Ditching Kimberley canal welcomed but protection for the Fitzroy River crucial

The Wilderness Society (WA) Inc
Media Release
9th August 2008

The Wilderness Society WA has welcomed yesterday’s announcement by Opposition leader Colin Barnett that a future Coalition government would not build a water canal from the Kimberley to Perth.

Wilderness Society State Coordinator Peter Robertson said that the most important thing now is that all political parties commit to real protection of the Kimberley’s great rivers, especially the Fitzroy, so that destructive developments like canals, dams and overconsumption from irrigation are prevented.

“The Kimberley has some of the most important, intact catchments and free-flowing river systems left in Australia. Future government’s must ensure these rivers do not go the way of southern rivers like WA’s Blackwood River or the Murray-Darling.

“In order to secure the long-term future of the Fitzroy River, we need a statutory framework that will protect the river’s natural and cultural values, affirm the rights of its Traditional Owners, and provide a management framework to ensure sustainable use along with jobs in river conservation.

“Fixing southern WA’s water problems does not and should not involve destroying northern rivers.  The focus must be on reducing water consumption and waste, especially by industry, and maximising water re-use and recycling. This will deliver the water security needed by our population in the south, while protecting the extraordinary rivers of the north.”

The Fitzroy River is the mightiest river in the Kimberley in terms of catchment area, length and flow. The ecology of the river is adapted to annual floods, which bring large volumes of fresh water and sediment down the Fitzroy River during the wet season, both being important to the ecology of King Sound.  There are 40 species of fish that live in the river including one of the largest known viable populations of the endangered Freshwater sawfish.