This week in our summer series we are replaying our tour of the Coorong in SA. In July last year, Water Watch had the privilege of touring the Southern Lagoon with ecologist Faith Coleman, a dedicated local resident who was featured in our special coverage of the fish kills. Faith’s passion for restoring the Coorong is palpable; she has spent years archiving and studying the Southern Lagoon’s history.

As we strolled along the sandy and sometimes muddy shores of Salt Creek and the South Lagoon, Faith shared fascinating insights about how the history of this place guides our current efforts to better manage wetlands. Her deep knowledge and enthusiasm revealed how understanding the past can help shape a more sustainable future for these vital ecosystems.

This episode was first broadcast on August 8, and so please be aware things may have changed since it was published.

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This week we’re excited to share a special interview we published last year. For our Summer Series this week we'll be hearing from one of the country’s most renowned First Nations artists and water activists.

Born on the banks of the Baaka river in 1947, Uncle Badger Bates is a proud Barkindji man and an inspiration to both artists and water activists alike. He’s been a strong voice for Barkindji people, fighting for their land and water rights, and he’s also had a very successful career as an artist, using art to tell stories of the Baaka River and the decimation of this sacred place. In recognition of these achievements, Uncle Badger was awarded the prestigious Red Ochre Award for Lifetime Achievement at the 2024 First Nations Arts and Culture Awards.

The Red Ochre Award was established by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Board in 1993 to pay tribute to senior Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons for their outstanding lifetime achievement.

Badger Bates is predominantly a carver, turning his hand to wood, emu eggs, stone carving and linoprinting, but has also made sculptures out of welded steel and although he doesn’t see himself as a painter, he has completed some wonderful paintings.

This program was first published on the 28th of November so please be aware that things may have changed since it was first broadcast. We'll be back with original programming on March 6th.

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This week in our Summer Series we are playing Part 2 from our Wilcannia Weir story which covers a little-known story of bureaucratic failure and government shenanigans in the small town of Wilcannia on the Darling-Baaka River where a weir project has been on the cards for over 40 years. This series was short-listed for a Walkley award last year in the category of long-form audio journalism, and although we didn’t win the award its fantastic to have community radio journalism represented in Australia’s most prestigious journalism awards. Since the publication of this series the weir project has been suspended by the NSW government while an independent investigation into the project is completed. We will almost certainly be covering the results of this investigation later in the year, so this is your chance to catch up on the story so far. This episode was published on April 6th last year and things may have changed.

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Over the next two weeks we are playing one our favourite multi-episode series from last year, the Wilcannia Weir story. This program covers a little-known story of bureaucratic failure and government shenanigans in the small town of Wilcannia on the Darling-Baaka River where a weir project has been on the cards for over 40 years. This series was short-listed for a Walkley award last year in the category of long-form audio journalism, and although we didn’t win the award its fantastic to have community radio journalism represented in Australia’s most prestigious journalism awards. Since the publication of this series the weir project has been suspended by the NSW government while an independent investigation into the project is completed. We will almost certainly be covering the results of this investigation later in the year, so this is your chance to catch up on the story so far. This episode was published on March 28th last year and things may have changed.

Support the show: https://www.2dryfm.com/donate/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we’re listening back exploring on the music and stories of The Stiff Gins with one half of the Musical Duo Kaleena Briggs. Kaleena and her musical partner Nardi Simpson are fresh water women, whose ancestry, identity, connection to country sings through into their music.

They’ve been releasing music as the Stiff gins for 25 years, releasing 3 acclaimed albums and touring all over australia and the world, and run music workshops in rural and remote indigenous communities. In their time they have accrued many accolades to their names including: Recipients of the Centenary Medal for ‘Outstanding Service to Indigenous Music, Most promising new talent at the deadly awards in 2000 & Best Single release at the deadly awards in 2001.

You can find their music on spotify at the following link: Stiff Gins | Spotify

This is the radio edit version, for an extended interview with Kaleena visit www.waterwatchradio.com, or find it wherever you get your podcasts.

Support the show: https://www.2dryfm.com/donate/

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This week we’re heading to the Top End, to listen back on conversation with Kirsty Howey the director of the Environment Centre Northern Territory about mismanagement of an expanding irrigation industry that was exposed in and ABC 4 Corners program “Water Grab.”

Following the 4 Corners program, a delegation of environmental groups was joined by Mangarrayi Traditional Owners in Canberra to raise the alarm.

Watch Watch is produced by Broken Hill Community radio 2DRY.

Support the show: https://www.2dryfm.com/donate/

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As the new year rolls in, this week we listen back on a conversation with Amy Dula, the chair of the NSW Connectivity Expert Panel, which handed down its final report in July 2024. The NSW Water Minister Rose Jackson established the Panel in response to a recommendation from the NSW Chief Scientists independent review of the 2023 Menindee Mass Fish Kills.

Watch Watch is produced by Broken Hill Community radio 2DRY.

Support the show: https://www.2dryfm.com/donate/

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This week listen back on a wholesome conversation between Dan and Menindee bird water Geoff Looney from a live event to launch his new book "Birds of the Menindee Lakes Area, compiled by Geoff Looney"

Geoff has been photographing and bird watching in and around Menindee for 30 years and his new book is the best guide for birders to find and identify any of the 207 bird species that Geoff has seen in his decades of twitching.

In his time he has watched the Menindee Lakes go through turmoil and found endangered and critically endangered birds, one thought to no longer visit NSW.

At 77 years of age, Geoff is full of life and full of stories, make sure to tune in to this warm celebration of a life's work.

Watch Watch is produced by Broken Hill Community radio 2DRY.

Support the show: https://www.2dryfm.com/donate/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.