A Community Information Forum – Rights of the River for the Macleay is planned for 8 November 2025, 2pm at the Oddfellows Hall in Kempsey.

𝘊𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘺 𝘙𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘴, 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴?

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 Māori 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 Māori 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.

Look out for posters and other advertising of the event.