The Martuwarra, or Fitzroy River, in Western Australia’s remote Kimberley, is regarded by local traditional owners as the sacred river of life.

The First Laws of the Martuwarra are shared by Martuwarra Nations through a common songline, which sets out community and individual rights and duties.

First Law recognizes the river as the Rainbow Serpent: a living ancestral being from source to sea.

In November 2016, an alliance of Traditional Owners expressed a collective vision for the Martuwarra in the ‘Fitzroy River Declaration’.

It marked the first time in Australia when both First Law and the rights of nature were explicitly recognized in a negotiated instrument.

Two years later they formed the Martuwarra Council to protect the spiritual, cultural and environmental health of the river catchment.

These environmental and cultural values are recognised through National Heritage Listing and as a Western Australian Aboriginal Heritage Site.

But now this mighty river system and surrounding intact tropical savanna, is under threat from development.

Pastoralists have been circling the region for decades and now want to extract billions of litters of water to expand their cattle empires in Australia’s North.

These include Australia’s richest woman, Gina Rhinehart who owns two cattle stations in the catchment, Liveringa and Fossil Downs. Another known as Gogo is owned by the prominent Harris family, who run beef and cotton stations in the NSW Murray Darling basin.

The WA government will soon decide on water allocations in the catchment after extensive deliberations with traditional owners, pastoralists, environment groups and the broader community.

State Water Minister Dave Kelly has vowed to protect the river system and not make the mistakes of the Murray-Darling, while allowing ‘appropriate development’.

As the local community awaits a final decision, we hear from the various stakeholders in this special hour-long radio documentary.

It’s prepared by independent features producer Fernando de Freitas for Wangki Radio.

This special begins with Senior Walmajarri Elder Joe Brown welcoming us to country by singing the traditional song Martuwarra, for the river. It’s part of a video series called ‘Voices of the River’ produced by writer and filmmaker Stephanie King commissioned by Environs Kimberley.

A special thanks to Gooniyandi Rangers Sandy Skeen, Braydon Cox and Adrianno Shandley, Gogo Station Development Manager Phil Hams, Environs Kimberley Director Martin Pritchard, and Bunuba-Walmajarri Custodian and Chair of Environs Kimberley Natalie Davey.