Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Western Australian Minister for the Environment, the Hon. Donna Faragher MLC, recently announced more than $1 million for 14 local projects to improve the Swan and Canning River foreshores. I would like to welcome this announcement as it will greatly benefit my electorate of Swan. Approximately 75 per cent of the border of my electorate is made up of the Swan and Canning Rivers. These rivers, and particularly the foreshores of these rivers, are an integral part of day-to-day life for the people of Swan. Protecting these rivers and their banks is equally integral and important. The riverbanks grant scheme will be run by the Swan River Trust. The trust is a statutory authority responsible to the Minister for the Environment. Members will be interested to know that the trust, which has a consolidated fund budget in 2008-09 of $7.5 million, is augmented this year by $6 million from the Burswood Casino electronic gaming machine levy. The trust works closely with local government, community groups and a range of state and federal government departments. Given the scale of the problems facing the Swan River, it is important that all stakeholders are widely consulted and that we work together towards a common goal. That is the strength of our democracy.

I will be working with these local groups as the local federal member to help protect the Swan and Canning rivers so that the people of Swan can continue to enjoy these great waterways. More than $5.5 million in funding through the riverbanks scheme has been provided since 2002, allowing more than 120 projects to be undertaken. As part of the most recent announcement by the Western Australian Minister for the Environment, over $330,000 in funding will go to the projects in my electorate. There is a series of projects that will be funded as part of this announcement: $111,000 will go to the development of a restoration concept plan for the Ascot Racecourse foreshore, and to foreshore erosion control and restoration works at Garvey Park, within the city of Belmont. This funding is particularly welcome given the level of deteriorating river wall infrastructure along the river—a result of lack of investment, increasing high tides and increasing frequency of storm events. Twenty local councils bordering the Swan and Canning rivers have recently put in a submission to Infrastructure Australia for $85 million to address this problem. I have written to Sir Rod Eddington, the head of Infrastructure Australia, in support of this submission.

It is important to restore the river wall infrastructure to ensure that the Swan and Canning rivers are a safe recreation area for the people of my electorate of Swan and all Western Australians. Additionally, this announcement will provide $75,000 to be spent on foreshore stabilisation and revegetation using local native plants within the city of Canning. A further $147,000 will be spent within the city of South Perth on bank stabilisation and rehabilitation through erosion control works and revegetation.

This announcement will provide for important projects that will address priority areas and issues along the Canning and Swan river foreshores. I am exceptionally pleased with this decision by the Western Australian Minister for the Environment and I am pleased to see the new Liberal government looking out for the interests of the people in my electorate of Swan. This is only the first of a series of steps required to save the Swan and Canning rivers. I pledge to the local community to do my utmost to protect this valuable asset. This announcement is important not only because it affects a significant part of my electorate but also because it emphasises a different approach to the environment between the different sides of politics. Gestures and symbolism too often disappoint those of us who genuinely care about the sustainability of our environment. This program will implement genuine solutions to genuine problems and make a real difference to these important river systems.

It is easy to pay lip service to the environmental issues and make symbolic gestures that give people the impression that you believe in protecting the environment. However, it is another thing entirely to do something to solve the problems that face the local environment and to do something that will actually make a real difference not only now but in the future.

In conclusion, I welcome the recent announcement by the WA environment minister. I pledge to work hard with all stakeholders to save the Swan and Canning rivers and to support schemes like the joint council infrastructure submission. Like many Australians, I care passionately about my local environment. We are fortunate to live in a country of spectacular natural beauty. It is our duty as parliamentarians to protect it.