By Delia Paul
More than 200 river users are expected to take part in a flotilla and walking parade along the Lower Maribyrnong in October, in a campaign urging authorities to deliver on their promises for Victoria’s waterways.
The mass action, organised by the Maribyrnong River and Waterways Association (MRWA), is a chance for all concerned to “show up for our river,” say MRWA co-executive officers Angela Clarke and Nicole Kowalcyzk.
Waterways in the Maribyrnong catchment are drying out because of over-extraction of freshwater. Victoria’s Long-Term Water Resource Assessment found that the environment in the Maribyrnong basin now has, on average, 16.9 gigalitres (GL) a year less water than previously.
Environmental allocations to return sufficient water to the river have so far only been temporary. Ahead of the Victorian State Elections, MRWA is calling on authorities to ensure the delivery of adequate water to maintain river flows and ecosystems.
“Two decades of policy commitments to dedicate water for the river have not been delivered, despite promises made since 2006,” says Dr Kowalcyzk, an ecologist and environmental advocate. “To this day, there is no formal environmental entitlement for water to be reserved for the Maribyrnong.”
An environmental entitlement is essentially a promise that there will always be enough water reserved for the river system itself. The Victorian Government’s 2022 Central and Gippsland Region Sustainable Water Strategy recognises the need to deliver environmental entitlements, and to transition away from reliance on river water by increasing the use of recycled water, treated stormwater and desalinated water.
State government approvals for new data centres in Melbourne’s west are increasing pressure on water resources because data centres require high volumes of water daily to cool their servers. MRWA’s position is that river water must be conserved and new industrial demands must not delay existing obligations to ensure water security and environmental recovery.
“For the Maribyrnong, the work should start with a cross-agency Maribyrnong Environmental Entitlement working group to set clear targets for how, when and how much water should be released,” says Dr Kowalcyzk. “We need to lock in environmental water and ensure adequate funding to deliver on promises, before water is allocated to new water-intensive industries, including hyperscale data centres.”
To highlight the importance of environmental water for both human and non-human populations, participants in the Maribyrnong flotilla and parade will march with banners depicting animals that depend on the river.
“Fish, frogs, birds, seals and dolphins — like us, they all need clean and adequate water,” says Dr Clarke, an artist-educator. “Securing environmental water would mean a just outcome for Melbourne’s west, and would be a defining moment for us all. The Maribyrnong must be known, celebrated, and protected.”
The flotilla and walking parade will start at the Footscray City Rowing Club in Maribyrnong, and will end there with a BBQ organised by local Rotary clubs. All are welcome to join in. Participation is free.
Date and time:
10 am to 1 pm, Sunday 25 October 2026
Register on Humanitix: https://events.humanitix.com/maribyrnong-river-flotilla-and-parade
