Senator The Hon Murray Watt, Minister for the Environment and Water
The Hon Madeleine King MP, Minister for Resources and Northern Australia
The Albanese Government is investing $2.25 million in the protection and conservation of our region's treasured wetlands, through improved data collection, shared information and engagement support.
Wetlands play critical roles across our environment, society and economy and it is vital that we continue to support their health and resilience through greater knowledge and access to information.
Through these investments Australia is providing:
- $1.3 million to the CSIRO to establish a Ramsar Wetlands Hub, which will ensure we have the best available science to monitor and protect our internationally important wetlands.
- $500,000 to Geoscience Australia to develop the National Wetlands Inventory, to capture and share information on the state of Australia's wetlands.
- $250,000 for the Pacific region to engage in and implement the Convention on Wetlands, and to facilitate outcomes for our region through the negotiations.
- $200,000 to Wetlands International to help update the global Waterbird Population Estimates database, which is a critical source of information about waterbirds.
Many of Australia's wetlands have been recognised as internationally-important under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands because of their biodiversity, importance to threatened species and/or unique ecology.
Australia has 67 Ramsar wetlands that cover more than 8.3 million square hectares, from Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory to the Macquarie Marshes in New South Wales.
Representatives from the members of the Convention on Wetlands from around the world meet every three years to discuss and make decisions that affect the management of wetlands.
This year the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Convention on Wetlands (COP15) is taking place in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, where Australia is being represented by Australia's Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Ms Minoli Perera.
Quotes attributable to the Minister for Environment and Water, Murray Watt:
"Our wetlands help protect us from coastal erosion, lessen the impact of floods, absorb pollutants and clean our water. They are of great importance to our First Nations People who have cared for them over many thousands of years.
"These investments will help capture and share more information than ever before, helping us and others to manage these precious sites for the long-term.
"The recognition of our wetlands as internationally important under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, means we also have a responsibility to protect them globally.
"Oceania faces a unique set of climate change challenges, and it is important we work together and have a strong regional voice to secure environmental outcomes for our region."
Quotes attributable to the Minister for Resources, Madeleine King:
"We're seeing an increasing need for National Wetlands Inventory data to understand the important role of wetlands across Australia, especially along coastal areas.
"Through this funding, Geoscience Australia will provide crucial satellite imaging data to better map and better protect our wetlands."
