My name is Cheryl and I’m a proud Wiradjuri woman. I’ve grown up using the Murumbidgee river with my community. It is a profoundly spiritual place for Aboriginal people and holds historic importance for the wider Australian community. 

The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Services has begun charging a fee to use this river. I’m calling on the government to make the river free to use for all.

The Riverina sits within Wiradjuri Nation, the largest Indigenous area in New South Wales. We are known as the “People of Three Rivers.” We should not have to pay to access something so central to our identity. The Wiradjuri people have deep connections with the Murrumbidgee river. For thousands of years, the Murrumbidgee River provided a rich source of sustenance for the people of the Wiradjuri nation. The rivers are deeply valued in our culture as places we gather to bathe, drink, hunt, educate our children and heal.

Every year, many people camp at the Murrumbidgee river and oher waterways of Australia. This new fee is a barrier for low income earners and will impact the greater population of the area. This is a beautiful part of the world, everyone should be able to access it. Please sign the petition to keep our rivers free and all Australian waterways.