Conservation SA and The Murray-Darling Conservation Alliance’s ‘Save the Murray Darling’ billboard was removed by Adelaide Airport who deemed the ad as “political in nature”, while the Airport continues to circulate digital advertising for energy and mining.

The billboard stating “Farmers want a healthy, flowing river Murray” was timed to line up with Labour party delegates traveling to the National Labor Conference in Adelaide, in attempt to draw attention to this important issue. The line quoted Jo Bear, irrigator and sheep farmer, with a photo of her posed in front of the river next to the statement “protecting rivers protects farmers”. The Murray Darling Conservation Alliance is in attendance at the Labor party conference as part of The Fringe.

Adelaide Airport consistently runs advertising for and from the mining and energy sector, including billboards promoting the fossil fuel industry. This advertising continues to run despite the Airport removing nature related ads for being “political in nature”.

Alongside the Save the Murray sign, other nature related advertising were deemed too political leading to them being rejected or removed from Adelaide Airport, including Bob Brown Foundation’s ‘End Native Forest Logging’ ad and Adelaide Parklands Association’s ad for their ‘Stop the Chop’ campaign to protect the Adelaide parklands.

Co-National Director of Murray Darling Conservation Alliance Craig Wilkins said:

"We are deeply disappointed that our positive messaging about a healthy River Murray has been pulled down after running successfully at the airport for over 10 days.

We simply cannot understand why we have been caught up in a fight over other issues.

Can anyone explain to me after looking at our ad and other ads currently running at the airport why ours have been removed and others remain?"

Chair of the Murray Darling Conservation Alliance Jono La Nauze said:

“There are few issues that unite South Australians more than the plight of the Murray. The management of Adelaide Airport are completely out of touch with community sentiment.”

Director of Murray Darling Conservation Alliance and Conservation SA CEO Kirsty Bevan said:

“As the Conservation Council of SA, we strive to share the message that we are united in our love of the river lakes and Coorong to all who visit our state. South Australians and those who live across the Murray Darling Basin are united on this message to call for river protection. There is no rational reason why this was taken down.”