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The Guardian
2 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
That sinking feeling: Australia's Limestone Coast is drying up
Graham Kilsby, a fourth-generation farmer, is surveying the Kilsby sinkhole, a popular freshwater diving site on his property south of Mount Gambier. The gin-clear waters provide visibility of up to 65 metres. But, as he inspects the sinkhole when Guardian Australia visits, alarm bells ring. Water levels dropped 1.5 metres between January and March 2025. Lake George at Beachport. The drainage system that cuts through the region ends here, with flood water released into the sea. Here the drainage system is bone dry It's a long-term decline, made worse by South Australia experiencing one of the driest years on record since 1900. And it's not confined to Kilsby's property: the entire vast groundwater network in the limestone crust that straddles the border between South Australia and Victoria – an area of such agricultural richness that it has been dubbed the Green Triangle – is in decline, thanks to decades of over-extraction and declining rainfalls. Monitoring of 181 groundwater wells by SA authorities shows a consistent decline since 1993, with some, particularly in areas of intensive irrigation and forestry developments, dropping by several metres. We're here to explore the sinkhole alongside a group of experienced freedivers. And, as Kilsby says, to 'see it before it's gone'. It's reckoned to be one of the best dive sites in the world to descend on a single breath. By day, divers move through brilliant shafts of light piercing the cave. By night, glow sticks are their only markers, 25 metres below. Free divers join a rare night dive at Kilsby sinkhole It's a remarkable experience – one Kilsby wants protected. 'We need an independent review of currently available [water use] data, as well as a moratorium on any new bores,' he says. A free diver at Kilsby 'It's not something we can look at in three years and everything will be OK. If we don't change what we're doing, I think we've destroyed it and it won't be coming back.' One month before diving at Kilsby sinkhole, we're at Little Blue Lake, a large freshwater sinkhole a 15-minute drive south of Mount Gambier. It's a 35C day in January and the lake is buzzing with swimmers seeking relief in waters that remain 14C year-round. People wait to leap into Little Blue Lake, a freshwater sinkhole on the Limestone Coast The once crystal-clear lake now often appears steel-grey or green, its water quality compromised by persistent algae blooms caused by excess nutrients in the water from agricultural runoff and wastewater. Waste from the lake's thousands of visitors also built up, with some guests reporting seeing human faeces littering its perimeter before a portable toilet was installed in January. Sign up for a weekly email featuring our best reads Teenagers gather at the rim, waiting to take the 'leap of faith' – a 12-metre drop that's a local rite of passage. The crack and thud of awkward landings echoes off the deep walls. The leap has grown riskier as water levels hit historic lows. 'See that ledge the kids are sitting on? That's new,' one local remarks. A young boy dives deep at Little Blue Lake An underwater view of the aquatic plants lining Ewens Ponds, open for a brief period in January before being closed due to low flows Closer to the coast are a series of karst rising springs, wetlands formed by groundwater rising to the service under pressure, creating a permanently saturated peat soil. That water then feeds the region's most well-known sinkholes, the Piccaninnie and Ewens ponds. But both are now closed due to low flows and algae outbreaks. Piccaninnie Ponds, a Ramsar-listed wetland of international importance, has been closed since 2022 and snorkelling and diving at Ewens Ponds was suspended in February. Piccaninnie Ponds, a Ramsar-listed site of international importance that has been closed since 2022 Mount Gambier residents Maddy and Hamish share a moment during a swim in a runoff channel at Piccanninie Ponds The ponds rely on constant, fast-moving groundwater flow. Claire Harding, a conservation ecologist at the SA National Parks and Wildlife Service, says water flows at Piccaninnie and Ewens have reduced by 62% and 25% respectively since the 1970s. 'Anything that affects groundwater is going to also impact Piccaninnie and Ewens,' Harding says. In 2020 both Picanninie and Ewens were listed as nationally endangered ecosystems. Uncle Ken Jones, a Boandik community elder, dives deep at Ewens Ponds In January the SA lieutenant governor, Dr Richard Harris, an anaesthetist and experienced cave diver who received international acclaim for the crucial role he played in the rescue of schoolchildren trapped in a cave in Thailand, conducted a dive at Piccaninnie with the National Parks and Wildlife Service to help guide any potential reopening. 'What I saw earlier this year when I did that dive was shocking,' Harris says. 