Restoring our wetlands

Wetlands perform a vital role in our natural environment; they provide a buffer from the impacts of floods and waves, filter and absorb pollutants, and provide habitat and food for a huge diversity of animals and plants. Wetlands are also critical to Australia's commercial and recreational fishing industries, providing nurseries for fish, prawns and other freshwater and marine life.

There are currently 142,000 hectares of coastal wetlands and 24,000 hectares of inland wetlands in the Hunter-Central Rivers region. We have two wetlands in our region that are recognised under the Ramsar convention as being internationally important: the Myall Lakes on the Lower North Coast and the Hunter Estuary Wetlands near Newcastle.

The Hunter-Central Rivers CMA is actively restoring two major wetland areas in the Hunter River estuary: Hexham Swamp and Kooragang Wetlands. In 2008 these areas became part of the Hunter Estuary National Park. Click on the images below to find out more.