Funds for estuary care groups

The continued health of estuaries in Albany and Denmark has been assured this week with two local catchment groups receiving State Government funding.

Representatives from the Oyster Harbour Catchment Group in Albany and the Wilson Inlet Catchment Committee said the $1.2 million in shared funding allocated to the groups would allow them to carry out projects that ensured long-term benefits for the waterways.

Oyster Harbour committee member David Williamson said works to maintain the estuary had been taking place since the 1970s and they were seeing positive results.

“We know the sea grass has improved here,” he said.

“It’s a real encouragement to see long-term activities can have a long-term impact.”

Some of the funding would be used to erect 40km of fencing, re-vegetate 12ha of land and assist farmers with nutrient mapping. Mr Williamson this would help reduce erosion on the banks of the rivers and creeks which feed into the estuaries.

“What you aim to do is fence it so that stock doesn’t damage the vegetation,” he said.

Part of the funding would be set aside for the City of Albany and the South Coast Natural Resource Management to improve water quality in Yakamia Creek.