The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) has urged the Federal Government to conduct modeling for an increase to 4,000 gigalitres, saying that failure to do so would limit the capacity to understand the trade-offs of a lower environmental flow.

 

“In its current form, the Basin Plan does not provide enough water to reach many Ramsar listed wetlands and ecologically significant floodplains,” ACF Healthy Ecosystems Program Manager Paul Sinclair said.

 

Despite the likely increase in funding for environmental works and infrastructure, Dr Sinclair said only an actual increase in environmental flow can increase the health of the ecosystem.

 

“It’s wrong to think environmental works and measures can somehow offset the amount of water needed to restore the Basin’s rivers and wetlands to health,” Dr Sinclair said.

 

“In some cases, environmental works and measures can supplement environmental flows but they are no substitute for delivering actual water.”