Oyster Harbour and Wilson Inlet environmental groups cheer funding package for Healthy Estuaries WA program

Four environmental groups based in Albany and Denmark have been awarded more than $3.3 million in State Government funding to enable them to continue improving local estuaries. Water Minister Don Punch announced the package on July 8 as a second tranche of money to support the Healthy Estuaries WA program. The program, which was first launched in June 2020, is a partnership between Government and regional environmental organisations with the aim of improving water quality, supporting sustainable farming and rehabilitating at-risk waterways. The groups supported by the funding include the Oyster Harbour Catchment Group and Wilson Inlet Catchment Committee, which each receive $1.324 million, the Torbay Catchment Group, which receives $515,000, and South Coast Natural Resource Management, which has been granted $170,000. Bruce Radys, lead officer of the Oyster Harbour Catchment Group, said the funding made it possible to carry on a successful program which had been popular with landholders. “For us it’s particularly important to have a flagship project because it bolsters the group as a whole,” he said. “The Healthy Estuaries program is a bit different because with its sustainable agriculture component it meets environmental outcomes but also has production benefits. “It is very popular with farmers.” He said his group had started training farmers to carry out their own soil testing and added expressions of interest for those who wanted to join the fertiliser management program were open. While the program had been a success, he said there were still many smaller channels which were vulnerable to livestock grazing. Fertiliser, which often contains nitrogen and phosphorus, can run off into waterways, causing “dead zones” which kill fish and reduce marine life. Animal waste can also enter the waterways and pollute them. Shaun Ossinger, executive officer of the Wilson Inlet Catchment Committee, said the funding secured the program until 2028. “It’s very welcome as costs have increased tremendously since we first started in 2020,” he said. “It buys people, plants, fences and nutrient mapping so we are very happy to continue working with the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation.” He said his group organises testing and mapping of nutrients in every paddock of 20 farms a year to help farmers make better decisions about fertiliser. Torbay Catchment Group secretary Sarah-Louise Collins said their grant represented around 50 per cent of their income. “It’s a big chunk of funding,” she said. “We try to help farmers manage their fertiliser usage; it saves them money and helps the environment,” she said. Mr Punch said WA’s estuaries were vital for climate resilience, recreation, tourism, business and local economies as well as for their ecological value. “We are empowering knowledgeable locals to deliver real, on-ground actions that will improve water quality and strengthen biodiversity,” he said.