Multiple outlets publish the same op-ed-style message urging stronger protection for the Martuwarra (Fitzroy River) in Western Australia. The piece argues that future management should place scientific evidence, effective enforcement and sensible planning ahead of expanding water extraction. It draws a comparison to the Murray-Darling Basin, where advocates say long-running water mismanagement contributed to major ecological and water-supply problems. The author’s central claim is that policy decisions that allow extraction to move faster than monitoring, regulation and compliance can lead to lasting environmental damage. The article calls for governments to act to prevent similar outcomes on the Martuwarra, emphasizing the need for safeguards before conditions deteriorate. Across the publications, there is no competing factual account of specific events or new data; the focus is on the principle and urgency of river protection, framed through lessons from the Murray-Darling experience.