The flood waters have come through but the Regulator at Clayton Bay is only partially removed and the Currency Creek regulator remains under water. Visit a photographic record of the regulators.
These regulators were built in 2009 as ‘emergency’ measures during a period of low flows and anxiety regarding the potential dangers occasioned by the naturally occurring acid sulphate soils of the region. They were to be removed in June 2011. Here is story of the life of these regulators. It is one that deeply concerns the River, Lakes and Coorong Action Group (RLCAG).
As the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) prepares its Draft Plan for release later this month, we are hearing much of the virtues of ‘localism’ and ‘adaptive management’. We are concerned that these notions offer excuses for delay and are indicative of a failure to address the underlying causes of the problems we are facing in a systematic fashion.
Here is a little case study. Mismanagement? Adaptive management? You decide.
The latest move: On 26 June 2011, Barbara Jones, Assistant Secretary, Environment Assessment Branch, signed the notification of the reconsideration decision re the life of the Clayton Bay and Currency Creek regulators. The SA Dept of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) now has an extension on full removal of the ‘regulators’ till 29 Feb 2012 re Clayton Bay and 30 March 2013 re Currency Creek.
Three matters for consideration by fellow citizens.
1. How one is informed of such decisions? To find out about this decision, one would need to check the notifications of the EPBC website. Anyone you know been doing that this past week?
There you will find - 2009/4833 South Australian Department for Environment and Heritage/Water management and use/Goolwa Channel, Finniss River & Currency Creek/SA/Emergency Response for the Crisis Management of Acid Sulphate Soils Reconsideration of Referral Determination: S78C Reconsideration decision
- Would it have hurt the relevant bodies to have notified the people who have most consistently ‘engaged’ with this decision-making process and who have given freely of their time to write commentaries on the considerations or reconsiderations of revised decisions?
- Does ‘engagement’ of which we hear son much stretch to communicating with those who care enough to write?
- How many agencies have ‘engagement’ as part of their raison d’être?
- How many of them have shared this notice with their constituents?
2. The EPBC history of the regulators.
On the EPBC website we note there have been 13 sets of documents posted with respect to these regulators. The construction of the regulators was approved as an emergency measure in May 2009; reconsidered in July 2010, again Nov 2010, and again April 2011. The EIS of 2009 remains in limbo. The RLCAG asks: Does the apparent inability of the various Directors of the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth Project to craft a proposal that addresses the long term health of the region indicate poor management? Is this an example of ‘adaptive management’ or ‘mismanagement’? Have a look. You decide.
Notice Documents Re EPBC 2009/4833
2009/4833 South Australian Department for Environment and Heritage/Water management and use/Goolwa Channel, Finniss River & Currency Creek/SA/Emergency Response for the Crisis Management of Acid Sulphate Soils Reconsideration of Referral Determination: S78C Reconsideration decision 26 June 2011
2009/4833 South Australian Department for Environment and Heritage/Water management and use/Goolwa Channel, Finniss River & Currency Creek/SA/Emergency Response for the Crisis Management of Acid Sulphate Soils Invitation for Public Comment on Reconsideration of Referral Determination: S78A Reconsideration request 07 Apr 2011
2009/4833 South Australian Department for Environment and Heritage/Water management and use/Goolwa Channel, Finniss River & Currency Creek/SA/Emergency Response for the Crisis Management of Acid Sulphate Soils Reconsideration of Referral Determination: S78C Reconsideration decision 13 Dec 2010
2009/4833 South Australian Department for Environment and Heritage/Water management and use/Goolwa Channel, Finniss River & Currency Creek/SA/Emergency Response for the Crisis Management of Acid Sulphate Soils Invitation for Public Comment on Reconsideration of Referral Determination: S78A Reconsideration request 25 Nov 2010
2009/4833 South Australian Department for Environment and Heritage/Water management and use/Goolwa Channel, Finniss River & Currency Creek/SA/Emergency Response for the Crisis Management of Acid Sulphate Soils Reconsideration of Referral Determination: S78C Reconsideration decision 20 Aug 2010
