councils which are involved and current ways in which to conserve water.
Location: Global
START DATE: 2005
FINISH DATE: 2008 
Progress: website launch scheduled for February 2009
Information: Ray Najar on (08) 8226 4402

Project: YOUTH COMIC BOOK- RIVER QUEST
Objective: To educate today's youth of the history of the Murray and today's plight.
Location: Australia wide
START DATE 2007
FINISH DATE 2008
Progress: To be introduced to shool children through-out 2009
Information: Ray Najar on (08) 8226 4402

Project:  NATIONAL CARP & PEST FISH TASK FORCE
Objective: To ensure community and Local Government participation in the management of carp and other pest fish across the Murray-Darling Basin 
Location: Australia wide
START DATE 1997
FINISH DATE On-going
Progress: Participated in preparation of Aliens in the Basin brochure. Participated in development of new carp poster and Daughterless Carp brochure
Information: Adrian Wells on 02 6021 3655

Project:  RIVER MURRAY & LOWER LAKES SUSTAINABLE RECREATION
Objective:  To identify and prioritise sites along the River Murray for rehabilitation; and to educate recreational users to minimise their impacts on the environment; whilst enjoying it.
Location: South Australia
Progress: Project is ongoing

Project:   MURRAY VALLEY TRAIL - Barmah-Millewa
Objective:  To implement the Murray Valley Trail in the Barmah-Millewa section
Location:  Strathmerton-Nathalia-Barmah (VIC) Tocumwal-Mathoura-Moama (NSW)
Progress: Project is progressing on target, started May 2004.  Finish October 2005
Information:  Adrian Wells on 02 6021 3655

Project:   MORGAN EAST WETLAND
Objective:  To complete the rehabilitation/restoration of Morgan East wetland
Location:  Morgan Wetlands, South Australia
Progress: Project completed apart from the installation of test wells that are subject to a water allocation.
Information:  Ray Najar on 08 8226 4402

Project:   ALIEN FISH BROCHURE - ALIENS IN THE BASIN
Objective: To prepare, publish and distribute a publication on the potential dangers of alien pest fish in the Murray-Darling Basin
Location: Murray-Darling Basin
Progress: Project is finished - publication ALIENS IN THE BASIN now available.  
Information:  Adrian Wells on 02 6021 3655

Project:   WATER CONSERVATION HANDBOOK FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Objective:  To prepare a resource book to help Local Government implement water savings including case studies and where to get information & resources
Location:  South Australia
Progress: Project is finished 
IInformation:  Ray Najar on  08 8226 4402

Project:   LOCAL GOVERNMENT SALINITY CAPACITY
Objective: An investigation into Local Government and management of dryland salinity in South Australia.
Location: Murray River section of South Australia
Progress: Currently in the final phase of project, with workshops being run to help educate Local Government on dryland salinity and applying dryland salinity management options at the local level. Also, project provides councils with local salinity risk assessments & information. 
Information: Adelaide Office on 08 8226 4402

Project:  MURRAY VALLEY TRAIL - SUNRAYSIA
Objective:  To implement the Murray Valley Trail in the Mildura Rural City Council and Wentworth Shire Council boundaries
Location:  Hattah-Red Cliffs-Mildura (VIC) Buronga-Wentworth-SA border (NSW)
Progress: Preliminary investigations and mapping completed and currently seeking funds to implement, starting 2005 
Information:  Adrian Wells on 02 6021 3655

Project:   IMPLEMENT HORSESHOE LAGOON DEVELOPMENT PLAN
Objective:  To implement the development plan (education activities, signage, trails, brochures, etc) for Horseshoe Lagoon prepared by the Murray Darling Association for the Murray Shire Council in 2004
Location:  Moama NSW
Progress: Signage being developed with community groups and Murray Shire Council, a brochure is being developed by Lead On Youth Group and developing submission for an Aboriginal bush tucker project 
Information: Adrian Wells on 02 6021 3655

Project:   YOUTH RIVER HEALTH CONFERENCE - ADELAIDE
Objective:  To sponsor Youth River Health Conference in South Australia on July 28/29th as part of the preparation for the International Youth River Health Conference to be held at Mildura in October 2005
Location: Adelaide - July 2005
Information:  Ray Najar on 08 8226 4408

Project:   WATERWISE - INNOVATIVE INDUSTRY WATER USE
Objective:  To raise awareness in the community about the importance of the River Murray and identify ways to reduce urban water reliance on river water.
Location:  Metropolitan South Australia
Progress: continued from 2003 and is on-going
Information:  Ray Najar on 08 8226 4402

