[Greens-Media] Plan to save remaining wetlands

[Norton, Tim (Sen R. Siewert)]

Plan to save remaining wetlands
Wednesday 22nd October 2008

The Australian Greens welcomed the release today of the 'Wetlands for
Our Future Report', saying that it should form the basis of a national
wetlands rescue plan.
 
Senator Siewert called on the Rudd Government to move quickly to
implement a national wetlands initiative, signalling that the Greens
would bring forward amendments to make the necessary legislative
changes.
 
"The Australian Government can immediately begin recovering water for
threatened wetlands by accelerating water purchases and setting key
targets and timelines for returning environmental water," said Senator
Rachel Siewert today.
 
"Management and recovery plans for Ramsar wetlands should become
statutory plans under the Commonwealth Water Act to stop them being
ignored and over-ridden."  
 
"This needs to be backed up by provisions in the Water Act to ensure
that enough water is set aside to protect and maintain these sites in
the face of climate change."
 
"We should also establish a wetlands management fund so that private
water managers can help the Commonwealth meet its international
commitments to manage wetlands that are on private lands," said Senator
Siewert.
 
"The recent decision on the Sugarloaf Pipeline has highlighted that the
EPBC Act also needs to be amended to ensure that any actions which will
have a significant impact on important freshwater areas or national
water resources is fully subject to assessment and approval."
 
"Many of Australia's unique and internationally recognised wetlands are
highly threatened," she said. 
 
"We urgently need to review threats to key wetlands within the Murray
Darling Basin - including the Coorong, Chowilla Floodplain, Gwydir
Wetlands and the Macquarie Marshes - and list them on the Montreux
Register." 
 
"With the conference of parties to the Ramsar agreement occurring next
week, the Australian Government has an opportunity to register these
wetlands as threatened and report to tis treaty partners on their
parlous state," said Senator Siewert.
 
"With 80% of the wetlands within the Murray Darling Basin already lost
and the remaining few dying for a drink it is high time the Commonwealth
acted on its international commitments," she concluded.
 
For more information or media enquiries please call Tim Norton on 0418
401 180
senator.siewert at aph.gov.au  |  www.rachelsiewert.org.au  |
www.greensmps.org.au