New plan lifts Govt’s game, but gaps remain

Date: 28-Nov-2008

The Federal Government’s 2009-10 Caring for Our Country business plan, released today, represents an improvement in the way governments invest in Australia’s natural capital, the Australian Conservation Foundation said.

The business plan outlines targets and priorities for conserving and restoring wildlife habitat, wetlands and soils around the country.

 

“Federal expenditure on conservation and land management is still less than one-fifth of one per cent of its budget, so it is essential this small sum is well spent,” said ACF Rural Landscapes Campaigner, Corey Watts.

 

“This plan is an improvement, but there remain gaps.  A comprehensive plan would look at strengthening federal environmental law enforcement, mobilising private sector investment, protecting our ocean environment and building links to government water purchases, drought policy reform and emissions trading.

 

Mr Watts said the plan included some important new elements, including:

·                A strong emphasis on multi-million dollar landscape-scale projects that forge strategic partnerships between community, industry and government.

·                Funding targeted to parts of the country most in need of attention – especially northern, remote and regional Australia.

·                Substantial investment in new parks, reserves and Indigenous protected areas – worth billions to the national economy and regional development.

·                A commitment to expand the area of private land under active conservation, re-connect wildlife habitat and improve soils on tens of thousands of farms.

·                Stronger engagement with Indigenous communities and recognition that their traditional ecological knowledge is essential to good conservation.

 

“With the climate rapidly changing and with threats from pests, weeds, land clearing, water pollution and habitat degradation increasing, the Rudd Government should increase investment in the natural assets underpinning our prosperity.  Otherwise we’re just tinkering around the edges.”

Conservation facts: How is Australia performing?

·                According to the last formal assessment of the condition of Australia’s landscapes, nearly 3,000 different ecosystems are stressed or highly stressed and 1,500 native plant and animal species are threatened with extinction.

·                Australia already holds the unenviable title of “Most Number of Mammals Extinct” in modern times.  Almost 40 per cent of global mammal extinctions in the last 200 years have occurred in Australia.

·                Earlier this year, the Environmental Performance Index produced by Yale and Columbia Universities, ranks Australia 46th overall; even lower in terms of the vitality of our ecosystems and the effectiveness of our conservation policy.

·                This puts us behind some of the world’s poorest countries, including Brazil, Cuba and Albania; countries that face far greater social and economic challenges.


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