The Conservation Value of Wetlands Workshops

The Inland Rivers Network is running a series of workshops over the next few months on understanding the values of wetlands in the Murray Darling Basin.  The aim of these workshops will be to encourage and empower communities with a love of rivers and wetlands to become involved in the protection of these high conservation value freshwater systems in their local areas.

Recognising the diverse range of ecological and social values of these natural rivers and wetlands in the Murray Darling Basin, these workshops will encourage and facilitate discussion across various groups with the goal of achieving cooperative stewardship that can improve the health of these special places. With a focus on information sharing from many different  parts of the community, the workshops will combine the theory behind the importance of conserving natural river and wetland systems with practical steps that can lead towards achieving sustainable management of these freshwater areas.

About the workshops

The workshops will involve presentations from IRN, Murray-Darling Basin Authority, local Catchment Management Authorities and various local conservation groups, indigenous groups, landholders and other individuals. Workshops will be held in the Central West, Namoi, Lachlan and Western Catchment Management Authority areas between March and May. The first workshop will be held in the Central West at Coonamble.

To participate in these workshops:

• Register your interest via email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
• Go to the Inland Rivers Network website
• Download the latest Inland Rivers Network Newsletter (Summer 2010)

Workshop dates and locations

Central West: Coonamble Wednesday 17th March 2010, 9:30am-4:00pm at the Coonamble Bowling Club Focus area: Castlereagh Wetlands This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to IRN for the upcoming Coonamble workshop Central West: Nyngan Thursday 25th March 2010, 9:30am-4:00pm at the Nyngan RSL Club Focus area: Effluent Creeks Floodplain Lachlan: Booligal Thursday 22nd April 2010, 9:30am-4:00pm at Booligal Hall Focus area: Booligal Wetlands Namoi: Boggabri (to be confirmed) First week in May 2010 at the Boggabri RSL Club (date to be confirmed) Focus area: Barbers Lagoon Western: Wilcannia (to be confirmed) Early May 2010 (date and venue to be confirmed) Focus area: Teryawynia Creek and Talyawalka Anabranch

About the Inland Rivers Network

Inland Rivers Network is a coalition of environment groups and individuals concerned about the degradation of the rivers, wetlands and groundwaters of the Murray-Darling Basin. Since 1991 the Network has advocated for the conservation of biological diversity in these environments, the maintenance of essential ecosystem functions and the restoration of degraded habitats.