SA: Wine company to establish NZ wetland

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SA: Wine company to establish NZ wetland

ADELAIDE, Aug 19 AAP - Banrock Station Wines will use revenue from New Zealand winesales to establish a wetland on the nation's North Island, the South Australian companysaid today.

It said contributions from wine sales in New Zealand would go towards establishinga wetland in the agricultural district of Masterton, north of Wellington.

The wetland would be created in partnership with Wetland Care New Zealand.

"More than 90 per cent of New Zealand wetlands have been lost, destroyed or abusedwith many of the wetlands drained for sheep and dairy farms," Banrock Station managerTony Sharley said in a statement.

"Times have changed. There is no need to destroy natural wetlands to make way for morefarming land.

"Wetland conservation - whether in Australia or New Zealand - has the potential toadd value and improve efficiencies of farming properties."

Mr Sharley said sites in the North and South Islands of New Zealand were also beingidentified for future wetland restoration.

Banrock Station is on a mission to save wetlands around the world and already contributesto wetland conservation in eight other countries.

Last month it won the world's RAMSAR Wetlands Conservation Award for its commitmentto wetland restoration.

AAP la/jmd/sb

KEYWORD: BANROCK NZ