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Leith Boully, a founding director of Watertrust, is retiring from our Board. Leith has been part of Watertrust since the beginning, shaping not only our work, but the way we think, listen and lead. As we mark this moment, we celebrate her contribution and announce the upcoming Leith Boully Oration, which will honour the conversations she’s always pushed us to have.

Last week, the Watertrust team spent two days in and around Cooma, reconnecting with familiar faces and hearing from new voices who care deeply about the river’s future. The trip built on 18 months of work in the region and offered a valuable opportunity to deepen relationships, expand the conversation, and understand new perspectives.

The Beetaloo Basin is one of Australia’s contested big gas projects, with community concern focused squarely on water. Drawing on recent conversations with those on the ground, Watertrust’s Kate Peake is now Chairing the Advisory Committee guiding a monitoring R&D project focused particularly on the region’s water resources. Her role will help ensure the work remains independent, inclusive, and grounded in local knowledge.

We’re proud to share some wonderful news about our Chair, Kathryn Fagg, who has just received one of our nation’s highest honours.

In the largely unregulated Northern Basin, it’s a question that’s becoming more urgent with every season. On a recent trip through the Condamine–Balonne catchment, Mike Peat met with First Nations representatives, graziers, irrigators and council members – all grappling with how to maintain cultural, environmental and economic connections in a climate that’s getting hotter and drier. In this video, Mike shares insights about what’s already happening on the ground and where Watertrust might be able to help.

It’s not always easy to measure impact, especially when your goal is to change how decisions get made.

In this short video, CEO Karen Hutchinson shares why Watertrust’s independence matters, what it’s unlocking in places like the Northern Territory, and how a quiet, considered approach is starting to shift the way water policy gets done in Australia.