Leschenault Catchment Council land State Government backing to improve quality of South West waterways

tasked with improving water quality and restoring the environmental balance in estuaries across the South West has been lauded by the State Government one year into its eco mission. Leschenault Catchment Council was last year granted $904,000 to manage seven waterways in the region until 2024 and last week gave State Government representatives an update on the progress of the project. As part of the four-year scheme, the organisation is overseeing the construction of 40km of fencing to keep stock from waterways, 12ha of revegetation to reduce nutrient inputs and recruiting 77 farmers to take part in soil testing to reduce fertiliser run-off, while hosting community forums. It is part of the State Government’s $25 million State Government Healthy Estuaries WA commitment, launched in June last year. Water Minister Dave Kelly, Murray-Wellington MLA Robyn Clarke and Collie-Preston MLA Jodie Hanns met with the group last Wednesday to formally announce the funding for the project and receive an update on the initiative. Mr Kelly said the group was important from biodiversity, economic and recreational perspectives. “What’s so good about the Catchment Council community connections is that they can leverage this funding to get funding from industry partners and basically stand the work, they’re a really efficient way to get this work done, and catchment councils are just doing a brilliant job,” he said. LCC manager Chris Howe said farmers were looking to improve their waterway impact. The group is responsible for the Peel-Harvey estuary, Leschenault Estuary, Vasse-Wonnerup wetlands, Hardy Inlet, Wilson Inlet and Oyster Harbour, which expands to include Torbay Inlet. “The soil testing program that we do, there are huge benefits to farmers economically as well because they can reduce the amount of soil they’re putting on their properties, but for fencing and re-vegetation there needs to be a kind of passion from the farmer,” Mr Howe said.