Liberal Senator Simon Birmingham is urging South Australians to photograph their favourite river location as part of a competition coinciding with World Rivers Day this month.
Senator Birmingham, the Coalition’s spokesman on the Murray-Darling Basin, is proudly supporting the “Rivers Matter” initiative, created by Australian not-for-profit group the International RiverFoundation.
People are being asked to photograph their favourite spot on a local river with or without them in the photo in the run up to World Rivers Day, celebrated around the globe this Sunday 30 September.
The Australian campaign will feature a big wall of photos on the internet of local people who care for local rivers, shining a spotlight on rivers in local areas across Australia.
“South Australians have long been acutely aware of the health of our rivers, particularly the River Murray upon which we are so reliant,” Senator Birmingham said today.
“I hope South Australians will get behind this campaign and ensure our own state’s many picturesque river spots are represented in this ‘River Matters’ wall of photos as we further highlight the importance of protecting our rivers.”
International RiverFoundation CEO Matt Reddy said, “Rivers matter for so many reasons. Our message to people across Australia is that we must protect our precious rivers. Rivers provide tourism, jobs, recreation, food, help with agriculture and have so many more benefits.”
More information on the photo competition can be found at http://www.riverfoundation.org.au, but pictures can be sent by email to patricia@riverfoundation.org.au with entries closing on 5 October.