SCIENTISTS DISCOVER MARINE BOUNTY SOUTH OF TASMANIA

Media release - 8 October 2008 - The discovery of hundreds of new marine species and previously unknown undersea mountains south of Tasmania highlighted the extraordinary environmental value of the newly declared Commonwealth Marine Reserve Network, Environment Minister Peter Garrett said today.

Releasing the findings of two recent CSIRO Wealth from Oceans Flagship marine research voyages to the Tasman Fracture and Huon Commonwealth Marine Reserves, Mr Garrett said the discoveries were a surprising insight into the biodiversity of the largely unexplored Southern Ocean.

"Scientists from around the world have analysed the fascinating findings of these voyages, which included an incredible 274 species new to science and a further 80 seamounts, or undersea mountains, which are some of the most biologically important habitats in our oceans.

"The richness of molluscs found in these voyages has been described by marine scientists as astounding and requiring a complete rewrite of textbooks for this type of fauna.

"These discoveries, in just two of the 14 reserves which form the South-east Commonwealth Marine Regional Network, show just how important that network and indeed the entire Commonwealth marine jurisdiction is in conserving Australia's remarkable deep ocean biodiversity,'' Mr Garrett said.

Reserves in the South-east Commonwealth Marine Reserve Network, declared in July 2007, cover a total of 226,000 square kilometres of ocean off Tasmania, Victoria, southern New South Wales and eastern South Australia. Similar reserve networks will be developed in Australia's other four marine regions over the next two years.

Data from this marine research project came from two surveys undertaken on the Marine National Facility Vessel - the RV Southern Surveyor - using multibeam sonar and underwater video transects, as well as seafloor sampling in November 2006 and April 2007.
In total, 274 species new to science were brought to the surface and analysed, along with 86 species previously unknown in Australian waters and 242 previously studied species. The sophisticated sonar equipment onboard also discovered 80 previously unknown seamounts, raising the total in the region to at least 144, which is easily the highest concentration in Australian waters. Scientists also discovered 145 new undersea canyons, raising the regional total to at least 276.

A management plan for the South-east Commonwealth Marine Reserve Network is in preparation and is expected to be released for public comment later in the year. The Australian Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts contributed more than $900,000 to the CSIRO's $1.49 million project.

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$6 million to help manage Murray-Darling Basin water resources

Media release - 9 October 2008 - $6 million to help manage Murray-Darling Basin water resources - The Rudd Government is providing $6 million to the eWater Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for a new hydrological modelling tool to help manage the surface water and groundwater of the Murray-Darling Basin.

The project will accelerate development of and trial a new computer model, known as RiverManager, to help make water allocation and use over coming decades more sustainable.

Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong, announced the funding on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River at Casuarina Sands in the Australian Capital Territory today.

"The Rudd Government's $12.9 billion Water for the Future plan has four priorities: tackling climate change, using water wisely, securing our water supplies and supporting healthy rivers," Senator Wong said.

"This new tool will help us deliver on these priorities by making better-informed decisions about how to manage the Murray-Darling Basin as a single entity in the national interest.

"RiverManager will clearly be an important tool to assist the Murray-Darling Basin Authority to implement the Basin Plan, including a new limit on water use. It will help the Authority evaluate the costs, benefits and trade-offs required to put the Basin Plan into action."

It provides the opportunity for water planners, managers and operators to manage the Basin's surface water and groundwater as a single, integrated system.

Senator Wong said RiverManager will help the new Murray-Darling Basin Authority evaluate the benefits and trade-offs of different water management options in the Basin.

"Right across the Basin, there will be real and tangible benefits from using the same 'platform' and databases.

"The funding announced today is enabling the CRC to fast-track this important work."

RiverManager will be able to do things that current models can't: for example, modelling groundwater and surface water interactions and the complex processes that existing models can only describe as 'unaccounted water losses'.

The Government's funding of the RiverManager tool complements the current CSIRO Sustainable Yields project in the Basin, and the $450 million Improving Water Information program administered by the Bureau of Meteorology.

More information about RiverManager is available from www.ewatercrc.com.au . More information about Water for the Future is available from www.environment.gov.au/water

18,000 Western Port properties exposed to climate change-related floods, study shows

Media release - 3 October 2008 - A major study involving five local councils from the Western Port region in Victoria shows some 18,000 properties are vulnerable to flood events related to climate change.

The report also shows that more than 73,000 people and 35,000 properties are currently in bushfire prone areas in Western Port.

The Rudd Government provided almost $500,000 towards the study, undertaken by the Western Port Greenhouse Alliance. The assessment gives a comprehensive picture of projected climate change impacts and proposes potential adaptation actions.

"The study highlights the need for early action on climate change to limit future social and economic costs," Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong, said.

"It provides the information governments and communities need to protect regional economies, infrastructure, housing, and peoples' lifestyles.

"Helping the Australian community adapt to the unavoidable effects of climate change is a key element of the Government's climate change policy."

This study shows local governments recognise that more work is needed on current planning policies, legislation and decision-making processes to keep pace with our emerging understanding of climate change.

More than 200 climate change risks are identified in the Western Port region, with more than half of these related to coastal inundation or flooding due to potential intense rainfall. Other significant risk factors include wildfires.

The study finds that around 18,000 properties (with a value of almost $2 billion) are currently vulnerable to flood events and more than 73,000 people and 35,000 properties are currently in bushfire prone areas.

The Western Port project is the first of five national assessments to be completed under the Australian Government's $1.5 million Integrated Assessment of Human Settlements initiative which builds the capacity of local governments to identify climate change challenges and develop responses.

Other projects are underway in Sydney, Tasmania, and the Gold Coast. A broader project has also started, focusing on regional settlements across five locations (Bendigo, Cooma, Queanbeyan, Australian Capital Territory and Darwin).

The Western Port project report and information about the Integrated Assessment of Human Settlements initiative are available from www.climatechange.gov.au/impacts/settlements.html.