Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has called on the South Australian Government to reveal details of its plan to save the Lower Lakes, saying that proposed new weirs will do nothing to save them.

This week the South Australian Government announced it would seek approval from the Murray-Darling Basin Authority for the construction of weirs to raise fresh water levels in the Goolwa Channel, the Finniss River and Currency Creek.

“These weirs will do nothing to save Lake Alexandrina and Lake Albert,” said Senator Hanson-Young.

“What is the State Government’s broader plan for the future of the lakes?

“The Greens are calling on the State Government to put their plans to save the Lower Lakes on the table.

“These plans must put details in the public domain, and undergo a full and frank environmental impact assessment.”

Senator Hanson-Young said Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett must consider all proposals to save the Lower Lakes as one.

“Minister Garrett must make his decision based on what the impact of all of the various proposals put forward by the South Australian Government together will have on our Ramsar-listed wetlands.

“The current ‘bits-and-pieces’ approach does not take the consequences of each one on the others into account.”

Senator Hanson-Young said the Greens would continue to work towards a fresh water solution for the Lower Lakes, and renewed the call for 30 gigalitres of temporary fresh water.

“We know that water is in the system, and that this amount will give the Lower Lakes a fighting chance.

“A fresh water solution is the solution that the Lower Lakes and Coorong communities themselves are crying out for.

“In the meantime, it is encouraging to see that the $10 million for bioremediation programs that the Greens secured as part of the Federal Government’s stimulus package will be activated to buy the lakes some more time while fresh water is secured.”