The One Basin CRC Annual Partner Event went to South Australia this year, bringing partners from across the Murray–Darling Basin together in Renmark to explore what it takes to turn research into meaningful change.

Held on 19^th and 20^th August, the 2026 event focused on Activating Impact, building on last year’s challenge that “activity is not impact.” This year, the focus shifted towards what comes next: how research outcomes can be taken up, applied and translated into benefits for Basin communities, industries, ecosystems and Country.

The event began with a Smoking Ceremony conducted by Daniel Giles and Rangers from the River Murray and Mallee Aboriginal Corporation (RMMAC), followed by a Welcome to Country from Aunty Sheryl Giles, of RMMAC, a proud member of the Ngangruku and Ngintait peoples. Her welcome set an important tone for the two days, highlighting the deep cultural significance of our waterways and the importance of recognising First Nations knowledge and aspirations in conversations about the Basin’s future. Among her calls was a powerful one, asking attendees to align behind her mission of “getting the whole river and waterways listed as a cultural significant site.”

The message provided an important perspective on what impact can mean, and who gets to define it. For the research community, it was a message that impact is not only about new technologies, economic outcomes or research findings, but also about culture, Country, recognition and the aspirations of the people connected to the Basin as a whole.

The First Nations Program carried this conversation into the research programme, opening the sessions on Day One. A research-to-impact overview was followed by an Elder Insight from Uncle Wayne Thorpe, Watlimba Arts’ Cultural Custodian of Song, Story and Dance, sharing the Gunnai story of Woorayil who taught the young Tidaluk how to sing. A Ripple Panel then brought together First Nations researchers and representatives to explore the impact goals, outcomes and opportunities for future action for our First Nations Program. Reflecting on the long-term dedication required for this shared responsibility, Dr Julie Ballangarry, a Senior Impact Research Fellow at One Basin CRC, noted:

“Learning is a continuous journey, it’s never easy… but it’s a journey that we are always facing together. Buckle in and keep going.”

The programme then moved through the Decisions, Technologies and Economies programs, each session providing an overview of its research-to-impact goals, aligned projects and key outcomes, followed by a Ripple Panel bringing together perspectives from research, industry, government and community. Audience members were then invited to reflect on the impact goals and consider opportunities for future action.

This format gave the event a noticeably different feel from a traditional research conference, and even from previous CRC Partner Events. Rather than simply presenting research findings, the sessions created space for discussion about what happens next, who needs to be involved and what might be required to move research towards application.

The Decisions Program Ripple Panel, chaired by Mildura Hub Lead Dr Pauline Rogers, centred heavily on the vital mechanics of long-term cooperation and the creation of operational decision tools. The overall message here was that “collaboration is key, and working together (people, government, businesses, and NGOs) is critical to success,” with panellist Dr. Joseph Guillaume reinforcing this by highlighting the baseline necessity of “building collaborations that last.”

The Technologies Program Ripple Panel, chaired by Goondiwindi Hub Lead Marti Beeston, tackled what impact looks like on the ground, with one of the panellists defining it as “something changed on the ground because research happened.” The panel rallied around the idea that “impact is about empowering people to make change,” while recognising that key metrics must come from within our networking with communities, noting that “the impact measures need to be co-designed” with these communities.

Chaired by Senior Impact Researcher Dr Tim Dixon, the Economies Program Ripple Panel shifted focus toward a smart specialisation approach, evaluating value-adding to agricultural waste within the food value chain and developing Restoration Economies. This segment explicitly challenged the room to design inclusive governance spaces, asking: “What about power—who is holding the pen? Why shouldn’t some people be in the decision-making room, and who should be there?” Panellists, including Berri Barmera Mayor Ella Winnall, underscored that to bridge this systemic gap, researchers must “learn to listen, and listen very well to our communities,” to build authentic opportunities for shared regional leadership.

And when asked about her commitment to activating impact, Mayor Ella Winnall offered a unifying sentiment for what she does best in her council work, tug-boating, urging partners to “join the tug-boating” by pulling together on large-scale research and development initiatives. Another panellist, Dr Hannah Feldman, echoed this theme, adding that this collective drive is “just the kind of power that we are looking for, for our community.”

Moving on, the Capabilities Program followed a distinct format focused on the progress of the PhD program so far and exploring future impact goals. This session featured a presentation by PhD researcher Wiyanda Aflah on his doctoral research findings, titled “Regenerative agriculture impacts and opportunities.” On closing his presentation, Wiyanda highlighted the elemental connection between regional communities and the landscape, anchoring a poignant quote shared earlier in the event by Aunty Sheryl Giles, “If water finds a way to stay, life will stay.”

This was followed by a poster session at Hotel Renmark, showcasing the work of One Basin CRC’s PhD researchers.

Day Two put the theme of the event directly into practice.

The morning opened with One Basin CRC CEO Professor Mike Stewardson posing a crucial question to the partners: “What’s the particular strength the CRC brings?” Reflecting on the cultural narratives shared during Day One, Professor Stewardson urged partners to lean into “telling our own stories and connecting those stories back to our work and research,” before challenging partners to “continue building on the momentum that we have gained from Day One.”

Then followed Activating Impact Working Sessions, facilitated by Myles Coker and Program Leaders, which used a World Café format to bring partners together to refine impact goals and identify opportunities for future action. These sessions brought together the key ideas and priorities that had emerged from the discussions.

The event then moved beyond the meeting room and into the landscape.

Partners travelled by bus to Fatgoose Fruits, an organic citrus orchard, and also to one of the Renmark Irrigation Trust’s environmental watering sites. The site visits provided a practical connection between the conversations taking place inside the event and the realities of agriculture, water management and environmental outcomes across the Basin.

It was a fitting way to conclude two days focused on activating impact, teaching us that research does not create change on its own: it needs people to use it, organisations to act on it, communities to shape it, and decision-makers to create the conditions for it to become part of practice. And, as the event demonstrated, activating that impact is something we do together.

Were you at the One Basin CRC 2026 Annual Partner Event? Take a look at our event photo gallery here.