A state government plan for the Kimberley’s Martuwarra Fitzroy River must prevent destructive over-extraction of vital groundwater to ensure it does not become ‘WA’s Murray-Darling disaster’.

 As the final public consultation stage of a decade-long debate about the future of the Martuwarra Fitzroy River today gets underway, an alliance of WA and national conservation organisations urged the state government to follow through on its pledges to protect the river. 

 “The government should be congratulated for staying the course and now having a proposed water plan for the Martuwarra Fitzroy River. But a decade of effort will be undone if it allows open season along the river system to take groundwater, particularly in the dry season,” said Martin Pritchard from Environs Kimberley and the Kimberley: Like Nowhere Else Alliance.

 “We've all seen the devastating impacts of large-scale water extraction and dams over east and must ensure the Martuwarra Fitzroy River does not become WA’s Murray Darling disaster with mass fish kills and towns running out of water.”

 Critical to a long term, sustainable, water plan is enforceable limits on water extraction, ongoing monitoring, and Traditional Owner-led decision-making, said Mitch Hart, WA Manager for the Pew Charitable Trusts.

 “Ensuring surface water is protected from big pumps and dams is paramount to ensuring the river’s National Heritage listed values and critically endangered freshwater sawfish survive into the future.”

 "The Fitzroy is also an iconic barramundi destination and every fisher knows that Barra  thrive on big floods while healthy floodplains are vital for freshwater prawns and resilience of surrounding wetlands,” said Mr Hart.

 The alliance says the biggest risk is treating groundwater as separate from the river. As flows drop away after the wet, groundwater continues to feed key habitats - including permanent pools, springs and wetlands - that provide dry-season refuge for wildlife and places for people to access water and continue cultural practices.

SPEAK UP FOR THE MARTUWARRA – BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE

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Images: Martuwarra Fitzroy River By: Damian Kelly