Almost all remaining restrictions on recreational aquatic activities on the River Murray have been lifted effective immediately, with the Emergency Declaration covering river regions no longer in place.
The Police Commissioner and State Coordinator Grant Stevens has revoked the declaration, first imposed under the state’s Emergency Management Act on 21 November 2022, on the basis the incident can now be managed under normal emergency measures.
High flows in the River Murray have now been in steady decline since Christmas. Daily flows at the border are now about 50 gigalitres a day, down from the peak of 185.9 gigalitres a day.
The decision to lift the Emergency Declaration means restrictions on most aquatic activities will no longer apply.
The restrictions imposed on 8 different zones along the river allowed the state’s emergency services to manage community safety and the integrity of levees during the flooding emergency.
However, some restrictions will remain including:
*No towing of people behind vessels
*Swimming and boating near locks, weirs, barrages and the Murray Mouth
*Exclusion zones around power lines in flood plains
*Speed restrictions within 250 metres of an engaged levee or submerged dwelling.
*No walking, anchoring a vessel on, or remaining on an engaged levee
Quotes
Attributable to Peter Malinauskas
We always said we wanted to lift restrictions on the river as quickly as possible, and with water levels receding, now is a prudent time to lift them altogether.
I’d like to thank members of our River communities, and the broader South Australian public for their patience as we’ve sough to navigate this once-in-a-generation natural disaster safely.
I’d also like to thank the Police Commissioner, his officers, the SES and other emergency services for their hard work in protecting South Australians lives, property and livelihoods throughout the flooding crisis.
We still have a huge recovery task ahead of us, but we are committed to working hand in hand with our resilient river communities.
Attributable to Joe Szakacs
We know the restrictions on the river imposed a burden on communities, but the Government acted on clear advice that they were needed to protect lives and property.
With flows now starting to return to something approaching normal, it’s sensible to lift them altogether.
We owe a debt of gratitude to our Police, SASES staff and volunteers, and other emergency services for their many months of work in managing this emergency, work which remains ongoing.
