Community involvement
An essential part of developing the long-term plan to secure a healthy future for the region was consultation with the community, through working closely with people living in the region, extensive discussions with the Ngarrindjeri Regional Authority, and through the Long-Term Plan Reference Group.
Community involvement in planning and delivering projects outlined in the long-term plan is vital to ensure a sustainable future for the region, and there are a number of opportunities for the community to take part.
See our fact sheet on the numerous ways the community is involved.
Community organisations are helping to conserve, rehabilitate and restore the wetlands by:
- setting up community nurseries to propagate plants for local vegetation programs
- working on vegetation planting to tackle acid sulfate soils
- monitoring acid sulfate soils and water quality
- fencing to protect the lakes' shorelines
- educating local people about acid sulfate soils and the role of plants in bioremediation.
How can I stay informed?
- Read the latest water news
- Sign-up to the weekly River Murray Flow Report for information on when water levels will rise, expected water level depths and the expected duration.
- Subscribe to the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth newsletter
- Subscribe to the Healthy Coorong, Healthy Basin newsletter
Consultation on water management in the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth
The experience and knowledge of community members and scientists is critical to guiding water management in the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth (CLLMM).
A Community Advisory Panel (CAP) and Scientific Advisory Group (SAG) have been meeting regularly since the mid 2000s to provide advice on barrage operations, water level management and the wise use of water for the environment in the CLLMM region.
CAP members represent a wide range of industries, geographical regions and organisations, while SAG scientists represent a wide range of research organisations and ecological expertise. Many of the SAG scientists actively collect and analyse data in the Coorong or Lower Lakes.
While the role of the groups is primarily to provide advice to the Department for Environment and Water on water management in the region, other agencies such as the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder and Murray-Darling Basin Authority regularly consult with the groups on basin-scale issues too.
Community advisory panel
The CLLMM CAP is a voluntary, non-statutory, community-based advisory body. The CAP collectively provides knowledge and advice to the Department for Environment and Water (DEW) facilitating a two-way exchange of information, which assists in the development, planning and implementation of actions and policy related to the water resource management of the CLLMM.
The CLLMM CAP has the following Terms of Reference.
CLLMM Community Advisory Panel members
Mr Chris Bagley
Ms Julie Barrie (Chair)
Ms Di Davidson (Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board)
Mr Geoff Gallasch
Mr David Greenhough (Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board)
Mr Paul Harvey
Mr Garry Hera-Singh
Ms Lorraine Leese
Mr Clem Mason
Mr Bill Paterson OAM
Ms Melissa Rebbeck
Mr Bill Wilson (Ngarrindjeri Aboriginal Corporation)
Scientific advisory group
Researchers from Flinders University, The University of Adelaide, CSIRO and SARDI Aquatic Sciences provide advice on water birds, aquatic vegetation, macroinvertebrates, fish, frogs, water quality, groundwater, acid sulfate soils and wetland ecology. Government officers from Landscape SA, the Department for Environment and Water and the Environment Protection Authority are also in the group.
The group’s role is to provide scientific advice and recommendations for the site, and to inform monitoring projects. It is currently chaired by the Director of River Murray Operations and meets four times a year.
CLLMM Scientific Advisory Group members
Dr Chris Bice (SARDI Aquatic Sciences)
Associate Professor Sabine Dittmann (Flinders University)
Mr Sam Hardy (Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board)
Mr Tony Herbert (DEW)
Ms Sue Hutchings (DEW, chair)
Dr Luke Mosley (The University of Adelaide)
Dr Kerri Muller
Dr Jason Nicol (SARDI Aquatic Sciences)
Mr David Palmer (EPA)
Dr Rebecca Quin (DEW)
Dr Dan Rogers (DEW)
Ms Claire Sims (DEW)
Dr Scotte Wedderburn (The University of Adelaide)
Associate Professor Qifeng Ye (SARDI Aquatic Sciences)
Dr Brenton Zampatti (CSIRO)
Ngarrindjeri Regional Authority
We work in partnership with the Ngarrindjeri Regional Authority, which includes Ngarrindjeri Nation communities, Ngarrindjeri native title claimants and the Ngarrindjeri Heritage Committee. Ngarrindjeri and The Living Murray staff engage through the Kungan Ngarrindjeri Yunnan Agreement (KNYA) Taskforce and smaller working groups.
