Murray-Darling Basin Authority will hold national conference in Murray Bridge
River Reflections 2025 will bring together river and water experts from around Australia.
On the weekend of July 29 and 30, the Murray-Darling Basin Authority will hold its annual conference in Murray Bridge.
The conference will bring together delegates from across the country, often with conflicting views, to discuss the future of Australia’s most important river system.
Participants will be invited to contribute to the MDBA’s collective purpose, “rivers for generations”, through interactive workshops, speakers and a dinner.
The 2025 conference will explore the theme “harnessing the energy of the collective in the pursuit of rivers for generations”.
MDBA chief executive Andrew McConville said it was the first time River Reflections would be held in this part of the southern basin, where community interests and water management challenges differed to those further upstream.
Murray Bridge Mayor Wayne Thorley said looked forward to welcoming people from all over to come for the conference, and to stay and experience the region.
“The Murray River is the lifeblood of our region, and we are proud to host this important conference in Murray Bridge,” he said.
“Our community … relies on a healthy river to support our environment, agriculture, tourism and way of life.
“This conference is a valuable opportunity to share knowledge, strengthen partnerships and explore innovative approaches to water management that will protect our waterways for future generations.”
The Murray-Darling Basin spans more than one million square kilometres, from the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, through New South Wales, Victoria and the ACT to the Murray Mouth.
The authority exists to implement the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, an agreement on how water is used across the basin.
The plan was developed by successive federal and state governments over more than a decade.
“The basin plan provides the foundation to collaborate across borders, governments and cultures, using science and lived experience, to manage water for the environment and secure water for towns, industry, agriculture and recreation,” Mr McConville said.
“More than a decade on, we’ve learnt a lot from implementing the basin plan and from listening to communities.”
The conference will come only weeks after the MDBA releases a major review of the basin plan.
It will be open to the public.
The four previous conferences were held in Albury, NSW; Narrabri, NSW; Mildura, Victoria; and Griffith, NSW.
- More information: www.mdba.gov.au.