2009/4833 South Australian Department for Environment and Heritage/Water management and use/Goolwa Channel, Finniss River & Currency Creek/SA/Emergency Response for the Crisis Management of Acid Sulphate Soils Invitation for Public Comment on Reconsideration of Referral Determination: S78A Reconsideration request 20 Jul 2010
2009/4833 South Australian Department for Environment and Heritage/Water management and use/Goolwa Channel, Finniss River & Currency Creek/SA/Emergency Response for the Crisis Management of Acid Sulphate Soils Decision whether action needs approval/Approval Not Required - particular manner 12 May 2009
2009/4833 South Australian Department for Environment and Heritage/Water management and use/Goolwa Channel, Finniss River & Currency Creek/SA/Emergency Response for the Crisis Management of Acid Sulphate Soils Invitation for Public Comment on Referral/Comments received 06 Apr 2009
Notice Documents EPBC 2009/5227
2009/5227 South Australian Department for Environment and Heritage/Water management and use/Goolwa Channel/SA/Goolwa Channel Water Level Management Project Assessment Process Notice: Guidelines issued 26 Feb 2010
2009/5227 South Australian Department for Environment and Heritage/Water management and use/Goolwa Channel/SA/Goolwa Channel Water Level Management Project Invitation for Public Comment on Assessment Process Notice: Draft EIS guidelines 20 Jan 2010
2009/5227 South Australian Department for Environment and Heritage/Water management and use/Goolwa Channel/SA/Goolwa Channel Water Level Management Project Decision whether action needs approval/Approval Required 18 Dec 2009
2009/5227 South Australian Department for Environment and Heritage/Water management and use/Goolwa Channel/SA/Goolwa Channel Water Level Management Project Decision on Assessment Approach: Environmental Impact Statement 18 Dec 2009
2009/5227 South Australian Department for Environment and Heritage/Water management and use/Goolwa Channel/SA/Goolwa Channel Water Level Management Project Invitation for Public Comment on Referral 01 Dec 2009
3. What are the scientists saying?
We invite you to read ‘A Ramsar wetland in crisis - the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth, Australia’. In Marine and Freshwater Research, 2011, 62, 255–265. The following experts provide their analysis.
Richard T. Kingsford [Australian Wetlands and Rivers Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science, University of New South Wales, NSW 2052, Australia]
Keith F. Walker [School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia]
Rebecca E. Lester [School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide SA 5001, Australia]
William J. Young [CSIRO Land and Water, Clunies Ross Street, Black Mountain, ACT 2601, Australia]
Peter G. Fairweather [School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia]
Jesmond Sammut [Australian Wetlands and Rivers Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science, University of New South Wales, NSW 2052, Australia]
and Michael C. Geddes [School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia].
To read the whole article
Here is the Abstract. The state of global freshwater ecosystems is increasingly parlous with water resource development degrading high-conservation wetlands. Rehabilitation is challenging because necessary increases in environmental flows have concomitant social impacts, complicated because many rivers flow between jurisdictions or countries. Australia’s Murray–Darling Basin is a large river basin with such problems encapsulated in the crisis of its Ramsar-listed terminal wetland, the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth. Prolonged drought and upstream diversion of water dropped water levels in the Lakes below sea level (2009–2010), exposing hazardous acid sulfate soils. Salinities increased dramatically … , reducing populations of waterbirds, fish, macroinvertebrates and littoral plants. Calcareous masses of estuarine tubeworms (Ficopomatus enigmaticus) killed freshwater turtles (Chelidae) and other fauna. Management primarily focussed on treating symptoms (e.g. acidification), rather than reduced flows, at considerable expense (>AU$2 billion). We modelled a scenario that increased annual flows during low-flow periods from current levels up to one-third of what the natural flow would have been, potentially delivering substantial environmental benefits and avoiding future crises. Realisation of this outcome depends on increasing environmental flows and implementing sophisticated river management during dry periods, both highly contentious options. [emphasis added]
