The ‘risky’ plan to take 31,000 Olympic swimming pools from beneath WA’s largest river
The Western Australia government has proposed a groundwater management plan that could extract the equivalent of over 31,000 Olympic swimming pools from the Martuwarra Fitzroy River each year. Environmentalists express concerns that this plan threatens the river's ecosystem, particularly the critically endangered freshwater sawfish. The government claims the plan balances environmental protection with economic opportunities, but experts warn it could have detrimental effects on the river's health.
- ▪The proposed plan aims to increase groundwater extraction from 32 gigalitres to nearly 76 gigalitres annually.
- ▪The Martuwarra Fitzroy River is the largest river in Western Australia, spanning over 700 kilometres.
- ▪Environmentalists argue that the plan could jeopardize the survival of the endangered freshwater sawfish.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The Sydney Morning Herald.