Picnic for Nature Event: Sunday, November the 16th
Category Archives: Upcoming Events
Rights of the River for the Macleay
A Community Information Forum – Rights of the River for the Macleay is planned for 8 November 2025, 2pm at the Oddfellows Hall in Kempsey.
๐๐ข๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ค๐ญ๐ฆ๐ข๐บ ๐๐ช๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ฆ๐จ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐บ ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฆ๐ค๐ต๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ง๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฎ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ต๐ข๐ฎ๐ช๐ฏ๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ, ๐ง๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฎ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฎ๐ด, ๐ฆ๐น๐ต๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ด๐ช๐ท๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ข๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ฆ๐น๐ต๐ณ๐ข๐ค๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ณ๐ฎ๐ง๐ถ๐ญ ๐ข๐ค๐ต๐ช๐ท๐ช๐ต๐ช๐ฆ๐ด?
The event will be the beginning of a long term initiative to fully protect the Macleay.
The program includes:
- A SOMR update on current issues of concern affecting the Macleay catchment
- Oven Mountain Hydro Scheme not yet decided, Hillgrove Mine recommencing antimony and gold production mid-2026, dam expansions by Armidale Regional Council, Gravel extraction at Turners Flat and more
- Background information about the Rights of the River presented by Dr Michelle Maloney
- Dr Michelle Maloney is an Earth lawyer and advocate for ecocentric and nature based governance. She is recognised internationally and in Australia for her work advocating for Earth centred law and governance. Michelle is Co-Founder and Director of the Australian Earth Laws Alliance (AELA), and Co-Founder and Director of Future Dreaming, an Indigenous led organisation that works to share Indigenous ecological and governance knowledge with non-Indigenous people and organisations in Australia. https://www.earthlaws.org.au/
- Screening of the documentary I am the river and the river is me about the Whanganui River in New Zealand which is the first river given full legal personhood and protection
- A canoe trip down the Whanganui River in New Zealand, led by a Mฤori elder becomes a call to action to draw closer to nature and fight climate change through a fundamental value shift. The title is taken from a Whanganui Mฤori proverb, recognizing the river as their ancestor and as a living spiritual being. https://iamtheriver.org/
The event is also a fundraiser for SOMR with admission fee of $10 and a raffle with great prizes.
Picnic for Nature
Picnic for Nature is a statewide initiative by the Nature Conservation Council of NSW. Save our Macleay River are delighted to have secured a stall at the Gladstone Riverside Markets.
Come and visit our stall on the riverbank and meet those who are committed to saving the beautiful Macleay River, seeking to raise awareness of the current and potential future pollution in the Macleay River Catchment.
Please join us and why not have a picnic in the park while you are there. You can bring your own or fill your picnic basket with all the market has to offer.
The market hosts quality, local, hand-picked stallholders featuring artists, ceramics, photographer; gourmet/fine foods including jams, local farm-fresh produce, preserves, chutneys and locally made muesli style products; as well as handmade soaps and locally produced organic body products, native plants and coffee.
There will be entertainment provided by talented, local musicians and performers. Come and enjoy the atmosphere and meet with your local environment group on the riverbank in the unique, historical village of Gladstone.
We hope to see you there on Sunday 20 October from 9am
