Diane (Di) Bell is alive and well and still fighting for the River, Lakes and Coorong. Is she running for office? “The issues aren’t going away and neither am I,” says Diane.
If you want to keep up with the campaign being waged by a coalition of groups, individuals and interests, go to www.stoptheweir.com for the latest news, press releases, speeches, pics and videos. We are busy and we are determined.
Here are some of the issues:
1. A new weir across the River Murray
In 2007, the state government sought approval for a temporary weir across the Murray at Pomanda Island, below Wellington. We are still waiting for the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to be released for public comment.
In the meantime, the government sought and received federal approval for road works needed to get from Nalpa Station (on the western side of the weir) across a sand-spit to Pomanda Island. Local people put in at least 16 submissions outlining objections to this plan.
We have argued that the new weir would not guarantee potable water for Adelaide. The pool behind the weir would be prone to water quality problems, including elevated salinity and algal blooms. It would be cut off from the lakes, blocking the wind-driven currents that mix and aerate the lower river and bring salt and nutrients down to the lakes. The weir would have no lock for boats and no provision for fish passage.
2. Bringing sea water into the lakes
The SA government has sought approval to bring sea water into the lower lakes as a way to combat the threat of acid sulfate soils (ASS) and the danger of the lakes becoming acidic. The Federal Minister, Peter Garrett, has called for an EIS.
We have argued that salt water would not solve the ASS problem and would exacerbate the existing problem of salinity in the lakes. Once sea water is allowed in, it would not be possible to remove the salt and Lake Alexandrina would be changed irreversibly.
There are other ways to deal ASS, working with rather than against nature (see the Common Sense Community Action Plan).
3. Weir(s) in the Goolwa Channel
The stated objective is to protect freshwater flora and fauna associated with Currency Creek and the Finniss River. We argue that, like the Pomanda weir, this weir (or weirs) would not succeed, and that it would be better to target sites that are at risk of acidification. Our critique of the SA Govt Discussion Paper in on www.stoptheweir.com.
4. The Bund at Lake Albert
To prevent acidification of Lake Albert, the SA government has built an embankment at The Narrows (Narrung), and has been pumping water into the lake from Lake Alexandrina. In the past, wind-driven currents would continually flush water and silt between the lakes, but the blockage has caused sedimentation and it appears a dredge will be needed to remove the silt that has accumulated. Another solution is needed.
5. South Lagoon of the Coorong
There is no formal plan to protect the Coorong, but the best option appears to be to pump hyper-saline water from the South Lagoon to the sea. Again, this is strictly a short-term measure, intended to prevent destruction of the communities that sustain the fish and bird populations that are the hallmark of the Coorong, and no less the entire Ramsar wetland.
This is the biggest environmental crisis that we have encountered in South Australia, and the decisions we make today will shape the future. Please give these issues your earnest consideration.
