Southern Connected Murray–Darling Basin
Protecting Australia's largest inland delta, its ecology, its farming legacy, its future.
Discover the Region Get InvolvedWho We Are
Murray Heartlands was established following an independent review into how the benefits of modernisation of Independent Irrigator Operators could be sustained for the benefit of future generations.
The review — undertaken by nem Australasia and initially funded by the Riverina Sustainable Land Water Management Plan Trust — identified a critical gap: the majority of environmentally conscious urban Australians who shape national water policy remain largely unaware of this region's extraordinary ecological and agricultural significance.
Murray Heartlands exists to change that.
Why It Matters
Australia's largest inland delta — formed tens of thousands of years ago by the rise of the Cadell Fault — sits at the heart of the entire Murray River system. Its health is inseparable from the health of the river as a whole.
Prior to colonisation, this delta supported the densest First Nations population in the entire country. The region's cultural significance spans thousands of years — a legacy that continues to shape and guide land and water stewardship today.
The region holds a high concentration of internationally recognised RAMSAR protected wetlands and diverse riverine forests — ecological infrastructure that supports species and water quality across the broader Murray–Darling Basin.
The farming district encompasses prime agricultural land developed within the original gravity-fed Snowy Hydro scheme. This generation of farmers is protecting and advancing environmentally sustainable infrastructure worthy of global recognition.
Water policy decisions over the past decade have had far-reaching consequences for environmental and productive water entitlements across the Southern Connected Murray-Darling basin. Murray Heartlands gives this community a voice at the policy table.
This agriculturally and ecologically significant region should be promoted internationally as a model of environmentally sustainable farming practice within a natural inland delta — if its story is told and its importance understood.
The Challenge
The environmentally conscious communities in Australia's major urban centres — who help shape the policies of state and federal authorities including the MDBA — are largely unaware of this region's environmental significance.
Without that awareness, water policy decisions continue to be made without a full picture of what is at stake in the Murray's heartland.
"A healthy heart is essential to the health of the whole. The Murray Heartlands is as critically important as any other region in the Murray–Darling Basin."
Connect
Whether you're a farmer, researcher, policy-maker, journalist, or simply someone who cares about Australia's inland waterways — we'd love to hear from you.
Email us to introduce yourself, ask a question, or register your interest in staying informed as Murray Heartlands grows.
We're in our early stages. No press releases, no databases — just genuine conversations with people who care about this country.
The People Behind It
Project Director
Is a chemical engineer that has worked in the agricultural sector over the past ten years and was CEO of Murray Irrigation Limited during a period of significant change and modernisation of the irrigation infrastructure. He has worked across regional eastern Australia in the renewables, fibre and water industries with a focus on delivering commercial, social and environmental outcomes.
nem AustralasiaProject Co-ordinator
Is a Chartered Accountant and Certified Practicing Marketer who established nem in 2001 and developed the firm’s proprietary review processes which have been successfully applied across a multitude of industries throughout Australasia. He has extensive experience in regulatory industry reform and assisting businesses and communities to adapt to changing and challenging environments.
nem Australasia