Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo, Centre Alliance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Adelaide Hills, Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island have undergone extensive land and habitat clearance since European settlement. Less than 10 per cent of the vegetation is left. Our government is yet to adopt effective policies on climate change and so the leadership for action in this area has largely fallen to our local community environment groups, but they need ongoing funding in order to do their important work. For three years, I have been advocating for funding for community environment groups in Mayo—for example, for: Trees For Life to rehabilitate local waterways at Lions Park in Currency Creek and at the Meadows Creek reserve; for the Willunga Environment Centre to revegetate Aldinga Washpool, recognised by the government as a nationally important freshwater wetland; and for Conservation Volunteers Australia to plant native vegetation and put up nesting boxes to repopulate the western pygmy possum across the Fleurieu.

What's really fantastic is how young people and our schoolchildren, in particular, are getting involved in these environment programs. As the member for Mayo, I look forward to continue to advocate for and work with these and other community environment groups across my electorate. We have one of the most pristine and beautiful parts of Australia and we want to keep it that way.