Mr MITCHELL - 2001-07-05
During the last sittings, minister, you mentioned $1m was going to be allocated to spend out in the Mary River wetlands area. As one of many keen fishermen, can you give details on how this $1m is going to be spent out there?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I thank the member for his question. I am sure the member, like many others in this Chamber, have enjoyed this area at Mary River. It is a very important area for the Territory, not only from the point of view of the multi-land use that goes on there, but of course it is a very popular area for Territorians and for tourists to undertake the extremely popular pastime, fishing.
Let me put this issue into perspective. The Mary River wetlands is an area of around about 1300 km. They are highly productive freshwater wetlands - habitats for the saltwater crocodile, magpie goose of course, and as I said, barramundi. It is unique in that it is a freshwater wetland that does not have a tidal influence on it. As I said, very popular for recreation and fishing.
It is vital that saltwater intrusion that has been occurring over a number of years is contained, and this government has done a lot in its efforts to contain that saltwater intrusion.
Ms Martin: The mother of all barrages on Tommy Cut Creek, yes.
Mr BALDWIN: Thank you. To put it in perspective for you, since the 1940s, these wetlands have undergone very rapid change. To give you an idea, particularly in the Sampan and Tommy Cut Creeks area that people would know about, in 1943, Tommy Cut Creek was 3.7 km long and about 30 m wide at the mouth, and today that mouth extends to over 120 m, and it is an extent in length of ...
Mr Reed: Nearly as big as Clare’s mouth.
Mr BALDWIN: Yes, nearly. ... the extent of intruding 35 km inland. So there has been a dramatic growth in the intrusion and the escalation of those creek systems, which of course has brought with it saltwater intruding into that wetland system.
The NT government, in this year’s budget, has allocated $1m on top of its works program over many, many years, and that is up from $500 000 last year to continue the good works there, and allowing us to ensure that the encroachment is contained.
To tell you what has been going on, in 1988 there was the construction of the Shady Camp barrage - most people know where that is, of course, a great fishing spot – the Chernier north of the Mary River conservation reserve was reinstated in 1989 allowing for the rehabilitation of 2000 ha of previously salt-affected land; two spillway designs were trialed in 1993 in the Point Stuart Coastal Reserve with some success; and in 1995-96, a capital works program was initiated with an allocation in those days of $250 000. Since then there has been a series of barrages constructed across tidal gutters west of Tommy Cut Creek to protect and rehabilitate 6000 ha of melaleuca swamps. Currently 4500 ha of that 6000 ha are showing very positive signs of freshwater regrowth.
In 1998, a submerged weir was trialed on a major creek leading into Tommy Cut Creek, and in 1999 construction began on a trial submerged weir on the upper reaches of Tommy Cut Creek. This is in an environment that is extremely difficult to work in - obviously big tidal flows and very deep mud systems that do not allow for the normal construction of these types of infrastructure.
The capital works allocation in this area to date has been around $3m. As I have said, of the 24 000 ha that was salt-infected, some 8000 ha of that is now showing good signs of regeneration. The $1m in this year’s budget will be used to concentrate on continuing the construction of these existing weirs to raise them to a design height. This is the continuation of what has been trialed, and it has been done after very significant reports have been obtained from both national and international firms. The new works will build on the success of those trials, of course.
Clearly this is a very important area for us. It is an area that we are preserving environmentally and recreationally so that Territorians can continue enjoy, just an hour’s drive out of Darwin, this very unique wetland system.
Today I will be briefing the media on this new set of works that will be undertaken to preserve that wetlands, and provide them with an opportunity to go out and see for themselves the work that has been done and the great work, in rehabilitation terms, that has occurred from this Territory government’s commitment to preserving our natural estate.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I thank the member for his question. I am sure the member, like many others in this Chamber, have enjoyed this area at Mary River. It is a very important area for the Territory, not only from the point of view of the multi-land use that goes on there, but of course it is a very popular area for Territorians and for tourists to undertake the extremely popular pastime, fishing.
Let me put this issue into perspective. The Mary River wetlands is an area of around about 1300 km. They are highly productive freshwater wetlands - habitats for the saltwater crocodile, magpie goose of course, and as I said, barramundi. It is unique in that it is a freshwater wetland that does not have a tidal influence on it. As I said, very popular for recreation and fishing.
It is vital that saltwater intrusion that has been occurring over a number of years is contained, and this government has done a lot in its efforts to contain that saltwater intrusion.
Ms Martin: The mother of all barrages on Tommy Cut Creek, yes.
Mr BALDWIN: Thank you. To put it in perspective for you, since the 1940s, these wetlands have undergone very rapid change. To give you an idea, particularly in the Sampan and Tommy Cut Creeks area that people would know about, in 1943, Tommy Cut Creek was 3.7 km long and about 30 m wide at the mouth, and today that mouth extends to over 120 m, and it is an extent in length of ...
Mr Reed: Nearly as big as Clare’s mouth.
Mr BALDWIN: Yes, nearly. ... the extent of intruding 35 km inland. So there has been a dramatic growth in the intrusion and the escalation of those creek systems, which of course has brought with it saltwater intruding into that wetland system.
The NT government, in this year’s budget, has allocated $1m on top of its works program over many, many years, and that is up from $500 000 last year to continue the good works there, and allowing us to ensure that the encroachment is contained.
To tell you what has been going on, in 1988 there was the construction of the Shady Camp barrage - most people know where that is, of course, a great fishing spot – the Chernier north of the Mary River conservation reserve was reinstated in 1989 allowing for the rehabilitation of 2000 ha of previously salt-affected land; two spillway designs were trialed in 1993 in the Point Stuart Coastal Reserve with some success; and in 1995-96, a capital works program was initiated with an allocation in those days of $250 000. Since then there has been a series of barrages constructed across tidal gutters west of Tommy Cut Creek to protect and rehabilitate 6000 ha of melaleuca swamps. Currently 4500 ha of that 6000 ha are showing very positive signs of freshwater regrowth.
In 1998, a submerged weir was trialed on a major creek leading into Tommy Cut Creek, and in 1999 construction began on a trial submerged weir on the upper reaches of Tommy Cut Creek. This is in an environment that is extremely difficult to work in - obviously big tidal flows and very deep mud systems that do not allow for the normal construction of these types of infrastructure.
The capital works allocation in this area to date has been around $3m. As I have said, of the 24 000 ha that was salt-infected, some 8000 ha of that is now showing good signs of regeneration. The $1m in this year’s budget will be used to concentrate on continuing the construction of these existing weirs to raise them to a design height. This is the continuation of what has been trialed, and it has been done after very significant reports have been obtained from both national and international firms. The new works will build on the success of those trials, of course.
Clearly this is a very important area for us. It is an area that we are preserving environmentally and recreationally so that Territorians can continue enjoy, just an hour’s drive out of Darwin, this very unique wetland system.
Today I will be briefing the media on this new set of works that will be undertaken to preserve that wetlands, and provide them with an opportunity to go out and see for themselves the work that has been done and the great work, in rehabilitation terms, that has occurred from this Territory government’s commitment to preserving our natural estate.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016