Water for the environment: wetlands

	Wetlands Facts about Wetlands Wetland Management in NSW The Wetland Recovery Plan Wetlands and Activities in Your Region Important Wetlands in NSW Managing Wetlands on Your Property Search:  [ HOME ]		The NSW Wetland Recovery Plan The NSW Wetland Recovery Plan is a suite of projects developed to deliver long term and permanent benefits to ecologically significant wetlands through water efficiency projects, water buy-back and projects to improve wetland management in the Macquarie Marshes and Gwydir Wetlands. On 11 June 2005, the NSW Premier announced the NSW Wetland Recovery Plan, and the NSW Government's pledge of $13.4M towards the $26.8M Plan. The NSW Government is currently seeking a matching commitment of $13.4M from the Australian Government, in order to implement the Wetland Recovery Plan in full. The Macquarie Marshes and the Gwydir Wetlands are, amongst others in New South Wales, wetlands of international importance, listed under the Ramsar Convention. They are in a critical state, and in some areas are at risk of irreversible decline. This could lead to the collapse of their ecosystems. The Wetland Recovery Plan will develop specific short, medium and longer-term measures to achieve healthier wetlands, rivers, and viable human communities, focussing on water recovery, water application, and research and development, in conjunction with land management practices. The Plan will increase the sustainability of wetlands and rivers, and of the associated communities. These factors will combine to increase the resilience of rivers and wetlands and reduce risk as much as possible. The benefits are important on a range of scales – locally, regionally, nationally and internationally, since these are such important wetlands. The first stage of the Plan focuses on developing Environmental Management Plans for the ecologically significant Macquarie Marshes and Gwydir Wetlands, based on ecological characterisation, implementing infrastructure projects to improve water efficiencies in these wetlands, and undertaking research into the biological control of the noxious weed Lippia. A fundamental improvement to the quantity and timing of inflows to these wetlands is required, in conjunction with more appropriate land management practices. When implemented, these projects will maximise the environmental outcome from this investment. Even in isolation, each of the projects identified is that which will provide maximum benefit to the wetlands. The Wetland Recovery Plan will be fully developed to provide : Better knowledge and decision-making; Environmental improvements to rivers and wetlands; More water and improved flow regime for rivers and wetlands; Bio-physical improvements to rivers and wetlands; and Greater direction to Catchment Management Authorities for wetlands in their Catchment Action Plans. The project capitalises on existing social and institutional structures (CMAs, community groups, government partnerships), new water management legislation, and extensive river management expertise (for extractive use and for the environment, within and outside government), to begin a major river and wetland restoration project on two important regulated rivers in the Murray-Darling Basin. Potential benefits are; Increased social, economic and ecological resilience; Restoration of regionally, nationally and internationally important wetlands; Maintenance of sustainable, socially acceptable irrigation industries; Maintenance of social cohesion; Building of adaptive capacity; and Establishing effective partnerships and shared responsibility between governments and communities, essential to address the challenges posed by global and regional climate change, and regional and local environmental degradation. The Wetland Recovery Plan is being managed by an interagency group led by the NSW Department of Natural Resources, and is further comprised of the NSW Department of Environment and Conservation, the NSW Department of Primary Industries, the Central West Catchment Management Authority, the Border Rivers–Gwydir Catchment Management Authority, and State Water. For further details please contact: Dr Kylee Wilton Wetlands Regional Water Reform and Innovation Branch NSW Department of Natural Resources kylee.wilton@dipnr.nsw.gov.au Ph: (02) 9895 7555 Fax: (02) 9895 7857 10 Valentine Ave Parramatta NSW 2150 PO Box 3720 Parramatta NSW 2124 Australia Links: Macquarie Marshes and Gwydir Wetlands Ramsar Sites: www.deh.gov.au/water/wetlands/database/index.html Macquarie Marshes: www.dlwc.nsw.gov.au/care/wetlands/activities/centralwest/mvalley_feature.html Gwydir Wetlands: www.dlwc.nsw.gov.au/care/wetlands/activities/barwon/gwydir.html Department of Environment and Conservation: www.environment.nsw.gov.au and www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/npws.nsf/Content/Rivers+and+wetlands www.environment.nsw.gov.au/education/nswriverbank.htm Department of Primary Industries: http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au Central West Catchment Management Authority: www.cw.cma.nsw.gov.au/index.html Border Rivers-Gwydir Catchment Management Authority: www.brg.cma.nsw.gov.au/eventsnews.htm
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