A re-elected Morrison Government will invest up to $3.7 million to improve the health of the Torrens River and help the South Australian Government establish the new Glenthorne National Park.

Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Simon Birmingham said a $2 million investment would drive further Torrens River Recovery initiatives with the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges NRM Board, including the reconstruction of wetlands, management of pollutants, the removal of invasive weeds and revegetation initiatives.

“All of these activities contribute to minimising polluted inflows into Gulf St. Vincent which in turn minimises the loss of sea grass, reduces beach and coastal dune erosion and reduces habitat loss for species such as migratory shorebirds,” Minister Birmingham said.

Minister for the Environment Melissa Price said a further $1.7 million investment would support the South Australian Government’s Glenthorne National Park initiative, a plan to establish a 1500-hectare network of reserve land from the Adelaide foothills to the coast.

“Restoring native vegetation in this biodiversity hotspot will create a new wildlife corridor and preserve habitat for threatened species in the region, including the black chinned honey eater and native eucalypt species,” Minister Price said.

South Australian Minister for Environment and Water David Speirs said the Glenthorne initiative was a unique opportunity to simultaneously connect South Australians to nature and restore an urban environment.

“We welcome the Federal Government’s support for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to establish a new national park in Adelaide and create an amazing environmental legacy,” Minister Speirs said,

Funding for the projects will be provided from the Morrison Government’s $100 million Environment Restoration Fund announced in the 2019-20 Budget. The Environment Restoration Fund has three key priority areas: protecting threatened and migratory species and their habitats; improving Australia’s coasts, oceans and waterways; and increasing recycling of waste.

The Fund builds on The Coalition’s $1 billion investment through the National Landcare Program and complements the Communities Environment Program.

The 2019-20 Budget includes $3.8 billion in funding for a better environment, including a $3.5 billion Climate Solutions Package.