Regional Development Minister Terry Redman today announced that critical remediation work to improve the health of two South-West estuaries, near Bunbury and Augusta, would soon begin after the Liberal National Government signed two local partnership agreements.
Six southern regional estuaries being targeted for improvements in a $20 million plan announced earlier this year include the Leschenault Estuary near Bunbury, Hardy Inlet in Augusta and the Vasse-Wonnerup estuary near Busselton.
Mr Redman said the two agreements with the Leschenault Catchment Council and the Lower Blackwood Land Conservation District Committee would deliver practical solutions to improve the waterways.
“The agreements are funded through the new Regional Estuaries Initiative, a four-year program to reverse the declining health of six estuarine ecosystems that support a range of businesses and recreational activities,” he said.
“The bulk of this funding will go to delivering priority projects such as stock exclusion fencing, farm effluent and fertiliser management upgrades, soil and water testing, and revegetation to help restore the function of our coastal waterways while supporting sustainable agriculture.”
Water Minister Mia Davies said the initiative had a strong emphasis on collaboration by project partners and the community, to build the long-term sustainability and liveability of our regions.
“The collaborative approach of working with local industry, community groups and other government agencies is vital to ensure solutions are practical and sustainable for farmers, to help improve water quality outcomes in at-risk South-West waterways,” Ms Davies said.
“The Regional Estuaries Initiative is the biggest single investment ever made by the State Government in managing Western Australia’s regional estuaries, and a historical intervention to protect assets underpinning the State’s long-term economic wellbeing.”
For more information, visit water.wa.gov.au/regionalestuaries
