Moree dryland beef producer Anne Coote is asking local people to share how water shapes their lives, work and communities, and what they want future Basin leaders to understand.
Ms Coote has launched an independent “Listening to the Basin” survey as part of her participation in the Murray-Darling Basin Leadership Program.
The survey asks people to share their views on water, decision-making, fairness, responsibility and trust.
It is Ms Coote’s own initiative, not an official Australian Rural Leadership Foundation or Murray-Darling Basin Authority consultation.
Anne Coote has launched an independent survey to help bring local views into Murray-Darling Basin leadership discussions. Image: Jaz Morrison Photography
“This is not about collecting landholders-only views,” Ms Coote said.
“It needs to include mums and dads, First Nations, business owners and consultants. If you drink water, play in it, or use it, let’s hear from you.”
Ms Coote has been selected for the program’s first cohort, which will hold its participant gathering in Moree in mid-July.
The program is delivered by the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation and brings together people from all parts of the Basin, and all community stakeholders to support the long-term health of the Basin.
For Ms Coote, the survey is a way to take a broader range of local experiences into those conversations, and bring the most urgent questions when participants meet to discuss the Basin and the communities that depend on it.
The survey asks people about their connection to water, land, community or the Basin, and how familiar they are with Murray-Darling Basin water management issues.
It also asks what role water plays in their life, community or work, what they see as the biggest challenge facing water management in Australia, and what principles should guide decisions when water is scarce.
Her focus is the Gwydir River catchment, including Moree, but the survey is open to anyone within or outside the Murray-Darling Basin region.
The short survey is anonymous unless people choose to leave contact details. Ms Coote plans to release themes, tensions and insights from responses as her participation in the program progresses.
“This is a rare local opportunity for anyone in our community, regardless of what you do or where you live, to contribute their experience and perspective anonymously,” she said.
Ms Coote has been part of the Moree community since the early 1980s and said the survey would help broaden her own view.
The survey is available at:
https://forms.gle/mo5ftLY45aJ8TzeU9
