The Kimberley’s National Heritage-listed Martuwarra Fitzroy River is recognised as one of the world’s healthiest, free-flowing river systems.

The living waters of the Martuwarra, its tributaries, wetlands, floodplains and groundwater stores are renowned across Australia for fishing and tourism, support culture, the livelihoods of thousands of people, and are a haven for rare wildlife such as the critically endangered freshwater sawfish.

Developments that threaten to take huge amounts of water from the river, its floodplains or ancient water systems, threaten the health of the river, wildlife and community, and risk a Murray-Darling disaster.

In 2017, the incoming Labor Government made an election promise to protect the Martuwarra Fitzroy River.

I call on you to act on this promise by committing to long-term protection of the Martuwarra, its floodplains, wetlands and groundwater, that is co-designed with Traditional Owners.

During the recent Fitzroy Derby Draft Water Plan Public consultation, nearly 50,000 people, like me, sent submissions calling on the Cook Government to get this water plan right by locking in its commitments to no dams and no further surface water, protecting groundwater from large-scale extraction to prevent large-scale irrigated agriculture taking over in the Kimberley and supporting Traditional Owners' rights, including genuine partnerships in decision-making, monitoring and governance across the catchment. 

Now, the Cook Government can take this important step, listen to the strong, consistently loud, ongoing calls from the community across the Kimberley, Western Australia and the country to protect the river and ensure this water plan is a milestone towards protection and genuine partnerships with Traditional Owners in managing this iconic river catchment. 

The future of the Martuwarra Fitzroy River and its people, culture and wildlife depends on the next steps the Government takes in fulfilling its long-standing promises to protect this river - for everyone.