$60 million for Coorong South East Flows Restoration Project

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Senator the Hon Simon Birmingham

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment

The Hon Ian Hunter MLC

South Australian Minister for Water and the River Murray

JOINT MEDIA RELEASE

12 June 2014

$60 million for Coorong South East Flows Restoration Project

A new $60 million project funded by the Australian and South Australian Governments will

help reduce salinity levels in the Coorong.

“The South East Flows Restoration Project will use a combination of watercourses and

existing drains to re-direct freshwater into the Coorong South Lagoon from the South East

drainage system,” said Senator Simon Birmingham, Parliamentary Secretary for the

Environment.

“The project will also enable additional water to be diverted into South East wetlands en

route to the Coorong, addressing priority local environmental needs along the way,” Senator

Birmingham said.

“The Australian Government is providing $54 million in funding as part of our $123 million

contribution to improving the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth. We are committed

to working to maintain the Lakes as a healthy and resilient wetland of international

importance.

“This includes supporting on-ground actions to restore lakeshore and estuarine habitats,

reintroducing native fish and constructing fish passages to allow movement between the lakes

and the Coorong.

“A proportion of freshwater from the South East drainage system currently diverted into the

ocean, which historically flowed into the South Lagoon, will be restored to the South Lagoon.

“By diverting this water into the Coorong South Lagoon, salinity levels in the Coorong will

be better managed and improve conditions for native aquatic plants and animal species.

“The existing South East drainage system already delivers on average 30 GL per year to the

Coorong at Salt Creek. The project will provide an additional 26 GL per year on average,

providing long-term environmental outcomes for the Coorong,” said Senator Birmingham.

South Australia’s Minister for Water and the River Murray Ian Hunter said the South

Australian Government will provide an additional $6 million in funding for the South East

Flows Restoration Project.

“The Coorong suffered significant ecological degradation as a result of the recent drought in

the Murray-Darling Basin,” Minister Hunter said.

“This project will help restore the Coorong by reducing salinity levels.

“By reinstating the flow path, the project will also deliver additional environmental water to

wetlands in the South East, and will help improve seagrass beds near Kingston that currently

receive excessive freshwater from the drainage system,” he said.

Baseline monitoring of the en-route wetlands and the Coorong has already been undertaken

during the project investigation, and will continue during project delivery. Additional funding

will also be provided for comprehensive investigations which will include hydrological

modelling, engineering and ecological studies.

South East Natural Resources Management (NRM) Board Presiding Member Frank Brennan

said the Project will be managed by a Steering Committee including representation from the

South East NRM Board and the South Eastern Water Conservation and Drainage Board.

“It’s vital that the South East community, through community Board representation, is

involved to ensure the best outcomes for the community and the environment,” says Mr

Brennan.

The Australian Government funding for the Project includes budgets for landholder

consultation, broader community and Aboriginal engagement programs, and an

environmental management program to support monitoring and understanding of the South

East drainage system and Coorong. This project will also be subject to environmental

approvals under national and State environment legislation.

The South East Flows Restoration Project is part of the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray

Mouth Recovery Project, and is jointly funded under the Australian Government’s

Sustainable Rural Water Use and Infrastructure Program and South Australia’s Murray

Futures program.