Project: MOIRA SHIRE YOUTH FORUM - VIC
Objective:  To run a youth forum for the Moira Shire Junior Council on natural resource management
Explore an on-going project for students relevant to the International River Health Conference at Mildura in October 2005
Location:  Moira Shire, VIC
Progress: Forum was run on 30 March with 150 participants, preparing report  
Information: Adrian Wells on 02 6021 3655

PROJECT  LOCAL GOVERNMENT ENGAGEMENT IN NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Objective:  To develop protocols and MOU's with Local Government on training in natural resource management
Location: Nine councils in Murray-Darling Basin in South Australia
Progress: Workshops are complete, follow-up summary to be carried out, started 2004 and expected to finish in 2005
Information:  Adelaide Office on 08 8226 4402

Project:   PREPARE AND PRINT MURRAY USERS GUIDE
Objective:  Prepare and print a guide for NSW & Victorian river users to make them aware of the ecological issues when holidaying along the River Murray (based on the SA publication)
Location: NSW & Victorian section of Murray River
Progress: Work in progress, started 2003 
Information:  Adrian Wells on 02 6021 3655

Project:  UP-DATE & REPRINT MAJECTIC MURRAY USERS GUIDE
Objective:  Revise, update and reprint a guide for SA river users to make them aware of the ecological issues when holidaying along the River Murray (based on the first two editions)
Location:  South Australian section of River Murray
Progress: Work in progress, started 2004 
Information: Ray Najar on 08 8226 4402

Project:   DAUGHTERLESS CARP - Community consultation process
Objective:  To undertake the community consultation component of the first three years of the Daughterless Carp project
Location: Australia-New Zealand
Progress: Development of a new brochure on Daughterless Carp plus:
  - Contributed to research project on community perceptions of genetically modified organisms in pest control
  - Presentation to community groups across Murray-Darling Basin on-going
Information: Adrian Wells on 02 6021 3655

Project:   savethemurray.com
Objective:  To manage an interactive website to help the community focus on, learn about and respond to issues to clean up the health of the Murray River
Location:  Murray-Darling Basin
Progress: Ongoing, currently looking at enhancing the website to include Darling River and/or the Murray-Darling Basin
Information: Jo Haw on 0427 376 157

Project:   NATIVE FISH STRATEGY
Objective: To play an active role in implementing the Murray-Darling Basin Native Fish Strategy
Location: Murray-Darling Basin
Progress:This is an ongoing project.  The MDA and National Carp and Pest Fish Task Force is represented on the Murray-Darling Basin Commission's Community Stakeholder Group for the Native Fish Strategy. A Wells chairs the Group
Information: Adrian Wells on 02 6021 3655

Project:   NSW MURRAY WETLANDS WORKING GROUP
Objective:  To play an active role in the rehabilitation of wetlands along the NSW Murray River
Location:  NSW section of the Murray River
Progress: This is an on-going project, the MDA is represented on the Murray Wetlands Working Group. B Sharp & A Wells are on the Group's Executive.
Information: Adrian Wells on 02 6021 3655

Project:   INTERNATIONAL RIVER HEALTH CONFERENCE - MILDURA
Objective:  To provide sponsorship support for the International River Health Conference in Mildura in October 2005
Location:  Mildura, Murray-Darling Basin
Progress: Held on 16 - 18 October 2005
Information: Ray Najar on 08 8226 4408

Project:  BAROSSA VALLEY WATER CONFERENCE
Objective:  A one-day conference to explore issues of a range of water & natural resource management issues.
Location: Barossa Valley, SA
Progress: Conference run on 29 April 2005 - report on Murray Darling Association website or available from Association's Adelaide Office
Information: Ray Najar on 08 8226 4402

PROJECT  LOWER LAKES STUDY TOUR - South Australia
Objective: A three-day bus tour of the Lower Lakes and Coorong incorporating the history, industries, and challenges of the area plus how the problems of salinity and water regulation need to be addressed from a Regional perspective.
Location:  Lower Murray South Australia
Progress: Tour took place from 14 to 16 March 2005 with 36 participants
Information: Ray Najar on 08 8226 4402

Project:   MURRAY VALLEY TRAIL - BOOKMARK CREEK
Objective:  Implement the Murray Valley Trail along Bookmark Creek, Renmark
Location:  Renmark SA
Progress: Project finished with a section opened at Association's 2004 National Conference in Renmark
Information: Ray Najar on 08 8226 4402

Project:   GOONDIWINDI WATER FORUM
Objective:  Run a forum at Goondiwindi in October 2004  - Water is everyone's business, everyone's responsibility
Location:   Goondiwindi QLD - October 2004
Progress: Project is finished - proceedings on Murray Darling Association website
Information: Ray Najar on 08 8226 4402

Below is more information on the projects.