Artists Need Natural Environments: Save Gippsland’s Wetlands.

Artists for the Environment.

Save Our Wetlands?

The Victorian State Government has released new regulations[1] that water down the rules protecting Victorian habitats from clearing, these include

Make clearing native vegetation easier and quicker (as opposed to the current situation where vegetation clearance is a last resort).

Largely remove the need for professional on-site flora and fauna assessments before clearing, replacing them with computer models.

Create a ‘cash for clearing’ system, which means that the bulk (approximately 90%) of applications to clear will simply require a fee to be paid before clearing.[2]  

The major benefactor of these new   regulations will be the fossil fuels industries.

 There is a lot at stake, Gippsland has internationally renowned   wetlands.  The Lakes, rivers and   marshes of Gippsland are teemed with wildlife and provide an abundance of   food and habitat for birds, fish and invertebrates.

Wetlands prevent flooding by holding water much   like a sponge. By doing so, wetlands help keep river levels normal and filter   and purify the surface water.

Wetlands accept water during storms and whenever   water levels are high. When water levels are low, wetlands slowly release   water.

Wetlands also release   vegetative matter into rivers, which helps feed fish in the rivers. Wetlands   help to counter balance the human effect on rivers by rejuvenating them and   surrounding ecosystems.

Many animals that live in other habitats use   wetlands for migration or reproduction. For example, herons nest in large old   trees, but need shallow areas in order to wade for fish and aquatic life.   Amphibians often forage in upland areas but return to the water to mate and   reproduce.

While wetlands are truly unique,   they must not be thought of as isolated and independent habitat. To the   contrary, wetlands are vital to the health of all other biomes and to   wildlife and humans everywhere.

Unlike most other habitats,  wetlands directly improve other ecosystems. Because of its many cleansing   benefits, wetlands have been compared to kidneys. The analogy is good one.   Wetlands and kidneys both help control water flow and cleanse the system.

Wetlands also clean the water   by filtering out sedimentation, decomposing vegetative matter and converting   chemicals into useable form.

The ability of wetlands to recycle nutrients   makes them critical in the overall functioning of earth. No other ecosystem   is as productive, nor as unique in this conversion process[…][3]

 

Courtesy   of the Victorian National Parks Association.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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