Saving Australia's native fish with Dr. Wayne Koster — Episode 25

On a crisp Friday morning by the banks of the Cotter river in January 2024, Siwan sat down with Senator David Pocock, the ACT's first independent senator and environmental advocate, to discuss what drives him and what he cares about; his journey towards and inside the world of politics and government; his life growing up in Zimbabwe and career in professional rugby, and more. This is a reflective and insightful conversation, one which reveals a down-to-earth and honest man who deeply cares about the environment we call home.

Siwan and David also discuss the Upper Murrumbidgee, or 'The Forgotten River' — a stretch of river left behind by Federal and NSW water management reforms. As a result, between 90% and 99% of the headwaters of the Murrumbidgee is captured by the Snowy Hydro Scheme each year, which leads to crises like in 2019 when the river almost entirely dried up except for a few algae-choked pools.

The ARRC has been raising awareness about the Forgotten River for a couple of years, and those efforts were rewarded in November 2023 when an agreement was reached between the Albanese Government and Senator Pocock, which ensured a combined $50m of funding for the health of the river, as well as reviews of key legislative documents regarding the regulation of the Upper 'Bidgee. This was a great success for the health of the river and a collaborative effort across the board. The Upper Murrumbidgee still needs more water, but we are hopeful that this agreement sets in motion the ability for these flows to be provided in future years.

Check out the episode show notes: https://arrc.au/senator-david-pocock-being-part-of-a-larger-story/

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review wherever you listen to your podcasts.
🎙️ Listen to our other episodes: https://arrc.au/podcast/
🌱 Learn more about the Australian River Restoration Centre: arrc.au
Take Me to the River is an Australian River Restoration Centre podcast production, hosted by Dr. Siwan Lovett and produced by Chris Walsh, with support from the rest of the ARRC Team. ✨

In today's episode, Siwan sits down with Australia's Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder (CEWH), Dr. Simon Banks, to talk about his love of nature, his experience delivering eWater, and what it's like to be the CEWH. This conversation covers Dr. Banks' journey so far, some elements of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, whether Australia is a world-leader in environmental water management, and more.

Dr. Banks has been the CEWH for over 12 months and manages water for the environment on behalf of the Australian Government to support the rivers and wetlands of the Murray-Darling Basin. Simon has held senior positions in several departments, including the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, New Zealand Department of Conservation, and the NSW and Queensland governments. Simon holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (coastal management), a Master of Applied Science from Southern cross University and a Doctor of Philosophy (biological sciences and decision support) from The University of Queensland. He is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

• To view this episode's show notes, visit arrc.au/delivering-ewater-and-loving-nature-with-dr-simon-banks-episode-24.
• Flow Monitoring, Evaluation & Research: https://flow-mer.org.au/
• Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder Website: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/water/cewo

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review wherever you listen to your podcasts.
🎙️ Listen to our other episodes: https://arrc.au/podcast/
🌱 Learn more about the Australian River Restoration Centre: arrc.au
Take Me to the River is an Australian River Restoration Centre podcast production, hosted by Dr. Siwan Lovett and produced by Chris Walsh, with support from the rest of the ARRC Team. ✨

Siwan speaks with Dr. Wayne Koster of the Arthur Rylah Institute, at the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, to talk native fish recovery and research. Wayne leads research projects on native fish ecology and conservation across Victoria and more broadly in south-eastern Australia.  The focus of much of Wayne’s recent work has been on the movement and spawning ecology and conservation implications for riverine fishes, particularly the development of flow regimes for fish in regulated rivers. He also does some fascinating work monitoring and tracking eels in our rivers and oceans.

