Urge your local Member of Parliament to protect the Martuwarra Fitzroy River - the lifeblood of the Kimberley!

Urge your local Member of Parliament to protect the Martuwarra Fitzroy River - the lifeblood of the Kimberley

    Dear Members,

    I am a constituent in your local electorate and I care about the future of the Fitzroy River. 

    Recently 43,000 people made submissions on the WA Government’s Fitzroy River Water Discussion Paper, calling for the entire length of the Fitzroy River to be protected and no surface water to be taken from the Martuwarra or its tributaries.

    I strongly support the ongoing commitment not to dam the river and to create a Fitzroy River National Park to provide sustainable jobs; but I am deeply concerned about proposals for large dams on the floodplains and the massive extraction of water from the river and floodplains.

    The National Heritage-listed Martuwarra Fitzroy River is of outstanding cultural and environmental value. It is one of Western Australia’s largest listed Aboriginal heritage sites. The living waters of the river support culture, the livelihoods of thousands of people, and support tourism, fishing, and rare wildlife such as the critically endangered freshwater sawfish.

    During the consultations Traditional Owners expressed strong concerns that they had not consented on plans to take water for irrigation developments and that it could lead to irreversible damage to cultural heritage and the environment.

    Traditional Owners have urged government not to repeat past mistakes and ensure their voices are heard, so that the Martuwarra Fitzroy River is properly protected and does not become the next Juukan Gorge.

    Large-scale irrigation developments will put the Fitzroy River on a Murray-Darling trajectory, with reduced water flows and increased pollution causing widespread ecological damage and loss of priceless cultural heritage.

    I strongly urge you to work with Traditional Owners and the local community to grow and develop existing and potential sustainable industries, that benefit the economy, local communities, and the environment and do not risk environment, culture, tourism, fishing, or food security.

    I am urging you, as my local Member of Parliament, to protect the Martuwarra Fitzroy River and reject plans for a new irrigated agriculture industry on the Fitzroy River or its floodplains. Can you tell me what you will do to protect the Fitzroy River?

    Yours sincerely,
    [Your name will be automatically added]

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    The WA Government will soon make big decisions about the Martuwarra Fitzroy River and whether to support protecting the River or to take large amounts of water for irrigated agriculture.

    Before decisions are made on future of the Fitzroy, it's crucial your local Member of Parliament knows how important the River is to you and your local community.

    Why you should take action and message your local MP!

    • There is massive public support for the protection of the Fitzroy River with over 43,000 submissions being sent to the Government submission calling for protection.
    • Plans to pump huge amounts of water from the Fitzroy River and its floodplains could destroy this healthy and wild river.
    • The Fitzroy River supports the livelihoods of local people, culture, tourism, fishing, and rare wildlife such as the critically endangered freshwater sawfish - all of which would be affected by large-scale irrigation development. 
    • Traditional Owners along the Fitzroy River do not support plans to take water for irrigation developments.
    • The Fitzroy River is Western Australia's longest listed Aboriginal Heritage site and is National Heritage Listed for its outstanding cultural values.

     

    Image: Gary Annett Photography