Protecting Nature’s Gifts

Dr Graeme L. Worboys AM is a former Honorary Associate Professor at the Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University & Bruce Gall is a former Director of the Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service.

This is the fifth article in an 8-part series discussing our nature’s gifts.

In our previous article on Ranger Guardians, we looked at how rangers manage and protect our nature’s gifts in parks and reserves. In this article, we take a wider view of conserving nature and consider international factors that drive this protection.

Australia ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 1993. It is the most wide-ranging of Australia’s environmental treaties, covering all our biodiversity.  Importantly, the CBD is legally binding; parties to the convention are obliged to implement its provisions.

Conventions can only be joined by a national government, which is usually also responsible for implementing them. Not so in Australia, where, in respect of the CBD, states and territories have prime responsibility for the protection and management of our nature’s gifts.

Australia commits to increase the National Reserve System to combat biodiversity crisis

National Parks Association of NSW president, Dr Grahame Douglas, has welcomed the Prime Minister’s announcement that he will protect Australia’s biodiversity by conserving at least 30% of our nation’s land and seas. 

Dr Douglas stated, “Setting a new target of 30% for protection in our National Reserve System is a practical response to the desperate challenges facing Australia’s biodiversity and natural landscapes.

New Koala SEPP Commences in NSW – But Worse is Yet to Come

Cerin Loane, Senior Solicitor, Environmental Defenders Office

This article originally appeared on EDO’s website (edo.org.au) on 8 April 2021 and has been reprinted with permission.

Following its announcement on 8 March 2021 (see our earlier update), the NSW Government has now made State Environmental Planning Policy (Koala Habitat Protection) 2021 (Koala SEPP 2021). It commenced on 17 March 2021, while Koala SEPP 2020 continues to apply to some rural zones.  

Rangers endangered! 

What do swift parrots, koalas and NPWS rangers have in common? They may all be extinct in NSW if the Baird government has anything to do with it.

Over the weekend a worrying piece of news was buried amongst the furore of two Grand Finals and a heatwave that sent millions to the beach: NSW environment agencies are to be hit with $20 million worth of cuts this year— on top of $60 million already slashed from environment since the change of government three years ago[1].

Three levels of government guilty of failing to protect koalas

It’s up to us now: with three levels of government failing to protect koalas, the community has to take a stand to ensure we don’t lose our national icon says the National Parks Association of NSW (NPA).

It’s a sad truth that the NSW and federal governments don’t seem to care about koala conservation. They are leaving the heavy lifting to cash-strapped community groups and non-governmental organisations.