❓ The Minister for Environment provides an update on the Ellen Brook wetland project, highlighting its importance in reducing nutrient flows into the Swan River and detailing the government's investment and progress.
AnsweredQoN 604Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ELLEN
BROOK WETLAND PROJECT
604. Mr F.A. ALBAN to the
Minister for Environment:
Can the minister please update the house on the Liberal–National
government's Ellen Brook wetland project, which is situated in Belhus
in my electorate, and its importance in preventing nutrient flows into the Swan
River?
BROOK WETLAND PROJECT
604. Mr F.A. ALBAN to the
Minister for Environment:
Can the minister please update the house on the Liberal–National
government's Ellen Brook wetland project, which is situated in Belhus
in my electorate, and its importance in preventing nutrient flows into the Swan
River?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for this question on this important issue.
Issues to do with the Swan River's health are some of the most
important in the environment portfolio. As I said last week, despite the
commentary from members opposite, the river is not dead and it is not in
crisis.
Mr M. McGowan : The
Auditor General said it!
Mr A.P. JACOB :
That is not what the Auditor General said; it is what members opposite have
been saying. Surveys in summer and autumn this year have shown that our river
system is in good to fair condition overall, particularly when we base it on
the fish community reports. We are already seeing some improvements on last year's results. This is
reflective of the presence of relatively stable environmental conditions across
the entire river system, particularly during the monitoring period.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Gosnells, I call you to order for the first time. If you want to ask
a question, put your name down.
Mr A.P. JACOB : I
am very happy to answer questions from members opposite on this issue.
Reports are consistently showing, particularly through our
Murdoch University fish community reports, that results from this year have
continued an overall improvement in the Swan River's health since the
mid-2000s. River health is improving and has been steadily improving since the
mid-2000s. We acknowledge that a range of historic health issues affect the
river and more work can be done in a range of areas. We are not resting on our laurels with the river health improving.
We want to see it improve at a greater rate. That opens up a range of issues in
areas that we need to address. One of those key areas is nutrient run-off and a
subset of the issue of nutrient run-off into the Swan and Canning Rivers system
is Ellen Brook. It is the largest tributary contributor of nutrients into the
Swan and Canning Rivers system. Over the past three months, this government has
undertaken the construction of a nutrient-stripping wetland at Ellen Brook.
This has also incorporated the planting of almost 50 000 seedlings endemic to
the Swan coastal plain. Planting started only last month and I had the opportunity to plant a few of those
seedlings. This wetland will become fully operational once those seedlings have
established and grown in height. This will enable water levels in the
artificial basin to operate at the optimal level to strip nutrients, including
phosphorous and nitrogen, from those inflows. The state government has
contributed $2.5 million to this project and the federal government has also come to the party with $1.53 million.
This is particularly significant because it is only stage 1, which is estimated to remove 270 kilograms of
phosphorous and 330 kilograms of nitrogen each year from that key tributary
that feeds into the Swan River. Indeed, the artificial wetland will not only
strip nutrients from that tributary, but also create a fantastic native
artificial environment and habitat for the fauna and flora that exists in those
brooks and waterways.
Issues to do with the Swan River's health are some of the most
important in the environment portfolio. As I said last week, despite the
commentary from members opposite, the river is not dead and it is not in
crisis.
Mr M. McGowan : The
Auditor General said it!
Mr A.P. JACOB :
That is not what the Auditor General said; it is what members opposite have
been saying. Surveys in summer and autumn this year have shown that our river
system is in good to fair condition overall, particularly when we base it on
the fish community reports. We are already seeing some improvements on last year's results. This is
reflective of the presence of relatively stable environmental conditions across
the entire river system, particularly during the monitoring period.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Gosnells, I call you to order for the first time. If you want to ask
a question, put your name down.
Mr A.P. JACOB : I
am very happy to answer questions from members opposite on this issue.
Reports are consistently showing, particularly through our
Murdoch University fish community reports, that results from this year have
continued an overall improvement in the Swan River's health since the
mid-2000s. River health is improving and has been steadily improving since the
mid-2000s. We acknowledge that a range of historic health issues affect the
river and more work can be done in a range of areas. We are not resting on our laurels with the river health improving.
We want to see it improve at a greater rate. That opens up a range of issues in
areas that we need to address. One of those key areas is nutrient run-off and a
subset of the issue of nutrient run-off into the Swan and Canning Rivers system
is Ellen Brook. It is the largest tributary contributor of nutrients into the
Swan and Canning Rivers system. Over the past three months, this government has
undertaken the construction of a nutrient-stripping wetland at Ellen Brook.
This has also incorporated the planting of almost 50 000 seedlings endemic to
the Swan coastal plain. Planting started only last month and I had the opportunity to plant a few of those
seedlings. This wetland will become fully operational once those seedlings have
established and grown in height. This will enable water levels in the
artificial basin to operate at the optimal level to strip nutrients, including
phosphorous and nitrogen, from those inflows. The state government has
contributed $2.5 million to this project and the federal government has also come to the party with $1.53 million.
This is particularly significant because it is only stage 1, which is estimated to remove 270 kilograms of
phosphorous and 330 kilograms of nitrogen each year from that key tributary
that feeds into the Swan River. Indeed, the artificial wetland will not only
strip nutrients from that tributary, but also create a fantastic native
artificial environment and habitat for the fauna and flora that exists in those
brooks and waterways.
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