Hendy Cowan

Hendy Cowan

-

    $3m in community grants to fight salinity (with pic.)

    27/10/2000 12:00 AM
     
    27/10/00

    Twenty community projects to tackle salinity across the south-west land division will share $3 million in funding announced today by Deputy Premier Hendy Cowan.

    The successful projects will go ahead with the new funding, which was foreshadowed by the Premier at the launch of the State Salinity Strategy in April.

    The projects cover a wide range of initiatives, including new land use practices, high-water using perennials, revegetation plans for saline areas, wetland rehabilitation, groundwater pumping and desalination and a salinity education project.

    Mr Cowan announced the funding at the site of the Wooroloo Brook Salinity Management Scheme, which will receive an $81,000 boost from the new funding.

    That project will start with a hydrogeological survey of the project area to better understand the geology, watertable contours, groundwater flow and surface water movement. This will guide future on-ground works.

    Mr Cowan said the $3 million was in the Regional Development Trust Fund and was earmarked for salinity on-ground work.

    “Importantly, this money is hitting the ground directly through land owners and community groups,” he said.

    “It is also worth noting that the projects to gain funding were chosen by a comprehensive process which involved community members from the regional natural resource management groups and the State Salinity Council.”

    The funding will be distributed by the Salinity Council which oversees implementation of the Salinity Strategy on behalf of the State.

    The $3 million takes to $43 million the amount being spent by the WA Government on what is regarded as the State’s most serious environmental issue.

    “Not only does salinity affect rural communities, but ultimately people in the metropolitan area as well, where it can impact on water quality for example,” Mr Cowan said.

    The State Government has also recently announced the allocation of $20 million from the sale of Alinta Gas to help implement the Salinity Strategy. Areas to be funded by this means will be announced soon.

    Media contact: Peter Jackson 9222-9595
    Brook Salinity Management Scheme
    Deputy Premier Hendy Cowan (Centre) with Swan Catchment Council chairman Mike Grasby (left) and State Salinity Council chairman Alex Campbell on site at the Wooroloo Brook Salinity Management Scheme.


    PROJECTS FUNDED UNDER THE STATE SALINITY COUNCIL
    COMMUNITY SUPPORT SCHEME

    Project Title Project Organisation Region Length of Project Funding
    Wooroloo Brook Salinity Management Scheme Wooroloo Brook LCDC and Eastern Hills Catchment Management Group Metro -Swan 2 years $81,000
    An integrated approach to the planning, training and management for the revegetation of saline land Saltland Pastures Association Central - Avon 1 year $200,000
    Beacon River Catchment Salinity Management Project Mt Marshall LCDC Central - Avon 1 year $100,000
    Rehabilitating the Nangetty clays and breakaway slopes Mingenew-Irwin Group Northern 2 years $30,000
    Protecting and rehabilitating sandplain wetlands and seepages Mingenew-Irwin Group Northern 2 years $40,000
    Reconstructing stable saline ecosystems that provide both nature conservation and production values Northern Agriculture Integrated Management Strategy Group (NAIMS) Northern 2 years $120,000
    Jibberding Flats Catchment Surface Water Management System The Yarra Yarra Catchment Management Group (Inc) Northern 3 years $150,000
    Promotion of Sustainable Change Shire of Victoria Plain Landcare Management Committee State 2 years $197,700
    Blackwood Spatial Information Delivery System to Support Salinity Risk Management and On-Farming Planning Blackwood Basin Group (on behalf of Upper Blackwood LCDC's) South West 3 years $120,000
    Integrated Salinity, Water and Nutrient Management on the Swan Coastal Plain Leschenault Catchment Council South West 3 years $150,000
    Dumbleyung Strategic Water Management Dumbleyung Water Management Steering Group South West 2 years $200,000
    Demonstration of an Integrated Salinity Treatment in the James Crossing sub-catchment in the Collie Water Resource recovery Catchment Collie Recovery Team South West 1 year $300,000
    Hotham Catchment Better Water Management Project Cuballing LCDC South West 3 years $90,000
    Two Rivers Lucerne Project Jerramungup Landcare Services Inc. & Gnowangerup LCDC South Coast 1 year $200,000
    Engineering Tools for Managing Salinity 2 - Siphon assisted Relief Wells Gordon Sub-Catchment & Kent Recovery Team South Coast 1 year $150,000
    Opening the Data Tap South Coast Regional Information Centre South Coast 1 year $120,000
    Teaching About Salinity Albany Hinterland South Coast (Statewide) 1 year $25,000
    Merredin Groundwater Pumping and Desalination Agriculture Western Australia / Water Corp / Shire of Merredin State 1 year $320,524
    Spatial information delivery systems for subcatchment groups in the Avon River Basin Avon Working Group Central - Avon 1 year $120,000
    Integrated water management for the Bodallin Catchment Bodallin Catchment Group Avon 1 year $124,000
    Regional Management and Administrative Support All Regions All Regions 2 years $150,000
    Audit project to be developed SSC All Regions $12,000
    $3,000,224