| 18/10/2005
- The Australian Minister for the Environment and Heritage,
Senator Ian Campbell, today announced $1.8 million in
funding to help prevent pollution entering the popular
Myall and Wallis lakes in Northern NSW.
Senator Campbell said the funding formed part of the Australian
Government’s Coastal Catchments Initiative (CCI) which
aims to improve water quality by significantly reducing
the amount of pollutants that are discharged into coastal
water catchment areas.
"Myall Lake is a Ramsar wetland of international
significance and a very popular tourist destination,"
Senator Campbell said.
"Both Myall and Wallis lakes support commercial fishing
and large oyster farming and are very significant for
their ecological and economic contributions to the region."
The funding will be provided to the local Great Lakes
Council to:
• study the ecology of the Myall Lake wetlands to determine
the water quality and environmental flows needed for a
healthy lake system;
• develop and implement strategies to reduce the amount
of nitrogen, phosphorus and solids being discharged into
the lakes; and
• develop a water quality plan to protect the environmental
values of the lakes for future generations.
The Australian Government’s Coastal Catchment Initiative
focuses on a number of significant water catchment areas
around the country including the Peel-Harvey Estuarine
System in WA, Moreton Bay in Queensland and Adelaide Port
Waterways.
Myall and Wallis lakes are part of the Great Lakes Catchment
area located north of Newcastle, New South Wales, between
Karuah and Forster-Tuncurry. |
