28 August
2006 - Reducing salt in the River Murray, protecting
the nationally endangered Southern Brown Bandicoot
and coastal health checks are just some of the
many projects being funded across South Australia
through a major $54 million package announced
today by the Australian Government and the South
Australian Government.
This latest round of regional
funding from the National Action Plan for Salinity
and Water Quality (NAP) and the Australian Government's
Natural Heritage Trust brings the total regional
investment in South Australia to date from these
programmes to $190 million.
Australian Ministers for the
Environment and Heritage, Senator Ian Campbell,
and Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Peter
McGauran, said funding for the State's eight regions
would support ongoing and new projects in 2006-07
and 2007-08.
"For example, in the South
East, ‘corridors' with be created to link vegetation
patches for species for Bandicoots and Sugar Gliders.
Other work will help the nationally endangered
South-eastern Red-tailed Black Cockatoo to access
nesting sites. This is critical work - less than
1,000 of these birds remain in the wild."
Mr McGauran said Kangaroo Island's
primary producers would benefit from activities
to improve water quality and deal with feral pest
control.
"Lucerne and other perennial
pastures over more than 1,000 hectares of land
will filter nutrients while also lowering groundwater
recharge," Mr McGauran said.
"Another project will control
feral animals like deer, goats and pigs, which
cause havoc on the Island's farms and protected
areas. A bait trial shows up to 80% of the pig
population could be reduced with ongoing work.
"In the State's north,
the South Australian Arid Lands and Alinytjara
Wilurara regions will tackle weeds by treating
thousands of hectares for highly invasive boxthorn
as well as controlling feral animals like camels,
rabbits, cats and foxes."
SA Minister for Environment
and Conservation, Gail Gago, said the two year
funding package will help protect and manage natural
resources like water and soil, control pest plants
and animals. It will also be boosted by other
cash and in-kind contributions from the South
Australian Government.
Minister Gago said, "The
funding will be administered by the eight Natural
Resources Management Boards set up to provide
a more integrated to protecting our natural resources
for future generations."
SA Minister for the River Murray,
Karlene Maywald, said, the funding will also help
reduce the amount of salt entering the Murray.
"The salt interception
schemes at Murtho, Chowilla and other parts of
the river are carefully designed and monitored
to ensure we're getting healthier water for irrigators
and for our environment," Minister Maywald
said.
Minister Gago said, "The
Southern Brown Bandicoot is South Australia's
last remaining naturally occurring species of
bandicoot.
"The creation of habitat
corridors in the South East will link isolated
populations and make it easier for the bandicoots
to find a mate. This is important project will
be administered by the SE Natural Resources Management
Board".
"With salinity in particular
we need a long-term, coordinated effort, so we're
working together through the National Action Plan
programme," Minister Gago said.
"For example, in Northern
& Yorke the South Australian Government is
helping fund salinity projects ranging from water
quality monitoring to community education.
"We're also supporting
Natural Heritage Trust projects like the Eyre
Peninsula's coastal habitat audit and stabilising
dunes along beaches around Adelaide.
"I'd like to congratulate
the regional NRM boards, landholders, community
groups, volunteers and Traditional Owners on their
work so far and wish them well with the work ahead."
Summary of activities under
the NAP & Trust package for South Australia's
Natural Resources Management regions
NHT funds are matched by cash and in-kind contributions
by the South Australian Government. Funding is
for two years except in the SA Arid Lands (one
year).
SA Murray Darling Basin ($28.56
million NAP & Trust): key activities include
reducing salt loads in the Murray River; a crop
survey for River Murray private diverters; native
fish surveys above Wellington to find out about
distribution and numbers; work to protect Malleefowl
and Southern Emu-Wren; fencing to conserve coastal
plants; and creating new stock watering points.
South East ($3.19 million NAP
& Trust): key activities include work to reduce
salinity at Sandy's Hut; weed control; habitat
corridors to link isolated populations of Southern
Brown Bandicoot and Sugar Gliders; protecting
nesting sites for the endangered South-eastern
Red-tailed Black Cockatoo; fencing in the Coorong
District to conserve 1,500 hectares of native
plants; training workshops for irrigators; and
an annual school forum on biodiversity and land
management..
Adelaide & Mount Lofty Ranges
($6.95 million NAP & Trust): key activities
include a database to record sightings of the
Southern Brown Bandicoot; weed control around
threatened orchid sites; sand dune revegetation;
perennial pastures to tackle salinity; creating
new off-steam stock watering points; and cross-cultural
workshops.
Eyre Peninsula ($3.84 million
Trust): key activities include a wetland inventory;
planting lucerne to reduce salinity; fox control
over one million hectares; removal of bridal creeper
and asparagus weed; and work to protect Brush-tailed
Bettongs and the endangered Southern Emu-Wren.
Kangaroo Island ($2.24 million
NAP & Trust): key activities include a quarantine
policy to keep any new pests and diseases off
the Island; pig, deer and goat control; lucerne
and chicory planted to filter nutrients before
they enter streams; salinity management plans;
soil pH monitoring in 50 paddocks; and surveying
up to 100 Glossy Black Cockatoo nesting sites.
Alinytjara Wilurara ($3.26 million
Trust): key activities include biological surveys
of Maralinga Tjarutja lands; installing off-stream
stock watering points to protect wetlands; removing
pests like camels, rabbits, cats, foxes and boxthorn
weed; ongoing support for traditional practices
such as rockhole cleaning and patch burning; and
advice and support for cattle businesses.
Arid Lands ($2.46 million Trust):
key activities include fox and rabbit control;
removing optunia weeds from swamps; monitoring
the threatened Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby; upgrading
a database on waterholes in the Flinders Ranges;
and continued support for the "Water on Your
Place" project, which helps landholders manage
water more efficiently.
Northern & Yorke ($3.16
million NAP & Trust): key activities include
water quality testing; replanting and fencing
to protect river health; salinity monitoring in
the Light and Wakefield catchments; protecting
coasts along the Yorke Peninsula, Upper Spencer
Gulf and Upper Gulf St Vincent; reef health checks;
weed and pest control; and community education.
