The State Government announced last Friday that the decision to construct a third regulator in the Goolwa Channel would be reviewed at the end of summer.

Two temporary regulators are currently in place near Clayton and at the mouth of Currency Creek.

The regulators have created a pool of water in the Goolwa Channel in a bid to manage the risk of acidification.

However, recent rainfall means there is less threat of this occurring in the Finniss River over summer.

The Minister for the River Murray, Karlene Maywald, said Currency Creek posed a much higher risk of acidification than the Finniss River.

“Last summer, Currency Creek disconnected from the Goolwa Channel,” she said.

“This did not occur for the Finniss River and…because of recent rainfall and inflows, it retains much of its capacity to neutralise acidification risks.”

However, the Alexandrina Council wants the government’s promise that no more regulators will be constructed in the river system.

“I’m still worried by the government’s wording that ‘at this stage’ they see no need…but we don’t see any need at all for another regulator,” environment and economic development manager Graham Webster said.

“The Finniss River is well supplied by aquifers and streams during the year. The government could be spending its money more wisely elsewhere.”

Alexandrina Mayor Kym McHugh agreed, claiming the risk of acidification has been alleviated.

“There is no need for the other regulator to be built at Finniss, and I think the minister would be happy to hear us supporting that view,” he said.

The council plans to write to the government and restate its view that it sees no need for more regulators or weirs in the river system.

Mrs Maywald stressed that the regulators are temporary structures and will be removed once the threat of acidification has passed and freshwater flows are improving.