$180M for NSW Marine Management

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 20: A surfer rides a wave at Maroubra beach on April 20, 2020 in Sydney, Australia. Coogee, Maroubra and Clovelly beaches in Randwick council reopened today for exercise only. Several beaches in Sydney's Eastern suburbs were closed March 28, after large crowds were seen gathering at Bondi Beach despite social distancing orders in place to slow the spread of COVID-19. (Photo by Brook Mitchell/Getty Images)

The New South Wales (NSW) government will commit $180 million to marine management, which will see funding of projects for multiple coastal communities overcoming recent natural disasters.

The funding is for the final six years of the government’s decade-long Marine Estate Management Strategy and will be handed down as part of the NSW budget next Tuesday.

Since its launch, the strategy has rehabilitated more than 130km of riverbank vegetation, reduced litter volume 13 per cent and built nine threatened seahorse hotels in Sydney Harbour.

It has also trained 80 vets in marine wildlife to improve survival rates and allowed more than 130 commercial fishers to complete best-practice preservation training.

The project also trained more than 80 rescuers in how to safely disentangle whales from nets and created a nationally certified training course in disentangling whales.

The funding adds to the $105 million committed to the strategy across the previous four years.

Agriculture Minister Dugald Saunders told AAP in a statement NSW was the only state addressing threats to its coasts by bringing together fishers, farmers, environmentalists and scientists.

“You can’t grow oysters in polluted estuaries, explore our coastline if beaches are closed or improve our farming systems without repairing riverbanks and waterways,” Mr Saunders said.

“Our marine estate is struggling but we can turn the tide to make sure our coastal landscapes bounce back.

“We have a fully funded 10 year strategy to make sure we are producing more productive paddocks and pristine landscapes.

“Whether it is training fishers in whale disentanglement, building new riverbanks or cleaning our coastal catchments, we are making moves now to improve our coastal estate for generations.”

NSW Treasurer Matt Kean said the funding reaffirmed the government’s commitment to investing in the resilience of one of the state’s most significant natural resources.

“The value of the marine estate to the NSW economy is significant, contributing over $15 billion per annum and 2.5 per cent of all employment in NSW,” the treasurer said.

“A healthy and productive marine estate is critical to the wellbeing and prosperity of NSW, which is why the NSW government has invested a record amount in the strategy.”

Mr Kean said the first four years of the strategy delivered strong outcomes, receiving acclaim at the state, national and international levels.

Some 85 per cent of people in NSW live on the coast, Mr Saunders noted, saying protecting the marine environment was vital for the economy.

Future projects included reef restoration, river stabilisation, researching fertilisers and reducing sediment runoff from farming, and reviewing jetty designs, which target the main threats to the NSW coastline, he said.

The projects aim to improve water quality by reducing pollution, protecting habitats from the effects of climate change and increasing the role of Indigenous people in protecting cultural values and managing Sea Country.

Improving water quality would also improve fish breeding, and Mr Saunders said this will boost the state’s $3.4 billion recreational fishing industry.