Policy on future carbon emissions is the political issue de jour in Australia at the moment. It is proving particularly thorny for the Federal Government as regionally based MP’s seek to ensure that policy positions do not amplify and exacerbate the decline of regional economies and services. The disparity between regional and urban areas has become marked over the past forty years as Australia’s parliaments have embraced globalisation and free-market economics.
There is a pathway for Governments (both Federal and State) to significantly mitigate carbon emissions whilst enhancing our wetland systems; improving biodiversity and delivering a further benefit to regional areas by growing ecotourism (particularly camo-clad ecotourism).
The long term Eastern Australian Waterbird Survey (EAWS) provides the universally recognised demonstration of wetland habitat decline recorded over more than 30 years. Compounding that is a demonstrated inability of State Government land managers to arrest, let alone reverse this decline.
Studies in Australia and overseas report the value of wetland systems in carbon capture and storage. Deakin University studies have reported the effectiveness of those natural systems at removing and storing carbon. Dr Paul Carnell, from Deakin University, said, “While a lot is known about how trees suck up and store carbon, freshwater wetlands are actually capable of storing in their soils 30 to 40 times more carbon than forests. Freshwater wetlands contain almost a third of the terrestrial soil carbon pool, despite only occupying eight per cent of the land surface, which is pretty amazing.”
Fully embracing and funding the conservation of Australia’s wetlands would deliver sound environmental, economic, social and political benefits.
The ADA is advocating for the Federal Government to develop a roadmap to establish a practical monitoring framework for wetlands Nationally and to commit funding specifically for practical wetland conservation projects.
Such an initiative would benefit local communities, visitors, catchment management authorities, and non-government organisations capable of large-scale wetland management projects.
There are excellent working examples of this concept already in action.
One example is Gayini, formerly known as Nimmie-Caira, 87,000ha on the Lower Bidgee, inclusive of wetlands now owned and managed by the Nari Nari Tribal Council with the assistance of the Nature Conservancy.
Another example is the Heart Morass, near Sale in Gippsland. The 1,300ha project is managed under the stewardship of the Wetland Environmental Taskforce (WET Trust) with community and water management partners.
The need for clear and considered action to conserve these remarkable ecosystems grows greater by the day. Using ‘blue carbon’ as the driver, is the opportunity presenting itself for serious action?
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