'It's a real disaster unfolding.' The lush pastures and usually high rainfall of the Green Triangle make it a highly productive agricultural region. The Limestone Coast produces a third of SA's agricultural output, despite being just 2% of its landmass. Across the border in Victoria there are 1,000 dairy farms in the south-west alone, producing 2bn litres of milk – 23% of all national production – each year. The South Australian Dairyfarmers Association chief executive, Andrew Curtis, says any cuts to water allocations could impact dairy businesses. The less-successful dairy farms are slowly being bought up by forestry interests, increasing an already vast expanse of blue gum and radiata pine plantations. The fast-growing trees drink up the groundwater and absorb runoff, causing aquifer levels to plummet. A 2009 report by the SA Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation found that hardwood and softwood forests cut water recharge to the aquifer by 78% and 83% respectively, when compared with dryland agriculture. An aerial view of Hell's Hole, part of the network of sinkholes and caves on the Limestone Coast Since the mid-1990s, groundwater levels in heavily irrigated areas have also declined. Conservation advice provided in 2020 to the federal government on the karst springs' endangered listing under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act linked that decline in part to the use of centre-pivot irrigation, which consumes much more water than other forms of irrigation. There are now 3,000 water licences allowing irrigators and landowners to draw groundwater from the region for non-domestic use. About 100km north of Mount Gambier are the Bool and Hacks lagoons. The seasonal, interconnected wetlands earned Ramsar status in 1985 and were once famous for flocks of migratory birds. Marion Patterson with some of the 600 taxidermised birds collected by her father 'Dad used to say Bool in flood was better than Kakadu,' says Marion Patterson, a fourth-generation Bool local. Patterson is speaking from the bird room, a collection of 600 taxidermised birds and 350 fauna specimens put together by her father, the duck hunter turned conservationist and master taxidermist, Jack Bourne. It's open to the public via appointment. Many of the birds here were once regular visitors to the lagoon. There's a brolga that hit a power line and started a fire, several birds of prey, smaller wrens and a little grebe. Bool and Hacks are fed by Mosquito Creek, a once-permanent source of water which is now dry. Dr Matt Gribbs, a CSIRO hydrologist, says the creek began to dry up at the end of the 1990s and now 'there is only flow for 15-20% of the time'. Centre-pivot irrigation next to the Bool and Hacks lagoons The collapse of the lagoons is a slow-moving crisis, and the regulatory response has been even slower. A plan to reduce water allocations in high-risk areas, recommended in 2013, was put on hold in 2018 when Steven Marshall's Liberal state government blocked any changes, instead calling for an independent review of the science underpinning the proposed cuts. That review was published in 2019 and described ongoing 'catastrophic consequences' to Bool and Hacks lagoons, and to the karst springs farther south, due to intensive land use and historical drainage in both areas. That warning was consistent with the 2013 plan. The Landscape Board – a body set up in 2019 to manage SA's landscapes – told Guardian Australia the warnings have been around for 'decades'. In 2024 an extensive review of regulations noted: 'The overall scheme of management has not changed significantly since 2004.' The water allocation plan is not due to be updated until December 2027. A SA government spokesperson said decisions would be made on the best available science. A water-hungry blue gum plantation near Naracoorte Despite the acknowledged decline, there has been no official report to Ramsar on the Bool and Hacks lagoons since 1998, and no report on Piccaninnie Ponds since 2012. The Ramsar convention requires governments to make a report if the ecological character of a site changes or is likely to change due to human activities. A spokesperson for the SA government said the department was 'documenting information about the current status of Bool and Hacks lagoons and Piccaninnie Ponds, in line with the requirements of the EPBC Act and the Ramsar Convention'. Ewens Ponds was open for a few fleeting weeks early in the new year, before being closed in February. In that brief window, a Boandik (Bunganditj) man, Uncle Ken Jones, who runs a tourism business on the Limestone Coast, steps into the cool water, taking a deep breath before diving into blue. 'It's just magic,' he says, resurfacing with a grin. Jones snorkels at Ewens Ponds His joy is precarious, resting on the health of a dying ecosystem. 'If we don't do something about it in the next few years, it rests upon our soul,' he says. 'We really should have spoken up and influenced some people to care for it a bit better rather than just take, take, take.'
