The federal and state governments will invest $10 million to improve the quality and availability of waterbird habitat throughout the Ramsar-listed Coorong and Lower Lakes.

Healthy Coorong, Healthy Basin’s On-Ground Works project aims to improve the availability and quality of habitat for migratory and non-migratory shorebirds at priority wetlands in the Lower Lakes.

Minister for Resources and Water Keith Pitt says the $10 million investment in the Coorong and Lower Lakes is on top of the $70 million already funded and will support local jobs and the community through work on maintaining and repairing iconic wetlands.

“To maintain and improve the health of this iconic site, it is critical that these interventions are made to improve food availability across key wetlands,” Mr Pitt says.

“This capital investment supports direct and flow-on economic benefits to local communities – including 72 full time equivalent jobs.

“By working to increase the availability of shallow wading habitats, this project will provide jobs and support greater numbers of shorebirds by providing important refuge habitat for species that would otherwise use the Coorong South Lagoon.”

Small-scale wetland management infrastructure will be constructed at three priority wetland sites at Tolderol, Waltowa and Teringie with regulators, pumps, pipes and earth works put in place to manage water levels to improve the extent, quality and duration of inundation.

South Australian Minister for Environment and Water David Speirs says the project will provide foraging habitats for seven target waterbird species, including the common greenshank, curlew sandpiper, sharp-tailed sandpiper and red-capped plover.

“Once the infrastructure is in place there will be a significant increase of shorebird habitat of similar type to the Coorong South Lagoon,” he says.

“Upon completion, we expect this will provide more than 260 hectares of high-quality habitat with carrying capacity for more than 15,000 of the seven target species.

“This project is part of SA’s Project Coorong initiative, which is taking action to restore the health, vitality and visitor experience of the Coorong through environmental projects to get the Coorong back on track and initiatives to boost eco-tourism.”

Construction is expected to start later next year.