A HEALTHY river is one of nature’s greatest gifts, says Avon River Management Authority Chair Doug Morgan.
In his foreword to a 1999 State Government Water and Rivers Commission report, Mr Morgan said a healthy river was a source of fresh water, a haven for native plants and animals, and a place for recreation, adventure and an appreciation of natural beauty.
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“It carries away the floodwaters and it provides a living, ever-changing element to the landscape of our towns and farms along its banks,” Mr Morgan said.
“This is the way the Avon River was in my youth.
“In the 1950s I also learnt something else about the Avon River – it was a river in trouble.
“The waters became polluted with salt and chemicals, many plants and animals began to disappear, and the pools began to fill with sand and silt.
“The river began to change from a living ecosystem into a drain.”
It is clear from Mr Morgan’s comments that the health of the Avon River has quite obviously been on a slow downward spiral since colonial occupation 190 years ago.
It’s gone from a healthy fresh water source stocked with edible fish to being salty, degraded, and devoid of fish bigger than minnows.
Why is that?
And why is it today’s landholders believe they know better how to manage the river and the land than the Aboriginal people who managed, respected, cared for, and lived off the land for thousands of years before?
How hard would it be for all Australians to turn to each other and say “We’ve made many mistakes, we didn’t know, we didn’t ask, but now we’re ready to listen.”
Barb Dadd
Toodyay
