02-05-2002

Federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Warren Truss and Federal Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Dr David Kemp, today congratulated Western Australia's Lake Toolibin Salinity Management System on winning the inaugural $30,000 National Salinity Prize.
Prime Minister John Howard awarded the prize earlier today at a ceremony at Parliament House, Canberra. The National Salinity Prize.

recognises the outstanding efforts community and agency-based groups have made in battling salinity in the Lake Toolibin region, which is at the headwaters of the Blackwood River east of Narrogin in the Western Australian wheatbelt.

"Lake Toolibin Salinity Management System has put in place a range of integrated management practices to help protect the lake - an internationally recognised wetland - and improve the region's environmental and agricultural assets," they said. "With over 8 per cent of the local catchment severely affected by salinity, and another 24 per cent at high risk, Lake Toolibin and its surrounding ecosystems were in real danger."

The scheme used a range of innovative measures, including:

• reducing recharge through revegetation and protecting remnant vegetation;
• using contour farming practices and perennial grasses for grazing;
• better managing surface water to reduce agriculture-related waterlogging, and to help divert low-volume, highly saline inflows to a saline lake downstream; and groundwater pumping, to lower the water table beneath the lake.

"The keys to the project's success have been its ability to win the support of local communities and landholders, its determination to find specific solutions for specific problems and the willingness to use the most appropriate engineering and scientific tools, including geophysics, remote sensing, computer modelling and ecological function analysis. The National Salinity Prize recognises in particular the innovative engineering approaches used.

"Salinity is a major problem in Australia, and it not only affects agriculture and the environment but, increasingly, infrastructure such as roads, pipes, public buildings, homes and machinery in both rural and metropolitan areas.

"The Coalition, through its National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality, and a range of other initiatives, is tackling the problem head-on. We also applaud the Institution of Engineers for initiating this important new prize and welcome the efforts of Australia's engineers to find workable and lasting solutions to the problem of salinity."

The National Salinity Prize is sponsored by the Institution of Engineers Australia, the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality and the Murray Darling Basin Commission, and attracted 32 high-quality entries in this its first year. The judging panel was drawn from the three sponsors and received advice from the State hydrology panels of the Institution of Engineers.

For further information please contact:

Please contact Land & Water Australia
Email:land&wateraustralia@lwa.gov.au
Phone: 02 6263 6000