Water Watch Radio

This week it is our privilege to cover an investigation by Bloomberg media, a global media outlet that has put significant resources over the years into investigating corporate water grabs across the world. The last article in their Water Grab series explored two forms of water take that have exploded in the Murray-Darling Basin in the last two decades,  floodplain harvesting in the northern Basin...

This week it is our privilege to cover an investigation by Bloomberg media, a global media outlet that has put significant resources over the years into investigating corporate water grabs across the world. The last article in their Water Grab series explored two forms of water take that have exploded in the Murray-Darling Basin in the last two decades,  floodplain harvesting in the northern Basin...

This week on water watch we continue coverage of Menindee Lakes and Darling Baaka water management now that the honeymoon is over for the NSW Governments. Today we talk inflows with long term water advocate from Sunset Strip at Lake Menindee, Ross Leddra and revisit statements on the recommendations from the 2023 Mass Fish Kill investigation by Dr Darren Saunders of the Deputy Chief Scientist in N...

We are back!! Welcome to the very first program of water watch for 2024. This month marks the anniversary of last year's mass fish death in the Baaka-Darling River in Far Western NSW which saw a blackwater event kill 20-30 million fish in the Menindee weir pool.  Last year we were out on the ground covering the government's response to the disaster which you can listen back to on our podcast feed....

This episode of the Summer Series covers the Federal amendment to the Basin Plan known as the Restoring our rivers Bill with statements taken from public hearings to the Senate Inquiry back in September.   In this episode we hear from: NSW Irrigators Council, National Irrigators Council, Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists, The Biodiversity Council, and Wilderness Society SA. Throughout the pr...

For the final episode of the summer series, we listen back on a very important topic, often overlooked, or ignored in water policy. First Nations water rights and where they fit within current water policy and what must change if First Nations water rights are to be truly recognised.  Watch Watch is produced by Broken Hill Community radio 2DRY.  Support the show: https://www.2dryfm.com/donate/ See...

This week on our Second Bite Summer Series we will be hearing from musician, journalist, filmmaker and activist Aimee Volkovsky from Broken Hill. Aimee is an incredibly accomplished songwriter, and we had the privilege of sitting down with her late last year. The episode you are going to hear today was published back in November so please consider things may have changed since this conversation wa...

This week on Water Watch's summer series we will be hearing from NSW Deputy Chief Scientist, Darren Saunder and members of the Darling River Action Group about the summary findings of review of the 2023 Menindee Mass Fish Kills. This episode was first published in September last year before the full report was released and this episode captures the initial reactions of community members from the D...

This week on Water Watch's summer series we will be hearing from NSW Water Minister the Honorable Rose Jackson who has set a pretty strong policy agenda in her first year of office. The week this was published the full report from the Office of the Chief Scientist regarding the disastrous fish kills at Menindee had been released. The episode you are going to hear today was published back in early...

In this second bite we’ll be discussing an issue within water policy which has been a thorny problem for many who follow water politics; accountability, transparency and departmental bias. This episode was first published in September last year and a lot has changed since then including the full release of the NSW Chief Scientists Independent Review of the 2023 Menindee mass fish kills. When we sp...

Water Watch Summer Second Bite Series Continues, this week looking back on the 2023 Mass Fish Kills in Menindee with interviews from locals in the days after the fish kill began.  Watch Watch is produced by Broken Hill Community radio 2DRY.  Support the show: https://www.2dryfm.com/donate/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Water Watch's Summer Series continues with a presentation by Dr Josie Douglas, the General Manager of the Central Land Council speaking at the Fresh Water Futures Panel at the Environment Centre NT State of Environment Conference in September 2023.  With thanks to the PEW Charitable Trust for accessing conference audio and organising the Fresh Water Futures Panel. Watch Watch is produced by Broken...

2023 Water Watch Summer series continues with a story from a little community 400km north of Alice springs called Ali Curung and a proposal by the NT government to extract 40,000mgL of groundwater annually to produce fruits and vegetables. This episode was first published in August this year and things may have changed since then. In this episode we spoke to Maureen Nampijinpa O’Keefe, a Kayditch...

