Stacey Lee: South Australia is at the end of the Murray, so our farmers know all too well how important it is

We may never be able to pinpoint an exact reason for the deaths of thousands of fish, but there is one thing all authorities and experts agree on – it is, at least partly, due to an overall mismanagement of the river system, Stacey Lee writes.

• Dying fish prompt call to reveal secret water deals

We hear a lot about the Murray-Darling Basin, but many of us don’t really understand what that means and, perhaps, underestimate the importance of it.

Recently, it’s been in the news after we saw the devastating images of a mass fish die-off in the Darling River.

Up to a million Murray cod died along a 40km stretch of river at Menindee, near Broken Hill in New South Wales.

Some of the fish were endangered and experts are warning of more mass deaths in future if the Basin isn’t managed properly.

There are many theories about what may have caused the recent deaths. Some blame the drought and dwindling water levels. Others say it may be from an algal bloom which has removed oxygen from the water.

We may never be able to pinpoint an exact reason for these deaths, but there is one thing all authorities and experts agree on – it is, at least partly, due to an overall mismanagement of the river system.

A couple of years ago, the Murray-Darling was in the news following claims of widespread water theft by irrigators upstream. It was discovered that some farmers were taking more than their allocated share, which, rightly so, infuriated those downstream.

The revelations led to a Royal Commission being announced by the previous South Australian government.

The Commission is due to hand down its findings in February and there are a lot of people eagerly awaiting the report and recommendations.

But even at the time of the theft allegations, there was a lot of anger in regional communities – yet a lot people in cities didn’t really understand the real impact the Murray-Darling has on our lives. And some still don’t.

I hate to admit, but even I am guilty of it. I didn’t really understand how important the Basin was to me until I started reporting on it for work.

When you do the research you realise how large the area is and how vital the water is for farms, marine life and general consumption.

Hordes of dying fish have recently brought the health of the Murray River back into the spotlight. Picture: Senator Rex Patrick / Twitter

The Murray-Darling Basin is huge. It spans many states and territories – Queensland, New South Wales, ACT, Victoria and South Australia.

It drains a lot of our country and it also irrigates a lot of our country, which makes it one of the most significant agricultural areas in Australia.

It’s the only significant source of water for a huge part of our country.

Over 40 per cent of Australian farms are in the Basin, and they provide one third of Australia’s food supply.

Wool, cotton, sheep, cattle, dairy, rice, wine, fruit and vegetables are just some of the products that farms in the Basin produce.

But it’s not just food and produce that we get from the region – around two million people live in the Basin, too.

It’s a huge area – almost 10 times the length of the River Thames. So as you can imagine, with any resource that large, and which spans so many states and territories, there was always going to be some differences about the way it has been and should be managed.

That’s why they came up with the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

The Murray-Darling Basin is colossal, spanning four states.

It’s a complex, $13 billion reform agreement, which was established in 2012 to improve the health of our rivers and floodplains.

It outlines how the water will be managed and shared among stakeholders.

But it only works if everyone abides by the agreement, and, as we have seen, some of those living further upstream think they don’t have to comply.

South Australia is at the end of the river, so our farmers know all too well how important it is.

Have you had an orange this summer? Do you eat almonds? Have you eaten meat or dairy this week? Have you had a glass of wine recently?

If you answered “yes” to any of those questions then you are probably relying on the Murray-Darling, too.

It’s not just our farmers who need it; we all do in one way or another. That’s why we should all care about the Basin just a little bit more.