Hundreds attend Parliament House vigil to save St Kilda mangroves following large-scale die-off
A vigil highlighting die-back at the St Kilda mangroves has today attracted hundreds of people to the steps of Parliament House.
SA News
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Hundreds of people protested at Parliament House today over the ecological disaster slowly unfolding at St Kilda Mangroves.
Conservation SA chief Craig Wilkins said those attending the vigil wanted faster action to address the mangrove and samphire dieback and a clear plan for the area’s rehabilitation.
“Every day there’s a delay, there is a risk of further damage and the sooner we stop the damage, the sooner we can start the repair,” he said.
The Environment Protection Authority says in September, at least 10 hectares of mangroves and 35ha of saltmarsh had been affected, though conservationists say as much as 190ha overall has now been impacted.
The devastation is caused by disused and dry salt evaporation ponds being filled and then leaking.
Mr Wilkins said up to 400 people attended the vigil as concerns mounted about how the leakage was affecting the environment.
Pumping has begun to move acidic brine away from the dead mangroves and saltmarsh, but many are unhappy with the project’s pace.
The sanctuary stretches for 60km of coastline from just north of Adelaide and is a key roosting and feeding site for birds that fly from as far away as Siberia and Alaska.
Energy and Mining Minister Dan Van Holst Pellekaan yesterday told Parliament: “We’re working closely with Buckland Dry Creek, the company operating this site.”
“They’re following our instructions and we’re watching them very closely,” he said.
A Government spokesman said it was working “as quickly as possible to fix this complicated situation”.
He said evidence showed the situation had improved and a formal investigation was continuing.
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