Alarm bell over shrinking river that grows 40 per cent of Australia’s food
Scientists are sounding the alarm over Australia’s most important river as its water continues to dry up.
The Murray River’s water is shared between NSW, Victoria, and South Australia for food production, town water supply, environmental, power, and other uses.
The Murray River is Australia’s most vital waterway. iStock
The river’s arid and semi-arid reaches produce 40 per cent of Australia’s food - so anything that hurts the river, hurts the country.
And while recent rainfalls have replenished the Murray for now, top scientists say new research shows the river’s health long-term continues to decline, putting communities and vital industries at risk.
“The Murray River may appear to be flowing strongly after recent rain, but the long-term picture is far more worrying,” Dr Milton Speer from the University of Technology Sydney said.
“Our research shows climate change is already reducing river levels in the Upper Murray before the water even reaches the heavily managed and extracted sections downstream, with river levels not reaching the minimum level of six metres needed to allow water to flow beyond Waikerie.”
Speer said the problem extended beyond “river management”.
“The climate signal is clear in the Upper Murray, where there is little or no water extraction,” he said.
Professor Lance Leslie, also of UTS, said it was the Lower Murray, however, that was “particularly vulnerable”.
That part of the river faces pressure from climate change, water extraction, and human management.
“Recent flows are welcome, but they do not reverse more than three decades of declining river levels,” Leslie said.
“Our analysis points to a significant decline in Upper Murray River levels since the early 1990s, consistent with reduced rainfall.”
Leslie said dry years could no longer be considered as isolated events.
“In the Murray system, climate change is reshaping the baseline,” he said.
And demand for water is going to increase alongside a growing population, higher irrigation demands, and water-intensive facilities such as AI data centres.
“This is also a water security issue for towns, farmers, Traditional Owners and industries that depend on the Murray River,” Speer said.
The researchers say pressure is increasing on federal, state, and local government authorities to provide adequate environmental flows that can continue to meet supply demands.
The Murray’s water losses pose a food security threat. WiganPier
“The upcoming review of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan is a critical opportunity to bring water policy into line with what is happening with our climate,” Leslie said.
“Current water management arrangements are not delivering the environmental flows needed to keep the Murray River healthy.
“Maintaining river health while meeting growing water demand will require more effective and cost-efficient management practices.”
Share a tip-off, video or photo with us
