The Mambo Wetlands are worthy of our protection

One such gem is the Mambo Wetlands in Salamander Bay. If you ever have the opportunity you should visit the Wetlands and walk through the old growth forest of ferns, eucalypts and blackbutt, discover the koala pathways that stretch through the area and look up to the sea eagle nesting trees. I am told that if you are lucky you will see koalas walking along the beach and licking residual sea salt from the shoreline. This happens nowhere else in the world.

The Mambo Wetlands serve as the lungs of the Port Stephens marine wonderland. It feeds directly into the Port Stephens Marine Park and the oyster farms of the Port Stephens region. The nexus between the coastal ecosystem of the Tomaree Peninsula and the protected marine zone of Port Stephens is vital for the region’s continued growth as a tourist destination and oyster farming hub of NSW.

In addition to the environmentally sensitive nature of the site, the land is also culturally significant, having been used by the Maaiangal people, a clan of the Worimi.  

For decades, the land has been looked after by the community as part of the wetlands, with local Land Care Committee members receiving numerous awards for their dedication to the site.

Given the enormous contribution the Wetland plays in the ecological, economic and social health of the region, it came as a shock to residents when a section of the Wetlands owned by the NSW Government’s Department of Education put up a ‘For Sale’ sign. No consultation, no concern.

Within days of the sign being installed, members of the community organised a rally, started a petition and delivered flyers about this issue across the area.

A community meeting I held at short notice last week was attended by over 200 residents and we heard from a range of community representatives opposed to the sale. The NSW Minister for Education and Minister for Environment were invited to attend but declined.

At its last meeting, Port Stephens Council called on the NSW Minister for Education not to sell the site and instead include it in Council’s Mambo Wetlands Reserve “in order to protect the environmental and archaeological integrity of this Reserve”.

Since then, there has been an avalanche of letters written to the state ministers. They are not providing any meaningful response and they are certainly not giving any indication that there is any consideration being given to Council’s proposal and the community’s requests.

Residents are worried and rightly so. The land to be sold is the last known breeding ground for Port Stephens koalas. Koalas move through the site regularly and are seen often. And as to the koalas moving through the wetland to lick sand off the beach – does this happen anywhere else in the world? Development of the site will surely mean the extinction of this cluster of Port Stephens koalas.

This Sunday, June 5, is World Environment Day.  It’s appalling to think that this precious parcel of land will go on sale the following day. We cannot allow this land to fall into private hands due to a short-sighted decision made by bureaucrats in Sydney who do not value the unique environment we have in Port Stephens.