A Legacy of Advocacy and a Call to Action
Julie Jones, a lifelong resident of Clayton in South Australia, has witnessed the dramatic changes in the Murray River over the years. Her home overlooks the river as it flows towards the ocean from Lake Alexandrina. Growing up on the last eight kilometers of the Murray, she was surrounded by the natural beauty of the area, but also by the challenges that came with it, particularly the work of the dredger keeping the river mouth open.
Her parents, Henry and Gloria Jones, were passionate fishers who became prominent advocates for the Lower Murray during one of its most difficult periods—the Millennium Drought. During this time, the exposed river and lake beds turned acidic, causing significant environmental damage. Despite the return of water flows, Henry, Gloria, and many others in their community continued to champion the region’s cause, even traveling to Canberra to participate in the initial negotiations of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
Standing Up for the River
In 2012, Julie recalls her father and his friends taking a barbecue and a dinghy to the steps of Parliament House to draw attention to the river’s plight. Henry cooked local fish for politicians, listing the species that had gone extinct while they ate, urging the need for adequate flows to ensure the health of the river in the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
Now, as the plan undergoes its first comprehensive review since 2012, Julie, a Murray-Darling Conservation Alliance River fellow, is calling on South Australians to “stand up again for the river.” She emphasizes the importance of this moment, stating that the plan must be used to navigate towards a better system. At a minimum, this means reassessing the resource pool, all targets, and the allocation frameworks to ensure an equitable sharing of risks between users and the environment.
Water Quality and Environmental Concerns
Julie expressed concern over a decision by WaterNSW to halt environmental flows into the Gwydir Wetlands, which led to the death of fish and turtles. In 2023, she and her mother took a barbecue and Coorong mullet to Canberra, along with a petition demanding that the full 450 gigalitres of water earmarked for the environment in the plan be delivered. As of December 31, 2025, the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water reported that 221.2GL had been recovered.
Despite some progress, Julie notes that the environment continues to suffer. Only 26% of the requirements of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan have been met, and only 4% of wetlands are being adequately watered. Low flows mean that the water is not reaching the South Lagoon of the Coorong, leading to the continued decline of native species.
The Importance of Dilutional Flows
Julie explains that the problem starts with over-allocation, but then there are river constraints, stagnant water, and a lack of the right nutrients because the wetlands aren’t staying full long enough to create the right biodiversity. From her front deck, she looks across the river and acknowledges that the Lower Murray has still not fully recovered from the Millennium Drought. It is challenging for the casual observer to recognize the animals and vegetation lost beneath its brown surface.
However, she notes that progress has been made since the inception of the plan. Julie emphasizes the importance of ensuring that the Northern Basin works for the Southern Basin, keeping the Murray mouth open, and providing dilutional flows to remove salt and nutrients from the entire basin.
Expert Support and Urgent Action
Nick Whiterod, science program manager at the Coorong Lower Lakes Murray Mouth Research Centre, agrees that there have been significant declines in native species in the Lower Murray and Coorong. He points out that it is difficult for people to understand the region or the river, as they may see water and assume everything is fine. The recent listing of the area as critically endangered has highlighted its vulnerability.
Whiterod praises Julie for her dedication to the river and stresses the importance of listening to those with decades of experience and the scientific data being generated.
A Deadline for Change
The Murray Darling Basin Authority has received over 600 submissions, with many more expected before the Friday deadline at 5pm. Chief executive Andrew McConville states that the basin plan was based on the best evidence available at the time, but now, with more data, experience, and a changing climate, it is the right time to reassess how waterways and the environment are managed.
Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt emphasized the government’s commitment to delivering the plan “in all its forms,” highlighting the importance of protecting the ongoing health of the basin and South Australia’s water security.
