Myall Lakes River System

Mr CRAIG BAUMANN (Port Stephens) [1.52 p.m.]: Today I draw the attention of the House to the rapidly deteriorating health of the Myall Lakes river system in my electorate of Port Stephens. Thousands of fish are dying of various fungal-related diseases and salinity levels have dropped dramatically. Fear and concern about the health of the river system have been increasing over the past few months in my electorate and beyond. After the past couple of months, headlines in local newspapers read, "Myall Lakes dead fish toll grows" and "Myall Lakes fish kill a mystery". On a recent visit to Tea Gardens, which is a fabulous village on the Myall River, I was stopped by a fisherman who was desperate to show me the state of the river and the condition of the dying fish. The water was murky brown. The fish had large red sores, which seemed to be eating away at their scales.

I did not have to be an expert to see that there was, and still is, something seriously wrong with the river system. Some locals say that the grim state of the river is a result of recent heavy rains. Others say it is the result of run-off from roadworks or farms. Some say it is an environmental disaster. Others say it is just nature's cycle. In a press release dated 2 September the Department of Primary Industries claimed the fish were dying of saprolegniosis or winter disease, but two weeks later the Department of Primary Industries issued another press release saying tests had found the fish were dying of red spot disease, which it says is "reasonably common and usually clears up naturally". But as theories and counter-theories fly thick and fast, one fact remains true: the Port Stephens-Great Lakes Marine Park is in seriously bad health. This should not be ignored.

While the fish kill is worrying, it is just a symptom of a much greater environmental problem. A recent draft water quality research program completed by the Great Lakes Council and a range of community groups and government agencies reported the Myall River is "in distress and urgent action is required". According to the Great Lakes Council, there is a relatively simple solution: dredge the mouth of the river. There has been a considerable build up of sediment at the river's mouth in recent years. This build-up is seriously restricting the tidal flows of the river. While that may not be entirely to blame, it could be partially responsible for the river's inability to flush away toxins. Dredging the river is therefore seen as the best solution to increase tidal flows, flush out contaminants, and normalise salinity levels.

The Great Lakes Council has called on the New South Wales Government to assist in funding dredging of the river. I strongly support this cry for help. However, there is growing concern about a degree of inaction by the New South Wales Government on this issue. In the true style of this Government, an issue like this falls under a plethora of government departments and bureaucracies: the Department of Primary Industries, the Department of Lands, the Department of Environment and Climate Change, the Marine Parks Authority, and the National Parks and Wildlife Service. Despite all these departments having some responsibility for the health of this important river system, it appears that very little has been done to fix the problems—another testament to the New South Wales Labor Government's mismanagement of this State.

Great Lakes Council recently called for a single authority to be established to oversee the Myall River system. While we shudder at the thought of another authority, another government department and more bureaucracy, this proposal highlights perhaps the biggest hurdle in restoring the health of the Myall River—getting the Government to act. There are so many departments involved, it seems each believes it is the other's responsibility, and nothing gets done. Admittedly, the Department of Primary Industries has been running tests to determine the cause of the fish diseases but, as I said earlier, the fish deaths are just the tip of the iceberg and merely a symptom of a much greater problem. As one local fisherman told Hunter media, "It's not what you see that is the worry, it's what you don't see."

While solving the fish kill mystery will be good, it will not solve the problem of the ailing river system. Curing the fish will not cure the river; in fact, the best way to cure the fish is to cure the river. The New South Wales Government and all its departments must act as a matter of priority to fix this problem. The people of Port Stephens do not want to hear about inquiries and investigations—they want action.