The River Basin Management Society recently held its 11th Australian Stream Management Conference and 2024 Awards Gala in the stunning Victor Harbor, South Australia on the 11-14 August 2024.

The weather warmly welcomed us, as did traditional owner Cedric Varcoe of the Ngarrindjeri and Narangga people. Over a short but full two and a half days, the 11ASM Conference overflowed with knowledge, experiences, networking and celebration.

The Conference theme “Interweaving Water Knowledge” was conjured based on the hope that we can braid Australia’s numerous threads of waterway knowledge together to revive our river basins for a brighter future. We understand that the ancient knowledge held by our first people’s, the dedicated insights from our communities and the continuous evolution of the research and practice by our industry peers can only lead to better management and conservation of our precious waterways when our knowledge pathways become interwoven. It was fantastic to see so many people connect during 11ASM and share their knowledge in this way.

As part of the 11ASM, the RBMS engaged Dr Sue Pillans, a visual communicator, artist and scientist to capture the ideas streaming from these various knowledge pathways. The RBMS is excited by the final result and look forward to how this piece of knowledge and art can help provide more strategic direction to building a brighter future in our industry.

Illustrated documentation

 

Woman smiling and standing next to illustrated document

Dr Sue Pillans

 

We would like to extend a special thank you to our invited speakers, who accepted our invitation and provided wonderful plenary talks to our delegates.  

  • Rene Woods – Incorporating First Nations knowledge in Basin planning 
  • Wayne Koster – Understanding movement ecology to inform conservation management of native fishes 
  • Nick Whiterod – The future of freshwater species: how do we collectively overcome the challenges facing Australia’s freshwater species? 
  • Rebecca Lester – Using integrative science to understand and manage freshwater systems for multiple uses, now and into the future 

 Thank you to our workshop hosts Kathy Russell, Kirstie Fryirs, Birgit Jordan, Geoff Vietz, and guest speaker Danielle Francis. The Workshop – Walking the talk: accelerating sustainable, participative stream rehabilitation evolved from the outcomes of the 10ASM (2021) workshop which looked back on progress over the last 25 years and outlined where we need to go next as an industry. The 11ASM interactive workshop as a result aimed to develop action pathways for our industry to meet these aspirations by bringing together the community of ASM attendees across their diverse roles and career stages to share and interweave their perspectives. We hope to provide you more updates about this in an upcoming newsletter when the team can report back on the miro results from the workshop. 

Two women on stage presenting in front of a seated crowd Group of people in front of white board in collaborative activity

 

Thank you to Siwan Lovett (Australian River Restoration Centre) for hosting the Reflection session which aimed to unpick the threads we currently use in stream management to reflect on current philosophy and practice.? Throughout the conference, participants were invited to share their thoughts and experiences of interweaving knowledge, as Siwan explained that each of us bring our identity, experiences, language and networks which, when woven with others, create the connections required to protect and restore our waterways.?? 

Thank you to Kirsten Wehner from the National Museum in partnership with the Cad Factory and Otis Filley Studios for hosting a Special Film Screening – More than a fish kill for the 11ASM delegates. Following the screening was a panel conversation and Q&A with some of the film team exploring this unique project’s significance for living well with our waterways. 

Man standing in water with smoking ceremonial fires in background

More Than A Fish Kill film

 

More than a Fish Kill, explores how artists, fisheries managers and traditional custodians came together in the aftermath of the 2019 and 2023 mass fish death events along the Barka (Darling River). They turned these ecological disasters into catalysts for cultural connection and revival. More than a Fish Kill tells the story of a remarkable group of collaborators who interwove art, science and ancient knowledge to honour our rivers, care for communities, and create spaces for re-shaping how we live, now and into the future.

If you missed this opportunity, the RBMS are planning on hosting another session in person (in Victoria) and online at a later date. Stay tuned for more details and to register.

Field trips

Trip 1 – Delegates enjoyed an afternoon visiting the mouth of the ‘mighty’ Murray River appreciating its natural beauty, learning about the geomorphic evolution of Coorong, the Lower Lakes and the mouth, and learning about some of the environmental challenges facing the region. Nick Whiterod from Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth (CLLMM) Research Centre and representatives of the Living Murray Program and Hindmarsh Island Landcare Group joined them to provide some invaluable local insight into this part of the world. The group visited:

  • The Murray Barrages to discuss fishway and environmental flows challenges.
  • Hindmarsh Island to take in the views of the Murray Mouth.
  • A number of restoration sites on Hindmarsh Island and near Victor Harbor to discuss some of the works that are being undertaken.
Group standing outside listening to a man talking Group standing on the sand of a beach overlooking the water

 

Trip 2 – Delegates enjoyed an expedition more inland towards Mt Compass, the Fleurieu Swamps, and McLaren Vale. As a special bonus, the trip also had the opportunity to taste some local wines…a very popular trip! The group were accompanied by representatives of the Nature Glenelg Trust, Flows for the Future, and the McLaren Vale Biodiversity Project, to explore:

  • Mt Compass Low Flow Bypass.
  • Fleurieu Swamps restoration sites.
  • McLaren Vale Biodiversity Project.
Group standing listening to man talk with native swamp lands in the surroundsWoman talking to group in front of wine tasting table

 

A very special thank you to:

  • Everyone who registered, submitted an abstract, poster or paper and their supporting organisations and partners
  • Co-chairs – Janice Taylor and Jamie Kaye
  • The 11ASM organising committee – Patrick Maiden, Lance Lloyd, Geoff Vietz, Ben Pearson, Kathy Russell, Rhiannon Hughes, Johanna Slijkerman, Birgit Jordan, Andy Lowes, Siwan Lovett, Andrew Morris, and Felicity Hewett.
  • Event Sponsors – Water Technology, Alluvium, Australian River Restoration Centre, Department of energy, environment and climate action (DEECA),  Government of South Australia – Department for Environment and Water, La Trobe University, Streamology, RMCG, Melbourne Water, as well as media support from NRM jobs and the Australian River Restoration Centre
  • Event Exhibitors – Ecology Australia, Eviro DNA, Landscape South Australia Hills and Fleurieu, Truii, Global Green Environmental, and ALS
  • Event Partners – ASN Event Management and Principal Partner support from Business Events Adelaide, South Australia Tourism and Government of South Australia.
  • Event Management – ASN events

 

To view photos from the Conference please visit HERE.

To download and read any of the conference papers please visit HERE.

2024 RBMS Awards Gala – see details about the Gala HERE.

 

We look forward to catching up with you again at any of our regular RBMS events, and we are particularly excited to see you at 12ASM Conference and 2026 Awards Gala in a few years!