Latest News - Revive our Wetlands 3

New - Revive our Wetlands 2007 Banksia Award in the Wetland Category

At a critical time of worsening drought, dwindling water resources and debate and action about climate change, Conservation Volunteers Australia in partnership with BHP Billiton is proud to announce Revive our Wetlands, Australia’s largest national wetlands revival program will continue for a new three year term 2007 to 2009.

In response to the challenge of water management and in particular the protection and restoration of Australia’s  wetlands, Revive Our Wetlands will again be restoring and maintaining the health of significant wetlands through volunteer engagement and building local community capacity.

More than $1.8 million is being invested in the coordination of volunteers, school education, project management and monitoring of Revive sites, bringing the total contributed by BHP Billiton since 2000 to $5 million.  BHP Billiton and CVA are sharing their professional expertise and resources and engaging BHP Billiton employees in the program. 

Five key wetlands sites are to receive significant help; Upper Spencer Gulf, Desert Coasts Wetlands in SA, Townsville Town Common QLD, Southern Rivers Wetlands NSW, Beeliar Regional Park Wetlands WA and Point Cook Coastal Park, Cheetham Wetlands VIC.  In addition, 50 other wetlands will receive hands-on conservation assistance, 100 schools will be engaged and more than 10,000 volunteer days contributed.

Since its establishment in 2000, Revive our Wetlands has resulted in:

• Over 250,000 volunteer hours contributed to ‘hands on’ rehabilitation activities across 160 priority wetlands around Australia.
• 522,000 stems & trees planted, 4,200 hectares of weeds controlled, 95 kilometres of fence erected, 116 kilometres of walking tracks repaired, 22 tonnes of rubbished removed.
• For every $3 contributed by BHP Billiton, an additional $2 has been gained for Revive sites from third parties including federal, state and local governments.
• An increased public profile and awareness of the importance of wetlands through more than 500 Revive media articles, distribution of 8000 newsletters, presentations at 20 conferences and a number of prestigious awards including the Prime Ministers Award for Excellence in Business Community Partnerships and the Financial Review Magazines Corporate Partnership of the Year.
• Local communities are in a much stronger position to maintain the health of their wetlands following the concentration of help, resources and heightened awareness generated by Conservation Volunteers over a concentrated period of time.
• The establishment of Australia’s first comprehensive web-based wetlands monitoring system to record and track performance against annual targets and outputs at each Revive site.
• A three year photographic study recording ‘before and after’ images on Revive sites.

‘CVA is a fantastic organisation. While much is being spoken about diversity and habitat loss, they are the ones out there working with members of the community to actively address the issue.  Water management is critical to our business and a number of the Revive sites are situated near our operations.  Already over 500 of our employees have volunteered on Revive projects outside work hours. It’s a tangible way of leaving a sustainable community legacy and we are delighted to be involved’, said Chip Goodyear, BHP Billiton Managing Director.

Contact Us

For more information about Revive please contact Sarah Brittle, National Revive Manager on 02 6247 7770 or revive@conservationvolunteers.com.au

For the latest Revive information download the Revive Newsletter
Revive Autumn/Winter Newsletter 2007

Revive Autumn/Winter Newsletter 2006
Revive Spring/Summer Newsletter 2005
Revive Autumn Edition Newsletter 2005
Revive Spring Edition Newsletter 2004
Revive Summer Edition Newsletter 2004
Revive Spring Edition Newsletter 2003
Revive Winter Edition Newsletter 2003
Revive Autumn Edition Newsletter 2003

Revive Our Wetlands presentation at the AWA conference,
Alice Springs, April 2006

To subscribe to the Revive newsletter, please email revive@conservationvolunteers.com.au