The Hon Karlene Maywald has had a lifetime involvement with the River Murray, particularly in the South Australian Riverland. As well as having an all-encompassing understanding of Australian water resource management, she has demonstrated great capacity for understanding the specific science of River Murray operations, their impact on communities, and the need for those communities to understand and respect the need for a sustainable river flow in the river. As a Minister, she effectively marketed the need for change to landholders and public servants and in effect managed the SA portion of the River Murray during South Australia's longest drought.