THE Coorong will receive $70 million to help restore it to health as part of the Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council meeting held late last week in Melbourne.
All states also agreed to on-farm projects being included as part of a suite of efficiency measures to deliver the 450 gigalitres environmental water target, with additional socio-economic criteria agreed to ensure that communities benefit from this investment as well as the environment.
The Commonwealth will also fund a study looking at using and funding Adelaide’s under-utilised desalination plant as part of the 450GL. This will have no impact on SA Water customers.
Ministers from each of the MDB jurisdictions, as well as the Australian government, have agreed to the funding to take action to restore the struggling Coorong South Lagoon.
This includes $70 million of unallocated South Australian State Priority Project funds will be made available for measures to support the long-term health of the Coorong identified in the Healthy Coorong, Healthy Basin Action Plan, with up to $2 million is being immediately released to support the Commonwealth and South Australian Governments to progress and finalise the Healthy Coorong, Healthy Basin Action Plan.
Subject to the evaluation of the Healthy Coorong, Healthy Basin Action Plan, $25 million will be made available to deliver phase 1 of the action plan.
SA Environment and Water Minister David Speirs said this was great news for the Coorong, SA and the entire MDB.
“Today’s agreement is a significant step forward to securing the future of this wetland of international significance,” Mr Speirs said.
“The Marshall Liberal Government has put a strong emphasis on the importance of the Coorong and I have been in constant communication with my federal and state counterparts.
“By getting this action plan right, we’ll help protect this incredibly important place, as well as improve the overall health of the entire Murray-Darling Basin system.
“The finalised action plan will detail the management, research and infrastructure activities to be carried out to get the Coorong back on track for the future.
“We were also able to secure ongoing commitment to the plan including the 450GL and the new government’s constructive approach is paying dividends for SA, our irrigators and our precious environment.”
Federal Agriculture and Water Resources Minister David Littleproud said the Commonwealth was working alongside the Marshall Government to get the Coorong back on track.
“The Coorong, which I visited recently, will see Commonwealth investment to deliver real environment benefits,” Mr Littleproud said.
The Healthy Coorong, Healthy Basin Action Plan has been informed by the two Coorong reports released last month - Coorong Summit Summary Report and Goyder Expert Panel Report – which summarise recommendations and a vision for the Coorong’s future.
- View the report at environment.sa.gov.au/topics/river-murray/about-the-river/coorong-lower-lakes-murray-mouth