World Wetlands Day action: Coongie wetlands not cattle wastelands

MEDIA RELEASE
1 February 2006

Today is World Wetlands Day and The Wilderness Society is hosting an event to raise awareness about the desperate plight of South Australia's globally important Coongie Wetlands.

Starting at 10am at the fountain in Victoria Square, there will be colour, movement, banners, costumes...and a pointed symbolic action to show that cattle and wetlands don't mix!

The Wilderness Society SA Campaign Coordinator, Peter Owen said "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".

Despite this, the Coongie wetlands are under serious threat from cattle grazing, an activity that urgently needs to be removed.

"This will require 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 within the Innamincka Regional Reserve, and we call upon them to make this commitment" said Mr Owen. "With an 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" he concluded.