When I was a kid we used to swim in the river. Local waterways were full of fish and yabbies. We’d grab a giant inner tube from a tractor tyre and eight of us would fight to stay on the slippery surface. It was the closest thing we had to technology.

On Sunday afternoon, Steve Posselt and Graeme Gibson will set out in a small tinnie from Ballina to travel as far upstream as they can go, beyond Kyogle. The idea is to highlight the shocking state of the Richmond and Wilson Rivers, and spark community conversations to demand change.

The Richmond River koalas are a genetically different koala population from other populations in NSW and locals are calling for a range of actions to ensure the preservation of this important koala population and improve the health of the Richmond River.