2024-03-17
Cecily Rosol | Lead Candidate for Bass
The future of a healthy kanamaluka/Tamar Estuary depends on action that is well-informed, resourced and connected to the community, which is why the Greens have today vowed to fight to fully fund an expanded wetlands restoration program across private land and incentivise voluntary landowner participation.
“Rehabilitation of the kanamaluka/Tamar Estuary is moving at a glacial pace, with its many complex environmental and human-use issues suffering from years of neglect under the Liberals.
“People often raise with me their concerns about kanamaluka. They want to see solutions – but ones that are sensitive to the estuary as a whole, and based on evidence.
“We don’t just need to fix the mud, we need to fix the mindset of how the kanamaluka/Tamar Estuary is collectively considered and treated.
“There’s a desperate need for action that is well-informed, resourced and connected to the community, which is why the Greens will fight to fully fund an expanded wetlands restoration program across private land and incentivise voluntary landowner participation.
“This is in line with a sediment management evaluation report by the Tamar Estuary and Esk Rivers Program, which considered the impact of a small wetlands restoration program on government land only, compared to a large program including private land. Despite the report identifying significantly better outcomes with the large program - including reduced flood risk and better environmental results - the Liberals decided to only back the small program.
“Liberal politicians have for a decade failed to take the bold action necessary to ensure the future of a healthy kanamaluka/Tamar Estuary. To ensure long-term efforts are sustained and effective we need to look at new ways forward.
“Empowering and incentivising private landowners to achieve wetland restoration on their properties is one of the most promising and sustainable ways we can care for the Estuary into the future."