New research shows that the Australian Government risks breaching international law if it does not fully protect wetlands listed under an international treaty in its forthcoming Murray-Darling Basin Plan.  

 

The research is the first in-depth study on how government policies and practices, and international law apply to the conservation of major wetlands along the Murray River. It was undertaken by ecologists Mr Jamie Pittock from The Australian National University and Professor Max Finlayson from Charles Sturt University, with lawyers Associate Professor Alex Gardner and Ms Clare McKay from the University of Western Australia.

 

Under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands Australia has undertaken to maintain the ecological character of the entire area of wetland sites along the river. However the researchers found that not even compromised conversation targets — as low as 20 per cent of some types of wetlands in some Ramsar sites — had been achieved.         

   

Lead-researcher Mr Pittock said that many significant wetlands in the Murray-Darling Basin are in a terrible ecological condition.

 

“Under the Ramsar Convention the Australian Government is obliged to allocate enough water to revive them,” said Mr Pittock.

 

“Instead we have seen governments adopt inadequate conservation targets and supply insufficient water to sustain the wetlands in clear breach of international law.”             

 

Professor Finlayson said: “Even with the threat of climate change there is enough water to maintain these wetlands if it is properly managed.    

 

“This study exposes serious flaws in the way governments are responding to changes caused by climate change,” he said.  

 

Professor Gardner added: “The proposed Basin Plan needs to allocate enough water to sustain the wetlands recognised as internationally important under the Ramsar Convention to ensure the Commonwealth Government is not in breach of its obligations under the 2007 Commonwealth Water Act.”

 

“Wetland conservation activists could seek redress in the Australian High Court,” he said.

 

The study findings will be presented by Professor Gardner in Perth today, Tuesday 12 October at the 13^th International Riversymposium.