ABC News
28-05-2025
- General
- ABC News
Man rescued after falling into Cave Garden sinkhole in Mount Gambier
Emergency services have rescued a man from the bottom of a 30-metre deep sinkhole in the centre of Mount Gambier, in South Australia's south east. Police, State Emergency Service and Metropolitan Fire Service crews attended the Cave Garden about 8:45am, following reports the man had fallen in and was stuck at the base. Crews used a ladder, drone and specialised equipment to rescue the man, which took about two hours. The man walked, with assistance, to a stretcher and was taken to an ambulance by police and ambulance workers. A police spokesperson said he was taken to hospital for assessment. It follows a similar incident at the Cave Garden in 2020, when a man died after falling into the sinkhole. The Cave Garden sinkhole is a popular tourist attraction that features lookouts, a viewing platform and waterfall during wet periods. Mount Gambier City Council has dual-named the Cave Garden/Thugi, with European and Bunganditj names to recognise the cultural significance of the site.
ABC News
26-05-2025
- General
- ABC News
Rod Sparks
Rod has been associated with ABC South East for over ten years with his regular computer and technology segment on the mornings show. With a forestry science and computing back ground, Rod was lured to Mount Gambier from Melbourne in the late 1980's by the lifestyle of a regional town plus the additional attractions of excellent sporting facilities and the nearby Coonawarra, both passionate interests. Rod also enjoys home renovating and cabinetmaking and still actively pursues his hobbies which include bushwalking and the martial arts. Rod has an "off the wall" sense of humour, a love of the arts and a passion for community service. An interesting mix, don't you think? You can hear Rod presenting the Saturday mornings program on ABC South East from 6:05am – 10am. If you've got a story for Rod you can contact him on
ABC News
18-05-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Boxers work at protecting their heads as interest in sport grows
After more than a decade of boxing, Sam Dwyer knows he is taking a risk. "I think it's a bit of cognitive dissonance," he said. "There's nothing you do in life that doesn't have risk … but obviously protecting yourself is very important." However, a new analysis of head knocks by Central Queensland University's (CQU) Ragnar Purje found that even low-level impacts on the head in sports like boxing can reduce neural function. The analysis also highlighted the particular risks of head knocks for children, with even sub-concussive impacts having long-term consequences. Dr Purje's colleague, CQU's head of educational neuroscience Ken Purnell, said experts wanted to make sports "smarter, not softer". "It's not about banning boxing or karate or soccer or whatever else," Professor Purnell said. "It's really more about awareness … all thinking about prioritising that safety for the brain, so the sport can be thriving." A professional boxer, promoter and gym owner from Mount Gambier in South Australia's south-east, Dwyer started in the sport 13 years ago. "It's opened up a whole world of opportunities for me," he said. During that time, he started his gym, began running events, and has seen increased participation and attendance. "When I moved back to Mount Gambier, I was one of a handful of amateur boxers. Now we've got 20-odd getting ready to fight out of the gym." Dwyer said the motivations behind people taking up the sport varied, with some never intending to get hit. "All of our technical and general classes are non-contact, so there's a lot of people that do it just for the fitness and community side," he said. "Probably 75 per cent of our gym members are just here for fitness." Professor Purnell said that as the popularity of combat sports had grown in recent years, so had the knowledge about the impact on the brain. "Even if a knock to the head doesn't cause concussion, it can contribute to long-term brain changes, especially in young athletes where their brains are still developing." Professor Purnell said the sub-concussive blows could add up, causing symptoms such as mood changes, brain fogginess, irritability and more. Dwyer said that while he had so far avoided issues with head injuries, many boxers had changed the way they train. "Back when I started, we'd do a lot more sparring than we do now," he said. "We do a lot more skill work and the sparring we do, unless we're coming into comp, is very light. Professor Purnell said it would be impossible to remove head contact from sports where it was ingrained in the culture, such as combat sports. But he said administrators needed to look at ways to minimise risks across all sports. "We're smart about when we get in a car that we wear our seatbelt," he said. "So what can we do, whether it's soccer or hockey or netball or whatever, to reduce the possibility of it occurring and then to help if and when it does?" he said. Beyond the sports themselves, Professor Purnell said the "magic four" elements of connectedness with other people, good nutrition, decent sleep and exercise could help maintain a healthy brain. "If you're in that period where you've had a few of these knocks, but you do these things, they help to mitigate against some of those more adverse impacts," he said. "The moment something starts to interfere with your daily life, you know that's when you really need to take some action to reduce that."
