Funding for Murray River welcome
09 May 2006
WWF-Australia has welcomed today's announcement of further investment in the future of the Murray River, but warns translating cash into water remains a significant challenge for governments.
"The Federal Government's ongoing commitment to improving the river's health is welcome but we have a long way to go to delivering the Living Murray outcomes," WWF-Australia's Freshwater Policy Manager Averil Bones said.
"Efficiency gains through infrastructure can ensure water is used wisely and that waste is reduced. Demand for water remains high - management regimes must ensure climatic shifts do not result in further environmental declines.
"Significant areas of Australia's southern water resources remain over-allocated. Clawing back those over-allocations to ensure environmental health in the face of conflicting interests remains a hugely complex and difficult proposition," Ms Bones said.
"The Commonwealth's leadership on this issue is important. WWF-Australia urges all levels of government to work together to achieve both the Living Murray and the National Water Initiative objectives within the timeframe. We must spend this money wisely on projects that will deliver significant flows back to the Murray in the short term."
"The damage and the subsequent costs of restoring the Murray must not be repeated in our other important water resources in Australia's north."
Find out more
Averil Bones, Freshwater Policy Manager, WWF-Australia
Phone: 02 8202 1289
Mobile: 0437 864 153
