Concerned community members are circulating a petition as they attempt to gauge the community interest in retaining the Tiddalik Wetlands and Bird Sanctuary.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Members of the Tiddalik Wetlands Management Committee are distributing a petition to shops around Darlington Point to scope out the level of community support for the retention of the wetlands.
Murrumbidgee Council voted in August 2018 to reduce the budget of the wetlands' maintenance program to $10,000 as well as source grants to facilitate the removal of the wetlands in order to return the area to a retardation basin.
The wetlands were worked on by volunteers and opened in 2001 through a Centenary of Federation grant.
Chairwoman of the management committee Mona Finley said the committee had been attempting to encourage council to maintain and develop the area since 2011 and with sufficient council backing could help tourism to the area.
"It's got a lot of potential," Mrs Finley said.
"The loss of the wetland and its potential would mean the flagrant waste - not only of taxpayers' money - but also of all the community goodwill and effort that went into bringing the project into being."
READ MORE
Mrs Finley said the committee had been attempting to encourage council to provide funding to maintain and further develop the area since 2011, but had not seen success.
"We have made several attempts to make presentations to council," Mrs Finley said.
"It [the wetlands] could be presented far better... we're not being supported to do all that."
Mrs Finley said the committee had studied surrounding wetlands in Leeton and Narrandera for management and development ideas and would continue to work to retain the area as wetlands.
Murrumbidgee Council were contacted for comment as to the current status of the wetlands but had not responded as of The Observer's print deadline.