This project “Locking in ambitious federal election commitments for the Murray-Darling” is the second milestone of a three-part campaign to resto...
Murray-Darling Conservation Alliance (hosted by Environment Victoria)
Locking in ambitious federal election commitments for the Murray-Darling
GOAL
$56,000
australia > NATIONWIDE > regional
01/07/2024 > 30/05/2025
FIELD OF INTEREST
- Environment conservation & climate change
TARGET POPULATION
- Flora / fauna
- General population
PROJECT SUMMARY
This project “Locking in ambitious federal election commitments for the Murray-Darling” is the second milestone of a three-part campaign to restore Australia’s largest river system to health.
Our goal is to secure ambitious election commitments from Federal parties by the second half of 2024, ahead of the next Federal election, which if the government goes full-term will be in May 2025.
With your help, we will supercharge a groundswell of support for the Murray-Darling to show our federal leaders that their commitment to a healthy and thriving river system is a vote winner and cuts across party lines, by:
– Launching a positive and inspiring advertising campaign to activate the Basin’s broad base of supporters, based on the popular appeal of an “I love Murray” test campaign that won bipartisan support in 2012.
– Organising regional roadshows and workshops to identify, recruit, and train powerful community advocates in key hot spots across the Basin.
– Developing a shared community vision of a healthy Basin where rivers, wetlands, and floodplains have the long cool drink they need, catchments are restored, First Nations have regained their water rights, and regional communities are supported to transition to a less water-intensive economy. This vision will constitute the basis of our electoral demands.
PROJECT OUTCOMES
Together, we can secure election commitments to unlock $10–15 billion in Federal funding for a new Basin plan – due for review in 2026. The new Basin plan must right the wrongs of historic over-extraction and the exclusion of First Nations, whilst future-proofing regional communities with effective catchment restoration, climate adaptation, and resilience measures. This includes:
- Setting aside enough water so that the 286 flow-dependent threatened species will survive.
- Improving catchment health across 1 million km2 of habitat.
- Supporting irrigation-dependent communities to transition to an economic base that is resilient to a hotter, drier climate.
- Responding to First Nations’ demands for water justice, increased water rights and much greater influence over water management and cultural flows.
Every fish kill and toxic water event makes it clearer that you can't have thriving communities without healthy rivers. This ambitious project needs ambitious funders. And with your support, over the next four years we can secure a new government plan to restore Australia's biggest river system, the Murray-Darling, to health.
Murray-Darling Conservation Alliance (hosted by Environment Victoria)
The Murray-Darling Conservation Alliance (the Alliance) is a collaboration of Conservation Councils from across the Basin joining forces to restore Australia's largest river system back to health. Its secretariat is currently hosted by Environment Victoria.
The Murray Darling Conservation Alliance’s campaign has become the national voice advocating for Basin rivers and communities. Thanks to our work, for the first time in a decade the federal government has made a serious commitment to restore the rivers of the Murray-Darling.
The next three years are going to be critical for the future of the Murray-Darling Basin. How well we represent nature and communities at key decision points will help decide the survival of these ecosystems.
We have already ticked off our first campaign milestone supporting cross-party negotiations to strengthen and pass the 2023 Restoring our Rivers bill. This bill will return the water promised by the Basin Plan ten years ago, improve accountability, and create a pathway to recognition of First Nations' water rights. It provides a lifeline for the 286 species at risk of extinction but is only a first step.
With your support, we can achieve our second campaign milestone (this project) and secure ambitious election commitments from major parties for a new Basin Plan that brings hope and life to river communities.
BUDGET BREAKDOWN
TOTAL BUDGET: $556,000
FUNDING
| Funding source | Amount |
|---|---|
| Anonymous foundation (confirmed) | $70,000 |
| NIC grant (confirmed) | $270,000 |
| Other sources (unconfirmed) | $160,000 |
| Funding gap (unconfirmed) | $56,000 |
EXPENSES
| Expense item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Staff salary | $270,000 |
| Advertising campaign | $220,000 |
| Regional roadshows & workshops | $34,000 |
| Research | $30,000 |
| Strategy sessions with First Nations communities | $2,000 |
Support Locking in ambitious federal election commitments for the Murray-Darling
Got a question about this project or ready to contribute? Contact us.
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