Submission in response to: Managing Water in the Fitzroy River Catchment: Discussion Paper For Stakeholder Consultation

The authors of this submission and the WA Government agree that the Martuwarra-Fitzroy River is of great importance. As noted in the foreword to the ‘Managing Water in the Fitzroy River Catchment: Discussion Paper for Stakeholder Consultation’ (Fitzroy Paper): ‘The Fitzroy River has unique environmental and cultural values of national and international importance that make the river and the surrounding Fitzroy Valley one of the most extraordinary assets in the State’. It must be the intention of the State Government and all relevant stakeholders that the Martuwarra-Fitzroy River is kept alive and healthy for the benefit of future generations. In this submission we emphasise that the way to protect the Martuwarra-Fitzroy, whilst balancing responsible and sustainable economic development (particularly in Aboriginal communities), is through co-designing a water governance model with the Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council (Martuwarra Council).