Federal Government releases $70 million to help save South Australia’s Coorong wetlands

South Australia’s precious Coorong wetlands has been thrown a $70 million lifeline — but it’s not all good news, with one proposal involving our desalination plant that could end up costing you.

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South Australia’s precious Coorong has been thrown a $70 million lifeline.

The internationally important wetlands have been declared “vulnerable” as a lack of water and algal blooms affect the health of the system, its flora and fauna.

Basin state water ministers met today and decided to release $70 million from the Murray-Darling Basin Plan funds for SA to put towards saving the Coorong.

The money will go towards long-term projects and studies, as well as more immediate priorities such as refuge wetlands, to encourage birds to stay in the area. Several refuges will be created.

“That will enable the birdlife to have a place to go, a thriving ecosystem,” State Water Minister David Speirs said.

“So the birds don’t head out and not come back.”

At a Ministerial Council meeting in Melbourne on Friday, the ministers also agreed to investigate whether Adelaide’s desalination plant should be turned on so more water can be kept in the river system.

They also came to an agreement on the rules around delivering 450 gigalitres of the 3200GL Plan — an amount specifically promised to SA.

The upstream states were worried that communities would be hurt by having to sacrifice more water.

“Today's agreement on a neutrality test guarantees all water recovered towards the 450GL will create positive or neutral socio-economic outcomes,” Federal Water Minister David Littleproud said.

“This is the last major piece in the Murray-Darling Basin Plan puzzle. This will protect both jobs and production and will be applied at a local, regional and state level.”