$245,000 to restore Fleurieu habitat

Weed control and habitat restoration projects in nine conservation parks and reserves between Goolwa and Willunga on the Fleurieu Peninsula will go ahead over the next two years thanks to $245,000 in Commonwealth funding secured by the Federal Member for Mayo Rebekha Sharkie.

Photo: Federal Member for Mayo Rebekha Sharkie, left, joins Goolwa to Wellington Local Action Planning Association co-ordinator Ben Simon and his daughter Ella in planting 2,500 seedlings, including the nationally vulnerable silver daisy bush, at JAKEM Farm near Callington.

The funding will be used to support the work of the Goolwa to Wellington Local Action Planning Association (GWLAP) in the Tokuremoar Reserve near Goolwa; council reserves between Goolwa and Port Elliott; Bullock Hill Conservation Park; Cox Scrub Conservation Park; Finniss Conservation Park; Mount Magnificent Conservation Park and Kyeema Conservation Park.

“The community-based Goolwa to Wellington LAP has been doing amazing work for the past 22 years, focussing on supporting volunteer-based natural resources management across the catchments that flow directly to Lake Alexandrina,” Rebekha said.

“Working with Landcare and Friends groups and private landholders, they have protected and enhanced over 8,000ha of native vegetation, established over two million local native plants and worked with nearly 4,000 landholders on practical projects that are delivered on time and on budget.

“This $245,000 will be used for priority sites on public land to control weeds, propagate plants, prepare sites and undertake planting in order to create a buffer zone around remnant vegetation.

“These projects will do so much to protect the unique biodiversity of the Mount Lofty Ranges, our coast and plains and the River Murray Lower Lakes.

“I am pleased that the Federal Government could see the merit in my advocacy for the Goolwa to Wellington LAP and allocated the funding.”

GWLAP General Manager Ross Oke welcomed the allocation of funding.

“We are most grateful to Rebekha for her support of our work and thank the Federal Government for making this funding available,” he said.

“We will now be able to continue, follow-up and build on the important work that we have been doing over many years to restore these diverse habitats.

“I can’t overstate how important it is to maintain and continue these on-ground actions over time. We are very pleased to have this much-needed support.”