Coongie Wetlands - Not Cattle Wastelands

The Wilderness Society SA raise awareness about the plight of Coongie Wetlands on World Wetlands Day, 2 February 2006

The Coongie Lakes are a world class wetland that rival Kakadu in importance. They are the largest remaining inland wetland system, included on the National Heritage List, recognised as having international significance under the Ramsar Wetlands Convention, and considered to be of World Heritage standard.

They are home to hundreds of thousands of water birds including more than 20 rare and endangered species such as the Barking Owl, Grey Falcon and the Freckled Duck (one of the ten rarest waterfowl in the world).

In June 2005, the State Government dedicated nearly 28,000 ha of the core of the wetlands as the Coongie Lakes National Park. A further 87,000ha has been declared a petroleum exclusion zone.

However, this is still not enough. The Coongie wetlands are under serious threat from cattle grazing, an activity that urgently needs to be removed.

The effects of cattle grazing on the fragile wetland ecosystems include land degradation, destruction of habitat, changing vegetation structures, weed and pest infestation and pollution.

With the agreement between conservation groups and petroleum interests as to the environmental integrity of the wetlands already in place, a unique opportunity exists to fully protect one of the world's most magnificent wild places.

The Wilderness Society SA is campaigning for the State Government to facilitate, fund and/or source funding to buy out the existing Innamincka pastoral lease, which covers the Coongie and Tirrawarra paddocks, to ensure these world class wetlands are properly protected.