End 'decade of neglect' of nature protection: WWF report
12 Mar 2008
Governments must urgently boost investment in new nature reserves and protected areas if it is rescue Australia's unique wildlife from a 'decade of neglect', a new report by WWF-Australia says.
Using the latest government data, WWF reveals that although Australia is the most 'megadiverse' country in the world for vertebrates, only 10.5 per cent of Australia's land area is safeguarded in protected areas, less than that of other, poorer megadiverse countries such as Colombia, China, Peru, Malaysia and Venezuela.
WWF is calling on the new Federal Government to invest at least $250 million in building a safety net of protected areas to save Australia's wildlife and natural ecosystems.
"Such an investment, which equates to the cost of a box of cornflakes a year from every taxpayer, could extend protected areas to 15.5 per cent of Australia's land area by 2012," said WWF's protected areas policy manager and report co-author, Dr Martin Taylor.
While an improvement, such a commitment would still fall short of other countries like China, which has promised to secure 17 per cent of its area in nature reserves by 2010.
About $8 million on average was spent annually by the Commonwealth over the last decade in acquiring new protected areas for wildlife. Experts believe at least $50 million a year over five years is needed.
"Building the National Reserve System was one of the eight core priorities of the Natural Heritage Trust but the National Reserve System funding programme received only 3.4 per cent of past Trust budgets," Dr Taylor said.
"So we're not calling for new government money, just better spending of existing money. As a proven cost-effective and secure way to save wildlife habitat, the National Reserve System should command at least a fair share of the $2 billion Trust budget."
WWF's analysis has found 72 per cent of Australia's threatened species are declining, but that declines are less common in regions with more land area protected.
"With climate change altering habitats, the picture is only likely to get worse and the need for protected areas more urgent," Dr Taylor said.
The report Building Nature's Safety Net 2008: Progress on Directions for the National
Reserve System is being launched at Parliament House at 11am on 12th March by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, the Hon Peter Garrett AM MP.
Telstra is a proud partner of WWF's Building Nature's Safety Net campaign.
For more information:
Charlie Stevens, WWF-Australia Press Office
02 8202 1274, 0424 649 689
Dr Martin Taylor, WWF-Australia's Protected Areas Policy Manager
07 3211 2749, 0406 384 289
Building Nature's Safety Net
Building Nature's Safety Net is the first comprehensive review of Australia's land protected area system.
It determines whether the growth of Australia's land protected areas is on track to meet biodiversity protection targets adopted by Australian, State and Territory governments in 2005.
