Central News Regional Reporting Tour 2020
In the middle of the Black Summer of 2019 / 2020, UTS Central News sent four teams of student journalists into NSW’s regions to report on the realities of living with climate change in regional Australia.
I was the leader of Team Orana. We traveled to Dubbo in the state’s Central West, as well as the surrounding areas of Narromine and Wellington, and spoke to locals about the impact of the drought on production, farming, tourism, and daily life.
Via Central News / 2SER Radio’s The Wire
ORANA’S WATER DEBATE
Residents of Dubbo in the NSW Central West are accusing the state government of “absolute mismanagement” when it comes to water resources.
Dubbo’s Dry
Community leaders and farmers agree that water and land management are the key to building resilience in the Central West, where recent rain has not been enough to end the prolonged drought.
Some, like Wiradjuri man David Towney, believe a blend of cultural practice and innovation is needed, while others want the NSW Government to do more to deliver a water policy that is fair for all.
Head On Photo Festival Exhibition Selections
Images chosen as part of UTS Central News’ “The New Normal” exhibition. The exhibition was put together with photos taken by all teams on the Regional Reporting Tour.
Conscious of recent political controversy, Jon Elder stands in the middle of his cotton crop in Narromine, explaining how the NSW government allocates water to irrigators.
Storeys'-high walls and once-underwater trees line the shores of Burrendong Dam, where capacity sunk to below 5% during the 2019/2020 Summer.
On a vacant and burnt orange lot on the outskirts of Dubbo, Wiradjuri man David Towney explains what farmers could learn about drought management from traditional land owners.
Fellow Team Orana member Daniella Scotti & I at the exhibition’s post-lock down opening.
Read more of Central News Regional Reporting Project stories, made possible by a donation from Atlassian CEO Mike Canon Brookes.