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Water Saving |
Western wetlands win Gold
Cath Webb
WWF/NPA Western NSW Wetlands Project Officer
based in Canberra
Western wetlands win Gold Cath Webb |
| The NPA and World Wide Fund for Nature Western NSW Conservation Project has chalked up another success. The National Parks and Wildlife Service has won a prestigious award – the NSW Premier¹s Public Sector Award in the Environment Category – with our joint Ramsar nomination project. The Gold Award was presented to NPWS Ramsar Project Officer Deborah Stevenson by Premier Carr at a ceremony on 27 November. Several of the project partners were able to attend the presentation including myself, Dr David Butcher from WWF, Ramsar landholders Bruce and Jen Southeron from the Gwydir, and Eric and Carollyn Fisher from the Macquarie Marshes. |
| The Award was given to this
project because the processes for designating and managing new Ramsar
wetlands have created innovative partnerships to deliver genuine wetland
conservation. The partnerships have been between private landholders,
State and Federal governments, and non-government conservation groups.
In agreeing to Ramsar listing for parts of their properties, landholders
in the Gwydir Wetlands and the Macquarie Marshes have set NSW and
national precedents.
Partnership with NPWS Since early 1998, NPA and WWF have been investigating options for joint Ramsar work with NPWS, to assist landholders seeking Ramsar listing for their wetlands on private land. |
Back
row – Dr David
Butcher (WWF), Carollyn & Eric Fisher (Macquarie Marshes), Jen &
Bruce Southeron (Gwydir) |
As Western Project Officer, I worked closely with NPWS staff to gain Natural Heritage Trust funding for this work. We were then fortunate to receive funding from a major donor as well. I then moved into the Western NSW Wetland Officer position created by that funding. It was clear there was a need for a project such as this to address off-park wetland conservation concerns. These issues were raised by landholders in the Gwydir Wetlands, west of Moree (see also NPJ April 1999); and led to the NPWS strategy for nomination of Ramsar sites on private land.
Ramsar Convention
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The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971, is an intergovernmental treaty which provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. There are presently 123 contracting parties (members) to the Convention, with 1,045 wetland sites, totalling 78.6 million hectares, designated for inclusion in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance. In December 2000 there were 53 Ramsar sites in Australia. |
Ramsar agreements
Less than 5% of western NSW is in dedicated conservation reserves such as national parks or nature reserves. Even if we have a threefold increase in the levels of reservation, 85% will still be managed by private landholders mostly deriving their income from primary production. A further factor mitigating against acquisition of properties, particularly in central NSW, is their very high price.
The project has been premised on the need to enter new kinds of discussions with landholders who are willing to manage their land for wetlands conservation as well as primary production. One of the ways we can do this is to assist landholders who are seeking Ramsar listing for parts of their properties.
Managing the Ramsar sites
The five private land sites are being managed for agricultural production, as well as conservation, by the landholders. While landholders have voluntarily agreed to forego land clearing on the Ramsar sites, they will continue to be sustainably grazed by domestic stock in accordance with the Ramsar wise-use principles.
I am currently in the process of drafting management plans for these sites that will document the existing management situation and any actions required.
Cath Webb
WWF/NPA Western NSW Wetlands Project Officer
based in Canberra
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