Hi Birders and Conservation community.
Many of you will be aware of the value of Tolderol as an important site for
migratory waders. Many thousands of migrants of wide diversity have
frequented the site for many years. Sightings in recent years have included
Lesser Yellowlegs, Oriental Pratincole ,the odd Wagtail, and even a pair of
Bustards turn up from time to time. It is situated on the edge of Lake
Alexandrina, a Ramsar site in South Australia.
Over the last three years the area has been maintained by a local farmer,
funded to the tune of $10,000 by NPWS/DENR. Maintenance has involved
monitoring of water levels, pumping, and some periodic ploughing. But there
have been some recent difficulties in that early in 1997 a water transfer
pipe broke, and it took months to be fixed because of a lack of funds.
Pumping restarted but in Sept/Oct,1997 an electrical fault occurred which
burnt out a switch and a fuse.
A visit to Tolderol by SAOA members on 17/1/98 revealed that the whole area,
including the main channels and moats, have now completely dried up and the
population of normally thousands of birds has been reduced to one swan, two
Sharpies, and one Red-capped Dotterel.
Checking with the local caretaker ( the farmer) revealed that the fault has
not been fixed because all money from NPWS/DENR has stopped and the local
council has no interest in funding wetlands.Any work done now has to be at
the caretaker's own expense and he cannot afford the amounts of money
involved.And how much is it? He tells me the immediate problem can be
corrected for " a few hundred dollars", and the necessary ploughing ( before
reflooding )would cost about $1000.
This has to be a national disgrace! I am assured that for a cost of $3000 pa
the area could not only be restored by the the caretaker, but also expanded
into other available surroundings. Surely with all the resources we as a
birding community should be able to muster something can be done to find
this relatively small amount of money.
I appeal to all who may be in a position to influence decision makers,
politicians etc. to bring whatever pressure you can to bear on the solving
of this environmental disaster.
I look forward to your responses in this matter.
Tony Russell VP. SAOA.
Tony Russell
Ph: 08 82078470W
08 83375959H
Fax:08 82078422
e mail:
|
