[Greens-Media] Macquarie Marshes: too little, too late

[Lee Rhiannon]

Greens MP Lee Rhiannon - Media Release - 6 August 2008

Macquarie Marshes: too little, too late

Greens MP Lee Rhiannon today welcomed the co-ordinated action of state and federal governments to buy back land and water to try save the Macquarie Marshes, but said much more is needed to stop their terminal decline.

"By waiting until the eleventh hour to act, the NSW government carries responsibility for the permanent damage to this internationally significant Macquarie Marshes," Ms Rhiannon said.

"Returning an additional 8,658 megalitres to this fragile system is just a drop in the bucket.

"It's estimated 140,000 extra megalitres of water are needed if there is any chance of saving the marshes.

"The government must buy a far greater number of water licenses and act to crack down on activities like illegal floodplain harvesting which is stopping water reaching the wetlands.

"Protecting the marshes requires aerial surveillance and spot checks of environmental flows to ensure they get to where they're needed.

"The government should also address the impact of water from upstream dams being robbed by irrigators before it hits the marshes. 

"Any serious action requires tackling the problem of the over allocation of water resources to agriculture.

"Until it rains and there's a major inflow into the Macquarie system returning water to the Macquarie Marshes is sadly just theoretical.

"The major storage point for water, the Burrendong Dam, is well below capacity at around 15 percent.

"Once these wetlands go they are lost forever, with the enormous biodiversity they carry," Ms Rhiannon said.


For more information: 9230 3551, 0427 861 568


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Lee Rhiannon, MLC
The Greens
Parliament of New South Wales
Macquarie St 
Sydney 2000
Tel: +61-2-9230 3551 
Fax: +61-2-9230 3550
lee.rhiannon at parliament.nsw.gov.au
http://www.lee.greens.org.au/
http://www.democracy4sale.org/ 

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