The Murray-Darling Conservation Alliance has welcomed a new budget commitment to meet Australia’s nature restoration goals, while urging the Albanese Government to announce additional targets and funding for inland rivers, wetlands and lakes to meet a global ‘Freshwater Challenge’.
The Freshwater Challenge is a global push to restore degraded rivers and wetlands by 2030, based on international agreements. Australia recently joined almost 50 countries committing to this pledge, requiring the government to set specific targets for the area of river and wetlands to be restored.
Murray-Darling Conservation Alliance National Director Craig Wilkins said:
“Returning water to wetlands in the Murray-Darling Basin is a critical part of achieving Australia’s targets to protect and restore 30 percent of land, marine and inland water areas by 2030.
“The Albanese Government could complement this new commitment by announcing more specific targets and funding to restore rivers and wetlands in the Murray-Darling – as we’ve pledged to do under the new Freshwater Challenge.
“Last year the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists released a comprehensive Blueprint to repair Australia’s landscapes and the biggest investment is needed for degraded river systems – costed at $2.9 billion annually over 30 years.
“Today’s announcement of $250 million represents vital momentum and an important downpayment. We hope to see it significantly scaled up to meet the challenges of the future.
“Australia is the driest inhabited continent on Earth and that makes our rivers and wetlands absolutely essential to preserving our unique wildlife, plants and cultural heritage.
“But right now, only 2% of wetlands in the Murray-Darling Basin receive environmental water each year to keep the ecosystem alive. Nothing can survive for years and years without a decent drink.
“A new commitment to restore wetlands could turn some of these broad nature goals into action on the ground that we can measure and see real results.”
The Murray-Darling Conservation Alliance is a national coalition focused on protecting the Murray-Darling Basin’s rivers, wetlands, and wildlife. It comprises conservation councils in SA, NSW, Victoria and QLD.
Media contact:
Craig Wilkins, National Director, Murray-Darling Conservation Alliance
craig@mdca.org.au