Table of Contents: Helpful Documents DirectoryAs of January 2004 au.riversinfo.org is archived under Precision Info
Table of Contents: Helpful Documents Directory
Document Modified May 2002
"Australia is the flattest, driest and most poorly drained inhabited continent on earth. The health of our river systems, our creeks, billabongs, flood plains and wetlands is vital to the well-being of all Australians. The impact of European settlement on Australia's river systems has been severe. Many river systems are suffering from environmental stress due to unsustainable levels of water extraction, destruction of aquatic and riverbank habitat, weed growth through nutrient enrichment and rising levels of salinity, silt and pollutants. This has led to reduced water quality and flows, loss of native fish populations, fisheries habitat destruction, deterioration of wetlands and a general decline in the health of river systems." - NHT Internet Site
Natural Heritage Trust - Overview
National Land & Water Resources Audit
The Natural Heritage Trust forms the conerstone of the Federal Governments environmental activities across all sectors including native vegetation, land, biodiversity, water resources and seas. The Trust is jointly administered by Environment Australia and Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Australia.
The Trust provides funds for activities so local communities can participate in conservation by identifying sites for environmental action and applying for funding to conserve, protect, rehabilitate and better manage local areas. Funding has been allocated to coordinate works to invest in projects which form part of an overall approach to improving environmental health.
The program categories funded under the Natural Heritage Trust have included:
The Natural Heritage Trust river programs have attempted to redress degradation of our river systems through targeted programs including:
For the latest information on the Natural Heritage Trust visit the Trust Website:
Natural Heritage Trust Web Site
The National Rivercare Program (NRP) is aimed at ensuring progress towards the sustainable management, rehabilitation and conservation of rivers outside the Murray-Darling Basin. NRP projects focus on activities that maintain or improve water quality by preventing pollution, improve the management of discharges or control stock access to rivers; manage accelerated erosion or build-up of riverbanks or beds (where it is ecologically and hydrologically sound to do so); and; contribute to healthy streams and ecosystems.
Further information about the National Rivercare Program can be obtained from their Web Site.
The National Wetlands Program has developed the National Wetlands Policy and focuses on implementing Australia's obligations under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. The programs objectives include increasing community awareness of the values of wetlands and developing best practice standards in wetland management. The program is also implementing the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, the Japan-Australia and China-Australia Migratory Bird Agreements, Asia-Pacific Migratory Water bird Strategy and the Shorebird Action Plan. Projects focus on:
More information on the National Wetlands Program, including the Commonwealth Government Wetlands Policy, can be obtained from their home page
National Wetlands Program Home Page
Immediate action is required to rehabilitate the Murray-Darling Basin catchment and river systems. The Basin contains one of Australia's most important agricultural regions and has been massively impacted by European development. It is estimated that 15 billion trees have been removed from the Basin since European Settlement and that approximately 80% of the water in the system is used for irrigation. The environmental consequences have been substantial and include large and expanding dryland salinity, drought level flows for three out of every four years and notorious blooms of blue-green algae which are both symptomatic of and contribute to water quality problems.
The Natural Heritage Trust has allocated $163 million for the Murray-Darling 2001 Project which is intended to significantly accelerate programs to:
This program is to be delivered through the Murray-Darling Basin Commission. More Information about this and other programs can be obtained from the Murray Darling Basin Commission.
Murray Darling Basin Commission Home Page
Waterwatch aims to provide a national focus for existing community-based water quality monitoring programs such as Streamwatch (NSW) and Ribbons of Blue (WA), and to encourage the emergence of similar new programs.
Waterwatch is intended to encoure community participation in monitoring water quality, to raise community awareness of the natural environment, instill the wise use of natural resources in ethic communities and encourage appropriate on-ground activities in response.
More information about Water Watch is available from their Internet site.
Water Watch Australia Internet Site
The NLWRA Home Page reports that the Audit is intended to provide a comprehensive national appraisal of Australia's natural resource base. Natural Resource Management needs will be met in the following areas:
More historical information on the Audit can be obtained from NLWRA home page
National Land and Water Resources Audit Home Page
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