Environment SA News

Healthy Coorong, Healthy Basin featured at Murray Darling Association National Conference

Healthy Coorong, Healthy Basin (HCHB) Program Leader Dr Nadine Kelly was recently invited to present to the 79th National Conference of the Murray Darling Association (MDA), held in Murray Bridge in September 2023.

Dr Nadine Kelly from the Department for Environment and Water SA presenting on stage to the Murray Darling Association Conference
Dr Nadine Kelly at the 2023 MDA conference (Photo supplied by MDA)

The MDA is a membership-based peak representative organisation dating back to 1944, representing local government and communities across the Murray-Darling Basin. The association promotes the vision of a healthy Murray-Darling Basin that supports thriving communities, economic development and sustainable productivity.

The theme of the 79thNational Conference was ‘Partnership through collaboration across the Basin’, with presentations covering topics such as natural disaster recovery, water security, the circular economy, drought and water scarcity, and climate change. It is the first time the conference has been held in South Australia since 2017.

Presenting to a broad audience comprising heads of industry, irrigation, local government, state government, and education, Dr Kelly highlighted past achievements of HCHB, such as extensive scientific investigations and collaborative partnerships with First Nations. Moreover, it was an opportunity to emphasise the significance of the Coorong, Lakes Alexandrina and Albert Ramsar Wetland, both nationally and internationally, and the importance of the Coorong to the health of the Murray-Darling Basin as a whole.

Other conference speakers included the Hon Tanya Plibersek MP, Commonwealth Minister for Environment and Water, Mr Daniel Blacker, Deputy Inspector-General for Water Compliance, and Prof. Mike Stewardson, CEO One Basin CRC.

If you have an upcoming event or conference and would like your audience to learn more about the Healthy Coorong, Healthy Basin program, please contact projectcoorong@sa.gov.au.

The Healthy Coorong, Healthy Basin program is jointly funded by the Australian Government and the Government of South Australia.