Regional community forums

A healthy, productive river system is vital to communities across the Murray–Darling Basin that rely on it to sustain their lives and livelihoods.

Basin communities hold generations of local river knowledge and experience. Tapping into this understanding will add value to all levels of water management from local to Basin-scale decisions.

The MDBA has established regional community forums to strengthen the capture and use of this knowledge. Memebers include a diverse cross-section of local communities with a knowledge of, or interest in, the environment, agriculture, climate, or natural resource management.

Participants have the opportunity to build their knowledge about the science of their region and the Basin, see the role of science in decision making, and contribute to the MDBA science and monitoring program.

Forum members are contributing their understanding and local knowledge to build on existing science of the Basin and influence monitoring and evaluation strategy development, which is key to better understanding and implementation of water management reform.

The forums, comprising up to 20 people, have been established in 6 regions:

• Border Region, Queensland/New South Wales
• Central West Region, New South Wales
• Riverina, New South Wales
• Upper Murray, Mid Murray and Goulburn-Murray Irrigation District, New South Wales
• Sunraysia and Lower Darling, New South Wales/Victoria
• South Australian Murray