The Hon Tanya Plibersek MP, Minister for the Environment and Water
The Hon Susan Close MP, Deputy Premier, Minister for Climate, Environment and Water
Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, Greens spokesperson for the Environment and Water
The Albanese Government, working with the Australian Greens has committed $17 million for a new project to improve shorebird and wetland habitat across South Australia's Coorong, Lower Lakes, Murray Mouth and South-East landscape.
Located at the base of the Murray River, the region is home to internationally recognised wetland that supports a diverse range of plants and animals including the endangered Australasian bittern and the vulnerable sharp-tailed sandpiper.
The Federal and South Australian Labor governments will work together to deliver the project, building on habitat restoration activities already underway in the region.
The funding will:
- deliver a range of localised infrastructure on wetland and floodplain flats to increase the area and duration of quality shorebird and wetland habitat
- maintain food webs and improve critical breeding habitat for foraging waterbirds and other threatened species
- improve outcomes for waterbirds and strengthen Australia's commitment to international obligations including the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance.
The South Australian Department for Environment and Water will work closely with relevant community groups, landholders and Landscape Boards to develop a regional approach to habitat restoration targeting smaller wetlands that cumulatively have a large impact and create a connected mosaic of habitats across the region.
The integrated project will also work with First Nations groups to connect to Country and meet cultural obligations while ensuring the survival of healthy shorebird populations and vital wetland habitat.
Quotes attributable to the Minister for the Environment and Water the Hon Tanya Plibersek:
"Restoring the Murray Mouth, Lower Lakes and Coorong is a critical investment in the health of the whole system.
"The Murray-Darling Basin is a vital for our communities, farmers and First Nations groups, and we must also work together to protect and restore wetlands within the Basin.
"This new project will ensure the survival of our internationally significant wetlands and the plants and animals who call them home."
Quotes attributable to South Australian Deputy Premier and Minister for Climate, Environment and Water the Hon Susan Close:
"The Coorong, Lower Lakes, Murray Mouth and South East regions are areas of incredible biodiversity in South Australia.
"A number of important habitat restoration projects are already planned or well underway, and this new funding will add to the work being undertaken.
"It is vital that we help our wetland environments to thrive so they can remain strong into the future for the important wildlife that relies on them."
Quotes attributable to Greens spokesperson for the Environment and Water Senator Sarah Hanson-Young:
"Last year I was proud to stand with Minister Plibersek to announce that we had secured a critical lifeline for the Murray Darling after more than a decade of inaction. Today, I'm proud that Greens' advocacy has helped to secure this much needed funding.
"The Murray Mouth, Coorong and Lower Lakes are a special place for many South Australians.
"The Greens have been fighting for years to protect this area from corporate greed and over-extraction, and this project will be an important step for our precious waterways and ecosystems."
