Alliance

The St Kilda Mangroves Alliance

is a powerful coalition of local, national and international organisations and individuals representing environment, industry, science and community formed to ensure a best practice remediation plan is urgently put in place for the recovery and long-term health of this globally significant area.

The Alliance is calling for:

The immediate removal of the damaging hyper-saline brine in the ponds to the South of St Kilda Road
Much greater transparency and genuine two-way exchange of information between Buckland Dry Creek Ltd, The Department for Energy & Mining and the public.
Development of a closure and rehabilitation plan, in partnership with the public, for the damaged ponds and a restoration plan for the surrounding tidal wetlands
A permanent solution to the unstable ‘Holding Pattern’ operating in the northern ponds, preferably the transition of those ponds to self-sustaining natural habitats that do not pose ongoing risks to the surrounding tidal wetlands.

Community distress is growing as the damage continues and action in response is too slow. We are sick of hearing ‘trust us’, as we did trust the regulatory agencies in the initial phase of the response, and things have only got worse.

Lindsay Virgo

St Kilda & Surrounds Progress & Tourism Association

Alliance Organisations (in alphabetical order) so far include:

Airborne Research Australia
Butterfly Conservation SA Inc.
Birdlife Australia
Birds SA
City of Salisbury
Conservation Council of SA
Delta Environmental Consulting
EcoProTem
Estuary Care Foundation
Friends of Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary
Friends of Gulf St Vincent Inc.
Friends of Parks SA
Landcare Association of SA
Marine Life Society of SA
National Trust SA
Nature Conservation Society of SA
Port Adelaide Residents Environment Protection Group
RecFish SA
St Kilda & Surrounds Progress & Tourism Association Inc.
Tennyson Dunes Group Inc.
Trees For Life
Whale and Dolphin Conservation

The affected area is vital habitat for thousands of migratory shorebirds which make the round trip from Siberia and the Arctic every year along the East Asian-Australasian flyway to return to St Kilda.

Aleisa Lamanna

Sharing our Shores with Coastal Wildlife Project Coordinator, Birdlife Australia

Petition Signers Say

We would not dream of letting an oil tanker continue to leak while they investigated the impact the leak was having on the mangroves. Yet we are allowing the leakage from these newly filled leaky ponds to continue. So far there are dead saltmarshes and mangroves along 7 kilometres of coast. This continued contamination must be stopped so then the damage can be assessed and repaired

Environmental decisions are being made out of arrogance, ignorance and greed, not out of an understanding that our environment is what is keeping us healthy and protected.

Mangroves are universally recognised as essential parts of our environment both as habitat for bird and marine species and its distinctive and functionally important vegetation. David Speirs, the SA Minister for the Environment and Water, and Dan van Holst Pellekaan, the SA Minister for Mines and Energy must act now to immediately halt the injurious impact on this irreplaceable feature of our environment and start restoration.

I care!

This is critical environment for the health of our coastal waters, fish breeding and the Port River Dolphins. All mangroves are protected so why has this been allowed to happen? Urgent action required to rectify this incredibly irresponsible industrial accident.

Years ago I worked at the Mangrove Boardwalk. It is such a rich ecosystem; it's not ok to cause its widespread die-off!

Please take note of the seriousness of the damage to the precious mangroves that remove huge amounts of carbon from the atmosphere when alive, and release carbon in death... ...It is shocking to see the damage already occurring, and it is indeed a very sad sight. When we are made aware of the impact on the wonderful birds that rely on the saltmarshes, we should be taking immediate action.

We need to care