2023 Water Watch Summer series continues with Richard Beasley who was Senior Counsel assisting to the South Australian Royal Commission into the Murray-Darling Basin Back in 2018 and 2019. In 2021, Richard Beasley published a book, Dead in the Water , which presented the findings of the royal commission in a way that everyone can understand. This episode was first published back in August and ther...

This week we take a second bite at a public forum held by the Murray Darling Basin Alliance on July 7, 2023 in Melbourne. This conversation covers issues that come up time and again when discussing water issues and is a great prelude to the debates over amendments to the Basin Plan that are to come later in the series.   Watch Watch is produced by Broken Hill Community radio 2DRY.  Support the sho...

2023 Water Watch Summer series continues with a fantastic conversation with veteran scientist and Honorary Professor in the Crawford School of the Australian National University. John was a founding member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists, and holds the prestigious Farrer Memorial Medal for achievement and excellence in agricultural science.  This conversation was first published on...

2023 Water Watch Summer series kicks off with beautiful yarns with Barkindji Malayangapa artists Dave Doyle and Leroy Johnson.  Over summer, Water Watch will be sharing our favourite conversations as part of our Second Bite Series as we take a break to recharge after a big year! Watch Watch is produced by Broken Hill Community radio 2DRY.  Support the show: https://www.2dryfm.com/donate/ See omnys...

For our season finale we are releasing an uncut interview with musician Aimee Volkovsky. It was our honor to sit down with Aimee Volkovsky this week who shared some moving stories and beautiful music with us.  To follow Aimee's work visit: Media And Marketing | Bush Witch Productions To find Aimee's music on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7Lc8tpyKewgJwCYYCulG1p?si=kUKXg6h2ReS4Il-N7Yn-HQ...

This is our last original conversation for the 2023 season, next week we will kick off our summer second-bite series which will look back at our favourite programs, so stay tuned for that!   We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone that has been part of water watch this year. It’s been a huge year for us, kicking off with the special fish kill series, being long listed for a Walkley and winni...

As Parliament prepares to debate the amendments to the Basin Plan, we look back on the testimony given by First Nations people and groups from around the Basin including:  Sonia Cooper Yorta Yorta woman, Yorta Yorta Water Policy & Climate Research Officer for the Yorta Yorta Corporation.  Dr. Kate Harriden Wiradjuri Woman, research fellow at Monash Sustainable development Institute at Universi...

Amendments to the largest water policy in Australia's history are due back in Parliament any day after the Senate Reported on their public inquiry into the Restore our Rivers Amendments to the Murray Darling Basin Plan.  This week, we look back on the buyback debate with Professor Sarah wheeler from the University of Adelaide and NSW Water Minister Rose Jackson.  Watch Watch is produced by Broken...

This week we continue to cover the latest on the Federal amendment to the Basin Plan known as the Restoring our rivers Bill with statements taken from last week's public hearings to the Senate Inquiry.     In this episode we’ll be hearing from:  NSW Irrigators Council, National Irrigators Council, Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists, The Biodiversity Council, and Wilderness Society SA.   Throu...

This week we are going get into the duck weed on the amendment to the Basin Plan that is currently before parliament.  This amendment, known as the “Restoring Our Rivers” bill was introduced by Federal Water Minister Tanya Plibersek in September and passed its second reading in the House of Reps a couple of weeks ago.  This week there’s been a senate inquiry with public hearings from the wide arra...

This week on Water Watch we go north to Central Australia to hear from Dr Josie Douglas, the General Manager of the Central Land Council speaking at the Fresh Water Futures Panel at the Environment Centre NT State of Environment Conference   Dr Josie Douglas (PhD) is a long-time advocate for social justice, land rights and Aboriginal led policy development based on grass roots solutions. A descend...

This week we check in with Professor Steve Turton from Central Queensland University about the shape of current climate phenomena and how this might impact rivers across Australia. We also learn about how the current climate scenario is similar to that of the 1982-1983 drought and what that drought period meant for eastern Australia. Support the show: https://www.2dryfm.com/donate/ See omnystudio....