$7m grant to help protect Great Southern estuaries

Efforts to improve the health of Torbay Inlet will be ramped up after it was named a new focus of a State Government initiative to protect estuaries along WA’s south coast.

Last Thursday, Water Minister Dave Kelly announced $7 million would be allocated to the protection of three Great Southern estuaries as part of the Healthy Estuaries WA program.

The three estuaries are Torbay Inlet, Wilson Inlet, and Oyster Harbour.

The Torbay Catchment Group was named a new partner in the program, which aims to support farmers to reduce nutrient run-off into waterways.

Mr Kelly said Torbay Inlet had been selected because of its “significant value” to the Great Southern community.

“The program is delivering the funding so that we can really continue to care for those estuaries and hopefully wind back some of the damage that has been done over decades,” he said.

“We know that increased nutrient flows do have a significant negative impact on our estuaries ... this program will work with local farmers and local catchment groups to clean up these estuaries so we can enjoy them for decades to come.”

Torbay Inlet Catchment Group project officer Pip Tilbrook said water was the “lifeblood of the land” and needed to be protected.

“The healthy estuaries program will allow us to help our farmers to look closely at their soil and fertiliser applications,” she said.