Navigating Change - Voices of the Murray Darling Basin

Full description

The Navigating Change oral history project specifically aimed to understand the diverse underlying values people attach to their environments, particularly water, and how these values are revealed during periods of change. It also sought to explore how conflicts around these values have been managed and how communities imagine their future. The research focused on three basin communities: Griffith, in the Southern Basin; Bourke, in the Northern Basin; and Loxton, in the South Australian Riverland. These communities were chosen for their different histories, geographies, and demographics. The inclusion criteria for participants were that they had resided in their community for more than 15 years and were aged over 18. Five key high-level values emerged from our analysis, (1) healthy ecosystems, (2) community centrism, (3) enacting the good farmer, (4) succession and generativity, and (5) personal health and wellbeing. This project highlighted the importance of understanding and accommodating communities’ values in future water management decisions to enhance community resilience and adaptability. Notably, it has reinforced the clear view expressed by interviewees: that genuine engagement moving forward requires Government acknowledgement of local expertise and openness to its inclusion in policy processes.

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