For Australia’s sake, buy the water back! Save the Murray Darling Basin estuary (the Coorong and Lower Lakes)

The Wilderness Society (SA) Inc
Media Release
2 February 2009

Today is World Wetlands Day and The Wilderness Society is calling for urgent action to save the Coorong and Lower Murray Lakes.

Listed under the Ramsar Convention as a wetland of international importance, Australia is failing dismally in its obligation to protect this iconic part of the world.

SA Campaign Manager, Peter Owen said, “The health of a river’s estuary reflects the overall health of the river system, which is why saving the Coorong is so important. The only way to do this is to reduce the unsustainable amount of water taken for irrigation.”

“The Rudd Government has promised $3.1 billion for a water buy-back to deal with this problem once and for all, but water must be bought immediately”.

$200 million has also been promised to the Rann Government for the Coorong and Lower Lakes. “This money should be spent on buying water and an employment program to replace much needed vegetation and mulch around the Lakes…not more rocks, concrete and engineering disasters”.

While further expansions to irrigation in the upper reaches of the Murray Darling Basin in Queensland are approved, there is increasing pressure to flood the lower reaches of the system with the sea. “In the absence of flows into the Lakes from the River Murray this will result in a hyper saline dead zone that could move into the surrounding groundwater and decimate vast natural and agricultural areas”.

“If the river becomes saline Adelaide is in serious trouble, being the lifeline providing much of its water”. 

Incidentally, the Australian Government website advertising World Wetlands Day says healthy wetlands healthy people. Unless we act now, the reality will be unhealthy wetlands unhealthy people!