MLDRIN has welcomed the establishment of a legislated, permanent First Nations position on the Board of the Murray Darling Basin Authority, following the passage of the Water Amendment (Indigenous Authority Member) Bill 2019 in Federal Parliament last Thursday. MLDRIN worked alongside the Northern Basin Aboriginal Nations and other First Nations organisations to lobby successive Federal...Read More

MLDRIN has called on all governments to heed world-first research, which demonstrates strong support for reallocation of water to First Nations. The research conducted by Griffith University and released this week indicates that 70% of Murray Darling Basin residents surveyed would back the reallocation of water to Aboriginal communities. The study also found that around...Read More

MLDRIN is a representative forum for First Nations in the Southern Murray Darling Basin, established in 1998 to create a united voice for water justice. Today, all our members stand in unity with communities rallying in six heavily impacted river towns, to call for urgent action to address the water crisis across New South Wales....Read More

As hundreds of water activists gather in Canberra to demand action on rivers and climate change today, three peak Aboriginal organisations have issued a united call for a full federal Royal Commission to uncover the truth about the declining health of rivers in the Murray Darling Basin. ‘First Nations are the original custodians of our...Read More

The Water Act is ‘substantially inconsistent’ with Australia’s commitments to international conventions, a Traditional Owner group will today tell the South Australian Royal Commission into the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. The Murray Lower Darling Rivers Indigenous Nations (MLDRIN), which represents Traditional Owner organisations across the Murray-Darling Basin, will today give evidence to the Royal Commission. MLDRIN’s...Read More

Basin Plan deal means progress for First Nations, but a backward step for the environment The peak body of Traditional Owners in the Southern Murray Darling Basin has described an agreement struck yesterday between the Federal Government and the Australia Labor Party as a positive step towards recognition of Aboriginal water rights, but a backward...Read More

In the lead up this week’s Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting, MLDRIN has joined with 21 environment, Indigenous and community groups today to call on State and Commonwealth governments to get on with the job of implementing the Murray Darling Basin Plan. ‘Dramatic’ declines The rivers, wetlands and floodplain forests of the Murray Darling...Read More

Media Release (16th March 2017) Community delegation calls on water ministers to stop undermining the Murray-Darling Basin Plan Community delegation speak ahead of meeting with state and territory water ministers State & federal water ministers need to get out of the way of long term solution A delegation of Aboriginal people, farmers and conservationists will...Read More

The Murray Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) is proposing to change extraction limits for groundwater in a number of regions in NSW and Victoria. In some cases, the changes will mean more water can be taken from underground aquifers for use by industry and agriculture. Traditional Owners have a right to have our voices and perspectives...Read More

2016 has been a big year for Indigenous water rights in Australia and around the world! As part of MLDRIN’s commitment to report back to our member nations, we’ve prepared a wrap-up of key activities and outcomes throughout the year. This is just a sample of some of the work MLDRIN has been involved throughout...Read More