New protected areas to save our wildlife
Queensland has more wildlife with poorly protected habitats than anywhere else in the country.
Of federally listed threatened species in Queensland 42% have less than 10 percent of their habitats in protected areas.
The state also has the lowest percentage of total land in protected areas of all the States and Territories.
The next Queensland Government MUST guarantee at least $15 million in 2009-10 to take advantage of $180 million in Commonwealth grants for the acquisition of protected areas to bring poorly protected habitats and ecosystems into new national parks and nature reserves.
In addition, it should boost protected area acquisition and management budgets 10 per cent each year to keep pace with the expanding estate and rising costs.
Queensland recently committed to more than double protected areas by 2020 and it is essential this commitment is delivered.
Among the Queensland species with least habitat protection include the Mary River Cod and Turtle, whose river habitats are seriously threatened by the proposed Traveston Dam.
National parks and nature reserves are the proven best and most secure method of arresting declines of threatened wildlife toward extinction and buffering nature against climate change.
Further Information
Press Clippings
- The Sunshine Coast Daily, 28 November 2008 - Extinction scare
- Courier Mail, 12 November 2008 - National parks earn $4.43 billion for Queensland
- ABC Queensland, 27 June 2008 - Paradise Lost
- AAP, 27 March 2008 - Double Qld national parks, says WWF
- Radio Australia, 12 March 2008 - WWF points to Australia's growing number of extinctions
Media Releases
- 11 September 2008 - Qld has most wildlife with poorly protected habitats: WWF
- 01 April 2008 - WWF welcomes $180m investment in new protected areas
- 12 March 2008 - End 'decade of neglect' of nature protection: WWF report
- 12 February 2008 - Australia lags behind China on protected areas
Reports
- Building Nature’s Safety Net 2008
- Paradise Lost report
- Red list of threatened species 2008
Solutions for our state
1) End land clearing, cut climate pollution and save wildlife
The State must:
- Enforce and extend laws to protect vulnerable lands and all threatened habitats
- Pay landowners to protect other forests
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2) New protected areas to save our wildlife
- Invest $15m in new national parks next year
- Boost protected area funds by 10% a year
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3) Cut pollution to the Great Barrier Reef
- reward good farm practice
- ban high risk pesticide, fertiliser and cattle stocking practices
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4) Ban shark fishing in the Great Barrier Reef
Around 70,000 sharks a year are killed in the Great Barrier Reef. We must stop slaughtering these top predators in this World Heritage area.
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