World Wetlands Day

The Hon. G.A. KANDELAARS (15:00): My question is to the Minister for Water and the River Murray. Can the minister inform the chamber about the recent Coorong and Lakes Environment Forum held in Goolwa in celebration of World Wetlands Day?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (15:00): Goodness gracious, the honourable member is certainly on the ball. I do not know where he finds his intelligence about all the events that I have been to, but it is a fantastic question, and I congratulate him on it. On Friday 30 January I had the very great pleasure of attending the Coorong and Lakes Environment Forum held in Goolwa in celebration of World Wetlands Day.

World Wetlands Day is, of course, an annual event held on 2 February, marking the day in 1971 when the International Convention on Wetlands was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar. But 2015 also marks a celebration of the 30^th anniversary of the Coorong and lakes Alexandrina and Albert being listed under the Ramsar Convention, and this environment forum was a great way to start those celebrations.

The environment forum brought together researchers, government representatives and locals to share their experiences and information. The aim was to build understanding and cooperation between these groups, promote community involvement in the management of wetlands, and raise awareness of the importance of the Coorong and Lower Lakes wetland.

The Ramsar Convention commits us to protecting the biological diversity of the most important wetlands around the world, including our very own Coorong and Lower Lakes region. These wetlands are not just beautiful: they are of great importance for water quality, for the survival of many species of fish, frogs and birds, as well as the survival of local communities and businesses and livelihoods of families.

In recognition of this, and as a result of our commitment to the Ramsar Convention, the Australian and South Australian governments have invested over $178 million in protecting these wetlands since 2008. This is an additional amount to more than $12 million invested by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority since 2003. Today, thanks to this investment, we have a stronger and more resilient community and a much deeper understanding of how to best manage the wetlands and River Murray flows.

This year we have seen improvements in native fish and waterbirds, reduced nutrient and salinity concentrations and increased flows over the barrages to manage salinity in the Coorong. Such results have only been possible thanks to the strong collaboration between the Ngarrindjeri, local organisations and landholders, as well as government and the scientific community. I would like to single out for special mention the local government down in these areas. Their role is vitally important and they are very enthusiastic in working on bringing communities together.

I would like to also acknowledge some of the groups that have achieved so much over the past 12 months: the townspeople of Meningie who, as the winners of the 2014 KESAB Sustainable Communities Award, are now in the running for the national 2015 Keep Australia Beautiful Awards; the Goolwa to Wellington Local Action Planning Association for their award in the natural environment category; the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth Vegetation Program and the countless volunteers for having planted over one million plants and seedlings; the Community Nurseries Network for winning an award in the community action and partnerships category; the Milang and Districts Community Association and the Alexandrina Council, who were recognised for waste management; and the community advisory panel and the scientific advisory group, who provide vital advice and guidance to the Living Murray and the Murray Futures programs.

Each of these achievements demonstrates the huge capacity and skill of the Coorong and lakes Alexandrina and Albert communities, and the importance of partnership and collaboration. These relationships will continue to be vital for the future sustainability of the environmental and social health of this region because, while we have achieved a great deal, the region continues to face ongoing challenges, and low spring rains and inflows made it necessary to begin dredging of the Murray Mouth earlier this year.

This is also a reminder that the longer-term full implementation of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan and the return of 3,200 gigalitres of water as promised are critical to the future health of the Coorong and Lower Lakes. Together with the local Coorong and Lower Lakes community, we will continue to fight for the health of the river and our wetlands.

I would like to thank everyone involved in organising the World Wetlands Day celebrations and forum, particularly the staff from the Lakes Hub, the Living Murray and Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth programs, and all of our very important volunteers, without whom we could not do the work that we do. The event was as much a celebration of the resilience and dedication of the local community as it was about securing the future of these beautiful and important wetlands.