IT was a three year journey to a destination that has the local community elated.

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On 9 June, 2016, Mambo Wetlands was sold to a developer.

Today the local community came out to celebrate three years to the day from the devastating news that core koala habitat was gone.

Kathy Brown one of the drivers behind saving the Mambo Wanda Wetlands site told News Of The Area, “We thank the community for their continued support for the return of Mambo to public ownership.

“Many thanks also to Port Stephens Council and Member for Port Stephens, Kate Washington, who have argued against the sale before it occurred and for the three years following.”

Champagne flowed as the sign came down.

“Thanks also goes to the Berijiklian government who have shown they can listen to the community,” she said.

The community celebrations are a stepping stone along the way to saving the environment in the region.

There is a RAMSAR application in progress which if successful will protect Mambo Wanda Wetlands into the future.

RAMSAR is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.

There are currently 2.341 RAMSAR sites with a surface area of 252,489,973 hectares.

If successful the RAMSAR listing will see Mambo Wanda Wetlands recognised for its unique attributes.

There are also toolkits for the management of RAMSAR sites which will see the wetlands managed well into the future.

By Marian SAMPSON