Last night the Legislative Council passed the Coorong Environmental Trust Bill 2019, which received unanimous support from all sides of politics. The legislation, which has been called for by the local community, will establish the Coorong Environmental Trust; an independent body with the objective of driving the restoration of flows and ecological stability within the Lower Lakes and the Coorong, with a strong focus on the Ramsar principle of sustainable use. This will put science and community back into the heart of our understanding of the Coorong and Lower Lakes.
The following quotes are attributable to Ms. Franks:
“This is an important step towards putting science and community back into the heart of our understanding of the Coorong and Lower Lakes. This is a relatively new way of doing things for us in South Australia, but it is abundantly clear that the Coorong and Lower Lakes are in dire straits right now. This is the time to try new things, to be bold and to finally listen to the communities that have been crying out for support for such a long time.
“One of the clearest things to come through the select committee hearings and from those submissions was the magnitude of what the trust will be able to achieve and contribute for and towards the community of the Coorong and Lower Lakes. It was incredibly heartening to see the outpouring of community support and the eagerness of a wide range of stakeholders to see the trust established.
“The Coorong and Lower Lakes are indeed a very special community. It would be a shame not to capitalise on the excellent work already being done there. This work so far has failed to gain that proper recognition. The trust is therefore a perfect solution as a body with an interest and a capacity to properly collate and analyse this data and ensure that it is accessible to all who need it.