The people and communities in the Avon River Basin, Western Australia, are defining the type of future they want for themselves and their environment 50 years into the future. The ARB2050 project is helping communities understand how local and external factors may affect their lives, while also providing possible investment options to help them adapt to changing conditions.

Mike McFarlane, an ARB landholder and the convenor of ARB2050 says: "Looking 50 years into the future is hard to do. We don't know how the world will change, or how we will change. However, we do need to look forward as best we can to provide a basis for making sound decisions now - especially the really big decisions that will affect our kids and our environment."

"So we asked 50 people, all living or working in the Avon River Basin or involved in decision making, to tell us what they thought, in a project called ARB2050."

ARB2050 investigates the Avon River Basin, a region twice the size of Tasmania in the WA Wheatbelt east of Perth, from now until the year 2050. Its aim is to find critical issues and drivers of change that will affect the Avon River Basin's future, and ways to influence these drivers to get the best possible outcomes.

The project looked at the social, environmental and economic implications of each scenario and is part of the Water for a Healthy Country Flagship, an initiative of CSIRO in partnership with the Avon Catchment Council, the Wheatbelt Development Commission, the Department of Agriculture Western Australia and CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems.

The result is four scenarios for the Avon River Basin, each with their own 'story', set of events and outcomes. The four scenarios are Saline Growth, Grain and Drain, Landcare Bounty, and Harmony with Prosperity. A brochure outlining the four scenarios is available online at www.arb2050.com

The ARB2050 group is now seeking feedback from people in the Avon River Basin. A brochure and questionnaire is being widely distributed to businesses, Local Governments, schools, and special interest groups.

More information is available on the website at www.arb2050.com Feedback is also welcomed through the website or by e-mail to enquiry@arb2050.com