The media says that the wetlands are “in crisis” and are on the brink of collapse – why spend so much money trying to save areas that are going to die anyway?
Wetlands provide a variety of essential functions – they support biodiversity, provide food for fish and birds and are important nesting and breeding grounds, support grazing and cropping enterprises, and provide a natural attraction to tourists. It is important that further decline is prevented and these ecosystems are improved to ensure the ongoing provision of these fundamental ecosystem services. The Gwydir Wetlands and Macquarie Marshes in particular are significant because areas within them have international recognition under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran, 1971) and have historically supported large scale breeding events for migratory bids.
