Wins worth celebrating
The Upper Murrumbidgee received its first environmental flows from Tantangara Dam under the Drought Framework we secured in 2023.
As December 2025 rolled in the outlook seemed grim. Something slightly familiar was in the air... currents slowed to pools, fish gathered in the last pockets of water, flow turned into sandbanks.
People living near the river started noticing and looking across Thawra Bridge felt like looking through a window into the past.
This sombre reflection coincided with the release of the Independent Review of the Snowy Water Inquiry Outcomes Implementation Deed. If you're reading this, I'm sure you know it didn't use words like "flourishing" or "thriving" or "biodiverse". Instead, the river's condition was described as “unacceptable” and even “abysmal”.
But how could this be possible?
How could this be the case after together we secured $55.6 million in funding, $30 million of which was specifically to be used in exactly these conditions, along with a drought operating framework designed for this moment.
The Upper Murrumbidgee began to dry to pools in late 2025.
The Questions That Needed Answers
We began asking the questions that needed to be asked:
Why has the water not been released?
Why has the $30 million secured to protect the river during drought still not been used?
Why are commitments made to the river, its people, and its wildlife being ignored?
We mobilised our community and you showed up. Through the ‘Why is the Upper Murrumbidgee Drought Framework not being implemented when it matters most?’ update, we received 42 comments from people sharing their concerns, asking the same questions, and displaying the same refusal to accept this as normal.
As we started raising awareness, making calls, and sounding the alarm, we were fortunate enough to have ABC Drive take this issue on in full force. Six interview segments during the primetime drive-home slot of between 5pm and 6pm, covering the drought triggers and the current “abysmal” state of the river.
Our community came together: Siwan Lovett, CEO of the Australian River Restoration Centre and lead voice behind The Forgotten River campaign. Anita Brademann, facilitator of the Upper Murrumbidgee Demonstration Reach. Independent Senator David Pocock. Environmental policy expert Professor Jamie Pittock.
The coverage showed what we already knew. Across the community, from advocates to politicians to policy experts, the concern was real and it was widespread.
Some of the 42 voices that helped build the pressure
Pressure Builds. Decision-Makers Respond.
As the weeks unfolded, decision-makers had no choice but to respond, thanks to the efforts of our community to build up this pressure.
Two weeks on from our renewed efforts, NSW Water Minister Rose Jackson appeared on ABC Radio to announce the much-needed release of environmental water and that the framework (which had sat there unused for over 12 months) had finally been signed.
A moment for our wins.
Let's take a moment because what happened over the last few weeks deserves to be named for what it is: a win.
Not a perfect win. Not a "job done, everyone go home" win. But a real and hard fought win that proves something important. When communities refuse to accept broken promises, decision makers have to respond.
Think about what we actually pulled off:
Over 100,000 people were reached on social media
Website visits increased by 538% compared to the previous year
The Drought Operating Framework was signed
Most importantly water was released from Tantangara Dam
As Margaret Mead said: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
Water started flowing again in late January, a sign things are moving in the right direction. Credit: Wayne Bateup.
But Here's the Reality
We face an uphill battle. Twenty-plus years of stagnant policy won't change overnight.
As we've learned, securing commitments and funding is only the first step. Actually getting that money deployed to help the river requires constant vigilance. Frameworks only work if they're implemented. Promises only matter if they're kept.
But we remain hopeful and optimistic.
There were moments in this campaign when we felt the weight of what we were up against. Decades of policy inertia. Complex legal agreements. The sheer momentum of "this is how it's always been done."
But then we’d see your comments, watch our community show up, again and again, refusing to let this river be forgotten.
And we realised: we've already changed what's possible.
We've proven that communities can fight back against decades of neglect, broken promises, and bureaucratic inaction – and win.
The drought framework exists because of campaigns like this and people like you. Water was released because people like you demanded it. The Independent Review is happening because people like you demanded it.
Our community is the life of this campaign.
Thank You
We mean that. Deeply and sincerely – thank you.
Thank you for caring about a river. Thank you for writing comments and submissions. Thank you for sharing posts and having conversations. Thank you for believing that rivers matter, that communities matter, and that together, we can create change.
This campaign started because a river was dying and no one was doing enough to save it. It's continuing because people like you decided that wasn't acceptable.
Together, we're not just advocates for a river. We're proof that when communities come together with purpose and determination, we can protect the places and systems that sustain us all.
Let's keep going.
How You Can Stay With Us
This campaign isn't over – it's shifting gears.
We're moving from crisis response to sustained accountability. From alarm-based messaging to building the long-term power we need to protect not just this river, but rivers across Australia.
The SWIOID Review is a participatory process, and our CEO, Dr Siwan Lovett, is an active member of its diverse Stakeholder Advisory Group. Updates from every meeting held to date are available via our updates, with more to come over the months ahead.
Stay engaged. Read our updates. Follow our campaigns. Show up when you can. Share our message when it matters.
Sign up for The Forgotten River newsletter if you haven't already. We'll keep you updated on what's happening, where the campaign is headed, and how you can stay involved.
Follow The Australian River Restoration Centre on social media – Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn for all the river updates, campaign actions, restoration work, advocacy wins, and plenty of fun river content along the way.
Sign up to The Australian River Restoration Centre volunteer portal to be the first to hear about planting days and community events throughout the year. Get your hands dirty and be part of the active effort to restore our waterways.