Working on the river
The river plays a vital role for many industries and businesses in South Australia.
Ever considered a job on the river? There are so many things you can do! Here are just some of the fields in which people work on and around the river.
Managing the river
Science and environmental management
Specialise in one of these fields:
- monitoring water, animals, soil, etc.
- bush regeneration
- wetlands and floodplains management
- advice and assistance to landholders.
Read more about educational pathways to careers in natural resources management
National Parks ranger
Work in a range of areas such as:
- biodiversity conservation
- wildlife management
- fire management
- heritage protection
- visitor services
- managing assets/infrastructure.
Research
Specialise in one of these fields:
- botany
- ecology
- soil science
- climate change
- zoology
- sustainable agriculture
- geographical information systems (GIS).
Land management
Specialise in one of these fields:
- pest plant and animal management
- sustainable farming
- irrigation
- advice and assistance to landholders
- fire management.
Community engagement
Specialise in one of these fields:
- communications
- education
- volunteer management
- facilitation
- marketing and design
- indigenous engagement
- local government.
Planning and policy
Specialise in one of these fields:
- project management
- water allocation planning
- managing funding
- evaluating and monitoring
- administration
- legislation.
Government
Department for Environment and Water (DEW)
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Primary Industries and Regions South Australia (PIRSA)
Environmental construction
Dairy farming
It’s not just humans who rely on the river for their drinking water. Cows need water to survive as well. There are lots of dairy farms along the river, which means lots of cows.
Horticulture
There are so many farmers that rely on the river to water their crops. Farmers in the river regions grow a wide variety of crops. Most people know about citrus and almonds, but did you know blueberries, garlic and avocados are also produced in the area?
Winemaking
There are multiple wine regions that use the River Murray to grow their grapes. It’s a massive industry that is growing all the time. South Australia is considered to be the producer of some of the world’s best wines.
Recreation
The River Murray is a fantastic place to visit with family and friends. You can waterski, canoe, bushwalk, swim and fish.
If you’re into camping there are heaps of places in the state’s national parks. Lots of families like to hire houseboats and sail down the river, stopping to visit different towns along the way.
Fishing
Fishing is highly popular on the river, for both recreational and business fishers. The river is home to a wide variety of fish and other aquatic creatures.
Boating
Tourism and accommodation
The tourism industry is huge right along the river. Thousands of people visit each year with friends and family to enjoy the sights and activities on offer.
Food and restaurants
With so many delicious foods and wine being grown along the river, it’s not surprising that a lot of it is turned into great produce and put in amazing meals at different restaurants and stores in towns along the river.
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