Macquarie River Food and Fibre acknowledges the Macquarie Marshes as an important environmental asset within our valley and highlights the relevance of our Healthy Rivers Policy and responsible irrigation practices to ensure the health of this precious environmental landmark.

The Macquarie Marshes is an extensive wetland system at the lower end of the Macquarie River system. The Macquarie Marshes is set in a vast 300,000 hectare floodplain and consists of around 40,000 hectares of permanent and ephemeral wetlands.

The Macquarie Marshes is one of the largest semi-permanent wetlands in south-eastern Australia and around 20,000 hectares is recognised as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention.

The Ramsar listed North and South Marsh Nature Reserves are managed by the NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water. The majority of the Macquarie Marshes is privately owned and managed.

Further information on the history and management of the Macquarie Marshes can be obtained from Hogendyk (2007) The Macquarie Marshes: an ecological history. The Occasional Paper from the Institute of Public Affairs can be accessed here.

Visit the MMET page to learn more about an  initiative undertaken by irrigators in the Macquarie Valley to protect and restore this important environmental asset.