Wetlands Policy Summary

A Vital Component of our Environment

Wetlands filter pollutants and sediments. They act as natural flood mitigation tools, slowing peak flows and retaining water for later use. They are highly productive and diverse ecosystems and provide habitats for countless species of plants and animals, including nesting for birds and essential habitats for the juvenile stages of many commercially important seafood species.

However, the wetlands of NSW are under siege. They have suffered from ‘reclamation’ for residential, commercial and recreational purposes. They have been treated as dumping grounds. They have been drained for agriculture and had their water intake diverted to irrigation. They have suffered agricultural and industrial pollution and invasion by exotic species and mining. Many are now severely stressed by the drought.

The Greens are committed to protecting and enhancing the State's remaining wetlands.

The Greens NSW will work towards:

• recognition of the rights of Indigenous people as traditional custodians and protectors of wetland resources, and increasing their involvement in management;
• increasing the participation of local communities and community-based groups in wetlands management;
• establishing clear lines of Government authority in relation to planning surrounding wetlands and total catchment management;
• encouraging management and recovery plans for all degraded wetlands with funding to implement plans prepared under the NSW Wetlands Management Policy;
• ensuring that there is no reduction in the extent or viability of remaining NSW wetlands by overhauling SEPP 14, and introducing stronger planning controls;
• the creation of specific wetland parks, to protect remaining high quality wetland;
• encouraging stronger planning controls and legislative support for the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands;
• the collection of scientific data on the effectiveness of rehabilitation efforts;
• education of the broader community about the important functions of wetlands;
• action against land use which results in degradation of wetland areas such as grazing, stormwater pollution and nutrients from runoff and other sources;
• financial incentive schemes for rural landholders to encourage management of wetlands areas to enhance their biodiversity and ecological functions.