Wildfires

Wildfires - Australia

A bushfire has burned through 3,000 hectares of the internationally significant Macquarie Marshes, placing a question mark over the long-term viability of a key section of the wetland, according to a leading expert.

The New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service has confirmed the fire hit the northern reed bed in the wetlands, which are listed under the Ramsar convention covering wetlands of international importance.

The marshes, in central north-west NSW, are considered one of Australia’s most important inland nesting sites for waterbirds. The reed bed is key habitat for the endangered Australasian bittern.