[Greens-Media] Warning bells on the Murray did not go unheeded - Greens

[Norton, Tim (Sen R. Siewert)]

Warning bells on the Murray did not go unheeded - Greens
Tuesday 12th August 2008

"The environmental destruction of the Coorong is a tragedy that did not
need to happen," said Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert today.
 
"The drastic decline of these internationally significant wetlands could
have been prevented if either of our Environment Ministers had acted in
a timely and sensible fashion."
 
A 2006 report on the dire state of the Coorong did not go unheeded by
the Senate, which backed the Greens in calling for an urgent review of
the management of Australia's 64 Ramsar listed wetlands.
 
Senator Rachel Siewert spoke at length at the time on the particular
threats to the Coorong, the Gwydir and the Macquarie Marshes, and has
continued to pursue both the Howard and Rudd Governments in Senate
Estimates over when this review would be completed and the results made
public.
 
"By failing to act, former Ministers Ian Campbell and Malcolm Turnbull
and our current Environment Minister, Peter Garrett have all failed in
their responsibilities to the international community, to the Australian
people and to the environment," she said.
 
"The Coorong and these other critically threatened wetlands could have
been Montreaux listed, and the Commonwealth's powers under the
Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act evoked to
ensure environmental water was delivered," concluded Senator Siewert.
 
The Greens are calling on Peter Garrett to act immediately to secure
water for the Coorong, to report on the findings to date of the Ramsar
review, and to release details of the health, management and recovery
plans for our threatened Ramsar wetlands.
 
For more information or comment call Chris Twomey on 0407 725 025
Email senator.siewert at aph.gov.au  |  http://www.rachelsiewert.org.au