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Published byRosanna Merritt Modified over 9 years ago
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The Lake Eyre Basin
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Lake Eyre Basin Great Artesian Basin
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Lake Eyre Basin 1.2 million square kilometres Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre - one of the larger terminal lakes in the world among the last major free-flowing rivers in the world Diamantina Cooper Georgina
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LEB Landscapes – bioregions
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Mitchell Grass Downs
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Channel Country
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Simpson- Strzelecki Dune Fields
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Stony Plains
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Macdonnell Ranges
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Salt Lakes
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Significant places ● Channel country ● Permanent waterholes ● Mound Springs ● Ramsar wetlands – Coongie Lakes ● Aboriginal heritage sites
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High flow variability Flow variability Lake Eyre Basin rivers
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High flows ….
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Low flows ….
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Boom ….
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…. bust
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Human footprint Towns Geothermal energy Oil, gas and mining Grazing & agriculture Tourism
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Unsustainable practices – Murray-Darling Basin ● Chowilla ● Gwydir wetlands ● Coorong Macquarie Marshes
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… the Lake Eyre Basin is remarkably unscathed
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Emerging threats Changes to flow Vegetation clearing Weeds Feral pigs Feral animals
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Critical vulnerability ….. Changes to flow major dams flow diversion levee banks & floodplain harvesting on-farm storages
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Looking after this resource ….
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Oct 2000 Effective June 2001 Northern Territory 2004 reviewed June 2007
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Catalysts for sustainability Proposal for World Heritage listing (1993) Currareva cotton application (1995)
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→ Very strong community response Supported by State and Federal governments Lake Eyre Catchment Protection Group Lake Eyre Basin Coordinating Group Coopers Creek and Georgina-Diamantina Catchment Committees
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The Lake Eyre Basin Process Grass-roots/bottom-up – community initiated Community involvement remains strong
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Current arrangements –Agreement Scientific Community Government Agencies – Water and Environment Intergovernmental Agreement Ministerial Forum
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Lake Eyre Basin Agreement …. is about balance Socio-economic viability Ecological sustainability
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Key messages 1.The Lake Eyre Basin is unique in the world. 2.The Basin is in good condition, but vulnerable to increasing pressures 3.A genuine basin-wide approach is essential 4.Working towards real ecological and social sustainability 5.Water is the key
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…. we need long-term Government and Community commitment
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