View this episode's show notes at https://arrc.au/dr-wayne-koster-episode-25

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review wherever you listen to your podcasts.
🎙️ Listen to our other episodes: https://arrc.au/podcast/
🌱 Learn more about the Australian River Restoration Centre: arrc.au
Take Me to the River is an Australian River Restoration Centre podcast production, hosted by Dr. Siwan Lovett and produced by Chris Walsh, with support from the rest of the ARRC Team. ✨

In today's episode, Siwan talks with Richard Swain, a Dabee man of the Wiradjuri nation and a river adventure guide (Alpine River Adventures) in the Snowy Mountains, in Kozciuszko National Park. Richard grew up learning the history of the Australian landscape from his father, and his grandfather taught him how Aboriginal peoples moved through and respected country.  Richard has a long history of volunteering on local environmental and community projects and has a first-hand understanding of the huge impact feral animals have on Australia’s natural environment. Richard is an ambassador for the Invasive Species Council, helping to raise the profile of the role of Indigenous peoples in caring for Country and protecting it from invasive species. His life is now dedicated to protecting the environment from the impacts of modern society.

Content Warning: This conversation includes a description of a massacre of Aboriginal people from 17:00 - 17:26 that may be of concern for some listeners.

This conversation covers a wide range of topics, ranging from Richard's experience with advocacy, the problem with the culture of modern Australia, and how indigenous and non-indigenous Australians can move forward together towards a lore of restoration — as Richard puts it, "Country is crying out for good people". It's a hard-hitting conversation at points, but one which provokes us and challenges us to improve, for the sake of Country and for ourselves.

To view this episode's show notes, visit https://arrc.au/country-is-crying-out-for-good-people-with-richard-swain-episode-23.

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review wherever you listen to your podcasts.
🎙️ Listen to our other episodes: https://arrc.au/podcast/
🌱 Learn more about the Australian River Restoration Centre: arrc.au
Take Me to the River is an Australian River Restoration Centre podcast production, hosted by Dr. Siwan Lovett and produced by Chris Walsh, with support from the rest of the ARRC Team. ✨

Regenerative Agriculture is revolutionising Australia's agriculture industry, and for good reason. Today, The Australian River Restoration's Managing Director Siwan Lovett sits down with Australia's foremost Regenerative Agriculture pioneer, Dr. Charles Massy, to discuss his life’s work, his experience implementing Regenerative Agriculture (Regen Ag) on his farm, Severn Park, and some of his recent work on the Snowy River.

Dr. Charles Massy is a Monaro woolgrower, scientist, and renowned author. He is a passionate pioneer in, and expert on, regenerative agriculture and is the author of several books on the topic, including 2017’s Call of the Reed Warbler, a book which explores the vital connection between our soil and our health, and The Last Dragon, a children's book about the endangered Monaro Grassland Earless Dragon, illustrated by Mandy Foot and featuring an essay on the Dragon written by Charles. Both of these books are discussed in today's episode.

Charles has been farming Merino sheep at Severn Park for over 40 years and received the Order of Australia Medal for his service to the wool industry as chair and director of several research organisations and wool boards (2011). He has also been the recipient of the Sydney Power House Museum's Distinguished Service Award for his work on their Wool and Pastoral Collection (2008), and received the Australian Association of Stud Merino Breeders' Silver Medal for his contribution to the Australian Merino and wool industry (1992). He has served on national and international review panels in sheep and wool research and development, and genomics.

Show notes: https://arrc.au/podcast-take-me-to-the-river/country-speaks-with-charles-massy-episode-22/

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review wherever you listen to your podcasts.
🎙️ Listen to our other episodes: https://arrc.au/podcast/
🌱 Learn more about the Australian River Restoration Centre: arrc.au
Take Me to the River is an Australian River Restoration Centre podcast production, hosted by Dr. Siwan Lovett and produced by Chris Walsh, with support from the rest of the ARRC Team. ✨

Sitting on the banks of the Wollondilly River, only two kilometres downstream of its headwaters, Siwan chats with Felicity Wheelwright. Felicity is a fifth-generation regenerative farmer in the Crookwell region and a fourth-generation farmer on Roslyn Estate, and one of our Rivers of Carbon restoration champions, restoring water quality in Sydney’s water catchment. Felicity’s farm is holistically grazed and over the last 30 years, her family has undertaken a plethora of restoration projects to protect and restore her property, including planting a 17 kilometre long native tree corridor. Felicity also has a background in banking and business improvement strategies and is blending this together with her experience in farming to talk to us today about the benefits of holistic grazing and regenerative agriculture.

