Update #1 - Decision Time for Coastal 20

The first steering committee meetings are now complete for WetlandCare Australia’s Coastal 20 Wetlands project, funded by the Australian Governments Caring for our Country Program. WetlandCare Australia has set up a steering committee in each of the three regions that the Coastal 20 Wetlands project covers.  The steering committees include representatives from key stakeholder organisations in each region.

After several months of collaboration and engagement with a range of on-ground stakeholders including natural resource managers, community groups, and indigenous organisations, WetlandCare Australia staff presented identified potential on-ground works to each regional steering committee.

A range of potential projects for each site have been identified and include;

• Improving natural hydrological regimes,
• Removal of floodgates and weirs,
• Acid sulfate remediation works,
• Erosion control works,
• Restoration of natural vegetation communities,
• Protection of threatened flora and fauna and,
• The use of constructed wetlands.

A decision support matrix has been developed and is being implemented by WetlandCare Australia and the regional steering committee’s to ensure that the best possible environmental outcomes are achieved for each site through the Coastal 20 Wetlands project.  

The next step is to continue discussions with the regional steering committees and other stakeholders to identify and develop the priority projects for each site and then begin the on-ground works for the Coastal 20 Wetlands project.