> Water and River Murray > Basin, River Murray, Lakes, Coorong > About the River Murray > Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth

Community involvement

Community involvement in 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) has been meeting regularly since the mid 2000s to provide advice on water resource management and projects in the CLLMM region, including operational considerations such as lake level management and barrage operations. While the role of the group is primarily to provide advice to the Department for Environment and Water on water management in the region, the CAP also provides advice and feedback to other water resource management partners including the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) and the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder (CEWH) on basin-scale issues.

The Panel provides advice and advocacy regarding the timing, volume and magnitude of water for the environment delivered to the CLLMM by The Living Murray and CEWH. This includes operational considerations to efficiently deliver the water and maximise ecological outcomes.

The CLLMM CAP works closely with the CLLMM Scientific Advisory Group (SAG) – a group of scientists who undertake monitoring and research 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.

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 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:

Ms Julie Barrie (Chair)
Mr Chris Bagley
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
Mr Alban Kartinyeri (Ngarrindjeri Aboriginal Corporation)

Passionate about the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth region?

Expressions of interest are now open for new members of the CLLMM CAP.

Learn more here.

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

Ms Lisa Stribley (DEW, chair)
Dr Chris Bice (SARDI Aquatic Sciences)
Associate Professor Sabine Dittmann (Flinders University)
Mr Sam Hardy (Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board)
Mr Tony Herbert (DEW)
Dr Luke Mosley (The University of Adelaide)
Dr Kerri Muller
Dr Jason Nicol (SARDI Aquatic Sciences)
Mr David Palmer (EPA)
Dr Ryan Lewis (DEW)
Ms Claire Sims (DEW)
Dr Scotte Wedderburn (The University of Adelaide)
Associate Professor Qifeng Ye (SARDI Aquatic Sciences)
Dr Brenton Zampatti (CSIRO)

Traditional Owners

The Ngarrindjeri and the First Nations of the South East are the Traditional Owners of the CLLMM region, and the health of the River Murray, Coorong and connected lands and waters are central to their culture and beliefs. The Coorong and its connected waters are spiritual waters, as they contain many sacred places of high spiritual significance, providing tangible links to both ancestors and Country.

The Ngarrindjeri Aboriginal Corporation represents the Ngarrindjeri Nation and its Ngarrindjeri native title common law holders. The Ngarrindjeri Aboriginal Corporation is represented on the CLLMM CAP.