Show notes (contact details, images of Felicity's property and behind-the scenes): https://arrc.au/podcast-take-me-to-the-river/episode-21-why-regenerative-farming-helps-our-waterways-with-felicity-wheelwright/

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review wherever you listen to your podcasts.
🎙️ Listen to our other episodes: https://arrc.au/podcast/
🌱 Learn more about the Australian River Restoration Centre: arrc.au
Take Me to the River is an Australian River Restoration Centre podcast production, hosted by Dr. Siwan Lovett and produced by Chris Walsh, with support from the rest of the ARRC Team. ✨

As we have more conversations with Aboriginal people, we find that when we acknowledge Country it means so much more. There is an upswelling of emotion as the stories that are generously shared with us gives us insight into what it might be like being an Aboriginal Australian. This podcast is one such conversation. Tanya Keed, a proud Aboriginal woman from Dunghutti Country, and Lori Gould who has worked with the ARRC for over twenty years, share how they have been working together to connect men and women who have been imprisoned, back to themselves, each other and to Country. This is a podcast like no other, and we feel deeply grateful and honoured that Tanya is sharing so much of herself and her story.

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review wherever you listen to your podcasts.
🎙️ Listen to our other episodes: https://arrc.au/podcast/
🌱 Learn more about the Australian River Restoration Centre: arrc.au
Take Me to the River is an Australian River Restoration Centre podcast production, hosted by Dr. Siwan Lovett and produced by Chris Walsh, with support from the rest of the ARRC Team. ✨

Siwan and Andy sit down with Associate Professor Angus Webb to chat about the recent floods in the Goulburn River system in Victoria and what they mean for the ecology of the system. Angus works for the Environmental Hydrology and Water Resources Division of the University of Melbourne, and is the lead researcher for the Flow - Monitoring, Evaluation and Research Program for the lower Goulburn River in Victoria, which is one of the many rivers that has experienced flooding this year. Angus is an ecologist, specialising in both marine and freshwater systems and now working with environmental flows. Angus has a particular interest in how we can continue to improve the ways we manage our river systems. 

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review wherever you listen to your podcasts.
🎙️ Listen to our other episodes: https://arrc.au/podcast/
🌱 Learn more about the Australian River Restoration Centre: arrc.au
Take Me to the River is an Australian River Restoration Centre podcast production, hosted by Dr. Siwan Lovett and produced by Chris Walsh, with support from the rest of the ARRC Team. ✨

In this episode, Siwan chats with Professor Fiona Dyer about why science and people matter when it comes to rivers and their management. Fiona is a freshwater scientist at the University of Canberra, where she has a broad range of expertise and interests, including vegetation ecology, water quality and ecohydrology. Today, we’ll be exploring the different types of riverscapes we have in Australia and what that means for making good water-management decisions.

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review wherever you listen to your podcasts.
🎙️ Listen to our other episodes: https://arrc.au/podcast/
🌱 Learn more about the Australian River Restoration Centre: arrc.au
Take Me to the River is an Australian River Restoration Centre podcast production, hosted by Dr. Siwan Lovett and produced by Chris Walsh, with support from the rest of the ARRC Team. ✨

In this episode, Siwan chats with Richie Allan about reconciliation and the importance of listening to Indigenous perspectives, particularly when it comes to our rivers. Richie comes from the Kamilaroi and Ngunnawal nations and is co-Director of the Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation. Richie has been working with the ARRC over the last year to help us develop a Reconciliation Action Plan. Today we are talking to Richie about what reconciliation means to him and how we might, through our individual and organisational actions, continue along the path of recognising, respecting and reconciling our past with the future and how our individual actions can contribute to reconciling Australia.

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review wherever you listen to your podcasts.
🎙️ Listen to our other episodes: https://arrc.au/podcast/
🌱 Learn more about the Australian River Restoration Centre: arrc.au
Take Me to the River is an Australian River Restoration Centre podcast production, hosted by Dr. Siwan Lovett and produced by Chris Walsh, with support from the rest of the ARRC Team. ✨