Media release – Lake Pedder Restoration Inc, 22 July 2022
Restoration of Lake Pedder, the beacon of light in Australia’s damning State of the Environment Report
Amongst all of the bad news, the restoration of Lake Pedder as a place that could be restored was the beacon of light in the long-awaited ‘State of the Environment Report’ released this week.
“Minister Tanya Plibersek, and the Labor Government, now have an historic generational opportunity to inspire Australians by committing to the full restoration of Lake Pedder,” said Christine Milne AO, convenor of the Lake Pedder Restoration Inc.
“Nominating the restoration of Lake Pedder as Australia’s flagship project for the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration would be a symbol of hope to all who are despairing about the climate and biodiversity emergencies. It would put Australia up in lights globally as a leader in the 30×30 league of countries which have committed to 30% of the planet to be protected and restored by 2030 .
“Restoring Lake Pedder, and removing the costly impounding dams, will reinstate the integrity of Tasmania’s Wilderness World Heritage Area, and as the State of the Environment report points out, can demonstrate Australia’s commitment to World Heritage restoration”
The present, man-made, impounded Lake Pedder was encompassed by the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Boundaries by UNESCO, with the intent that one day the original globally iconic Lake Pedder, and biodiversity rich Serpentine Valley, would be restored.
The State of the Environment report Case Study ‘Lake Pedder – opportunities for restoration’, states; “the current United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021–2030, provide an opportunity to closely examine restoration of Lake Pedder, an action that would restore a key geomorphic attribute of Outstanding Universal Value and restore wilderness value, an attribute that underpins the maintenance of the integrity of the values of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.”
Common practice of dam removal to restore ecosystems around the world was noted in the report. Tasmania’s own Hydro have successfully decommissioned and successfully begun restoration of the Lagoon of Islands.
“Hydro has the skills to restore Lake Pedder. Through ecosystem restoration Hydro has an opportunity to leave a new generation of Tasmanians, those inheriting the climate and biodiversity crisis, a new kind pioneering legacy. Instead of a reputation for destroying nature with the inundation of Lake Pedder and the attempted damming of the Franklin River, it could have a new brand, skill set and competitive advantage for repairing nature,” Christine Milne concluded.
Featured image above: Lake Pedder reflection, courtesy Lindsay Hope.