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Warning over feral invader raiding Aussie homes: 'More than we've ever seen'
WARNING — GRAPHIC CONTENT: An Australian man working on the front lines of the country's invasive species crisis has urged governments to consider subsidising the efforts of hunters, in a bid to increase appetite among those willing to help fight back against predators like feral cats and foxes. South Australian man Tate, from Mount Gambier in the state's southeast, is a volunteer hunter. Speaking to Yahoo News, he said Australia's battle against introduced pests needs much more attention, with livestock farmers in particular copping the brunt of the destruction. Tate, who has been hunting foxes and feral cats for years, said the situation is "getting well out of hand". He warned that cats in particular are "a massive danger to our native wildlife", with there being "more feral cats than we've ever seen in the past." This week, he shared images online of a ginger cat he recently intercepted. Tate said the example is merely the tip of the iceberg. "I believe feral cats are a little bit worse than foxes, but they're both a huge problem," he said. "And it's without a doubt getting worse." The South Australian said the foxes where he lives have become so emboldened they even search for food on the streets in town. "They're just all over, and they can be very cruel," he said. "I had a lady recently who had seven chickens, and one came in, took a chicken and killed the rest for no reason. "Another farmer, he's got a feral cat problem, and he's got an aviary of budgies and parrots and stuff, and the cat actually chewed its way through the aviary wire to get to these birds. It's pretty gruesome, to be honest with you." 🦘 Rare victory in fight to protect critically endangered Aussie species 🐱 Iconic species faces 'being lost forever' over $18 billion threat 🦊 Predators in outback held back by fence covering 300-hectares Tate, who runs the South East Vermin Control page, said these local examples provide just a glimpse into the broader issue around the country, with native wildlife, and small mammals in particular, in many cases being forced to the brink of extinction. "Some states like Victoria have bounties on foxes, and we need them for cats too," he said. "That would entice people to get out there and make a dent in these populations. Even if it's $5 to $8 a scalp or something like that — that's still going to cover your ammo for the night." "The farmers are looking after their own properties, but all the other recreational hunters are like, well, why the hell would I waste my fuel and my ammo to go look after someone else's property if I'm not going to get anything out of it?" Feral cats and red foxes have had a devastating impact on Australia's unique ecosystems, contributing significantly to the country's status as having the worst mammal extinction rate in the world. Together, they've helped drive over 25 native species to extinction, and continue to threaten more than 100 others — including small marsupials, ground-nesting birds, and reptiles — many of which occur nowhere else on Earth. Feral cats are considered one of the most damaging invasive species in Australia. Estimates suggest they kill more than 1.5 billion native animals every year, with even low-density populations capable of wiping out vulnerable species in a region. Their economic impact is also staggering. According to research, feral cats cost the Australian economy around $1 billion a year, including expenses for control efforts, ecological damage, and biodiversity loss. Foxes, introduced in the 19th century for recreational hunting, similarly prey on native wildlife, but also affect agriculture by attacking livestock and poultry. While they're often less numerous than cats, foxes can be just as ecologically destructive in areas where native species haven't evolved defences against such efficient predators. Together, these invasive carnivores have reshaped the Australian landscape by decimating populations of native animals, destabilising ecosystems, and creating costly challenges for conservation and agriculture. Their presence is a key reason why efforts to recover threatened species often require large-scale predator control or the creation of fenced sanctuaries to give native wildlife a fighting chance. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
