Concerned Waterways Alliance
Let Rivers Be Rivers
The Concerned Waterways Alliance (CWA) is a network of community and environment groups from Gippsland to the Otways. We share a deep concern about the degraded state of southern Victoria’s rivers, wetlands and aquifers, and are committed to improving their health for the benefit of current and future generations.
Our Alliance
Watch a Message About Our Campaign
Our Purpose
We are a collective of individuals and community groups united by our shared and deep concern over the deterioration of our rivers, waterways and wetlands and poor water management in southern Victoria. We come from many different catchments and yet we see the same tragedies unfolding: rivers depleted by over-extraction; wetlands on the brink of collapse due to insufficient flows; groundwater dependent ecosystems drying and dying; and contaminants leaching into our waterways. We come together now to raise a united voice for the rivers and waterways of southern Victoria.
Get in touch with your local Alliance group
The Victorian State Election was on 26 November.
We would like to acknowledge all those who stood as candidates and to congratulate those who have won their seat.
Our Alliance will continue to reach out to our representatives to secure better futures for our State’s struggling river systems.
Let our rivers be rivers.
Our election asks were:
Southern Victoria’s rivers are in trouble. Long term extraction of water for cities and agriculture has damaged their health and now climate change is taking away their water. Iconic species that call rivers home such as platypus and river blackfish are disappearing from our landscapes, creeks stop flowing more often than they used to, and water quality is on a downward slide.
The water crisis calls for strong leadership by the next Victorian government.
We need strong water leadership at this year’s State Election. We are calling for the next Victorian government to commit to:
- Water leadership in the climate crisis: Rivers have already lost up to 20% of their flows and are predicted to lose much more in future as the planet warms. Difficult and courageous decisions must be made in the public interest to end our reliance on rivers and aquifers to supply our water needs.
- Measure and monitor all the water we take from rivers and aquifers: Not all water use is measured or accounted for in southern Victoria. This is inequitable for users and damaging to rivers and aquifers. Measuring and monitoring are critical to knowing how much water is taken from our rivers and protecting their health. All water take must be measured and its impact on rivers monitored.
- Lock in targets for sustainable water use: We know that the more water we take for human needs, the more our rivers suffer. If our rivers are to have a future, we must take less water from them and reduce extraction to a sustainable level.
Our groups worked hard to show to candidates at this year’s Victorian election how important healthy waterways are to Victorians, and how we can make sure our rivers have the water they need to survive and thrive long into the future.
See the briefers below which were part of our campaign.
During the election we asked people to contact their candidates.
PLEASE WRITE TO YOUR LOCAL CANDIDATES
- Use this map to find your electorate: https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/findelectorate/
- Find your lower and upper house candidates as they are announced
- Use this letter template and write to your local candidates
[TEMPLATE CONTENT]:
Dear [name of candidate],
Southern Victoria’s rivers are in trouble. Long term extraction of water for cities and agriculture has damaged their health and now climate change is taking away their water. Rivers have already lost up to 20% of their flows and are predicted to lose much more in future as the planet warms.
Iconic species that call rivers home such as platypus and river blackfish are disappearing from our landscapes, creeks stop flowing more often than they used to and water quality is on a downward slide. Rivers that work the hardest to supply water for human needs are suffering the most.
Crisis situations call for strong leadership by governments. Difficult and courageous decisions must be made to end our reliance on rivers and aquifers to meet an ever-increasing demand for water from a growing population. We must reduce the volume we take or our rivers will pay the price.
I ask you as a candidate at the Victorian State Election to commit to:
- Water leadership in the climate crisis: Rivers have already lost up to 20% of their flows and are predicted to lose much more in future as the planet warms. We must examine every single option for increasing water supply and reducing the volume we take from rivers and aquifers.
- Measure and monitor all the water we take from rivers and aquifers: Not all water use is measured or accounted for in southern Victoria. This is inequitable for users and damaging to rivers and aquifers. Measuring and monitoring are critical to knowing how much water is taken from our rivers and protecting their health. All water take must be measured and its impact on rivers monitored.
- Lock in targets for sustainable water use: We know that the more water we take for human needs, the more our rivers suffer. If our rivers are to have a future, we must take less water from them and reduce extraction to a sustainable level.
I call on you to show water leadership for southern Victoria and commit to these solutions. Let’s all support healthy rivers for healthy communities.
Sincerely,
[your name]
Election Briefers
Water leadership in the climate crisis
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Lock in targets for sustainable water use
Measure and monitor all the water we take from rivers and aquifers
Media
Concerned Waterways Alliance submission to the Essential Services Commission Water Price Review 2023
CWA welcomes the release of GM 2030 and its commitment to sustainable groundwater use that protects ecosystems and supports living cultural environments. We support the emphasis on scientific, evidence-based management but have several questions and concerns about the...
Concerned Waterways Alliance comments on GM2030
CWA welcomes the release of GM 2030 and its commitment to sustainable groundwater use that protects ecosystems and supports living cultural environments. We support the emphasis on scientific, evidence-based management but have several questions and concerns about the...
Sustainable Water Strategy fails the leadership test
Appearances can be deceptive. It’s hard to believe that we’re in a water crisis when we are surrounded by lush green, and the rain just keeps on falling. But the climate crisis that is becoming increasingly apparent the world over is also a water crisis. Read Juliet...
Tackling our water crisis
How sustainable is the government’s strategy for
southern Victoria?
Concerned Waterways Alliance
Concerned Waterways Alliance submission to the Greater Melbourne Urban Water & Supply Strategy Water for Life
The Concerned Waterways Alliance (CWA) is a network of community and environment groups from Gippsland to the Otways. We share a deep concern about the degraded state of southern Victoria’s rivers, wetlands and aquifers, and are committed to improving their health for...
Click to read.
Events
“Let our rivers be rivers, connected from source to sea, and flourishing in the face of climate change”
The Concerned Waterways Alliance acknowledges that the lands and waterways of southern Victoria are the unceded territories of Easter Marr, Wadawurrung, Wurundjeri, Gunaikurnai and Bunurong peoples. We pay our respect to their Ancestors, who cared for Country since time began, and to all Traditional Owners who continue to speak and care for their Country.