Published in Perth Now - 12th May 2019

Environs Kimberley director Martin Pritchard said there was no other river like the Fitzroy in the world. “It flows through an ancient reef system that’s 350 million years old,” he said. “There’s ancient rock art, fish fossils, cave bats that get eaten by crocs if they fly too close to the water for a drink ... the Fitzroy River is very rich in fish species as well.”

The benefit of hindsight is a wonderful thing and in the wake of the Murray-Darling ‘disaster’, water allocations from the Fitzroy River in north-western Australia region are being approached with extreme caution.

Four ministers are juggling the interests of hundreds of traditional owners, environmentalists, farmers and pastoralists – including Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Agriculture – to create the most comprehensive plan ever for the Fitzroy River catchment in WA's Kimberley region.

Cotton production is unlikely to get the green light as part of the State Government’s plans to pave the way for an agricultural hub near the Fitzroy River.

Agriculture Minister Alannah MacTiernan told stakeholders at a meeting at Fitzroy Crossing last week that cotton production did not fit with the State Government’s plans or election commitments for the Fitzroy River.

Broome residents are encouraged to get their hands on a gardening guide to make the most of native plants in their homes and gardens, all while helping the environment.

The free booklet, Coastal Gardens: A Planting Guide for Broome on the Dampier Peninsula, was launched by the Roebuck Bay Working Group two weeks ago.

It provides practical garden advice for residents to keep the town’s waters clean and healthy.

In late 2014, the Western Australian state government announced plans to close between 100 and 150 remote Aboriginal communities in the state, arguing it could no longer afford to service them.

SEEPAGE from a sewage plant 200m from Broome’s Roebuck Bay shore is threatening one of our most beautiful and fauna-rich natural wonders.

WA’s environmental regulator has warned the Water Corporation facility poses “extreme” and “unacceptable” risks to the bay, described as the most important shorebird site in the country.

Paul Kelly, Jimmy Barnes, John Butler, the band Midnight Oil, Missy Higgins, Tim Winton, Fiona Stanley, Janet Holmes a Court, Carmen Lawrence and Peter Newman have joined to call for the state government to ban gas fracking in Western Australia.

Lower-than-average tides on the Kimberley coastline have revealed sea creatures not usually seen by beachgoers.

Australian singer-songwriter Missy Higgins will be headlining a special concert at Broome Convention Centre in the name of environmental conservation.

Local conservation group Environs Kimberley is hosting a fundraising concert with the hope of continuing its efforts of protecting the Kimberley environment, as it has done for more than 20 years.

Higgins has been a strong supporter of Environs Kimberley and is excited to be part of the Concert for the Kimberley.

WA pastoralists including Gina Rinehart want to expand production in the Kimberley by using a small amount of water from the Fitzroy River, which an environmental group argues should be protected to ensure the survival of rare wildlife including the ancient sawfish.

Kimberley Like Nowhere Else, an alliance of environmental groups including WWF, Environs Kimberley and Pew Charitable Trusts, has welcomed the State Government’s Fitzroy River election commitments, which included a promise the river and its tributaries would not be damned.