Pay fair share or give World Heritage island to the Commonwealth
15 Mar 2007
The political quagmire over who should pay to rid World Heritage listed Macquarie Island of rabbits and rodents is an international embarrassment, which could be solved by Tasmania handing the island over to the Commonwealth, WWF-Australia said today.
The Tasmanian Environment Minister, Paula Wreidt, confirmed yesterday that the 12 March Tasmanian Cabinet meeting considered the Australian Government's offer to pay for half the eradication plan but failed to make a decision, and that 'discussions were continuing'.
"This Cabinet meeting needed to deliver a firm decision to ensure that the rabbit, rat and mice baiting part of the eradication plan will not be delayed by another year," said Julie Kirkwood, WWF's Invasive Species Policy Officer. "The continued stalling and brinkmanship by the Tasmanian Government has turned this globally important natural treasure into a bruised political football. The consequence is the completely preventable deaths of threatened albatross, penguins and petrels."
The rabbit and rodent eradication plan is the only effective long term solution to the island's rabbit plague.
"All the cards are now on the table - a finalised plan, final costings, and a Commonwealth offer to pay half the plan. The Tasmanian Government now needs to show it is fair dinkum about securing the long term conservation of this globally important natural treasure by making a reasonable counter-offer to the Australian Government."
"The simple fact is that Tasmania owns the island and is responsible for its day to day management, including feral animal control. It has a statutory obligation to responsibly manage the island under its own laws. Responsible stewardship of the island and its wildlife requires the Tasmanian Government to quickly decide to pay its fair share of the eradication plan.
The other option is for Tasmania to promptly cede Macquarie Island to the Commonwealth as part of a deal to get them to pay the full cost of the rabbit and rodent eradication plan. "Ceding the island to the Commonwealth would ensure the certain and long term protection of the island," said Ms Kirkwood.
"This would save money for Tasmania, enable the Australian Government to manage Heard, McDonald and Macquarie islands and their surrounding marine reserves as one fully integrated sub-Antarctic conservation zone, and provide a certain and secure future for the island and its precious wildlife."
Find out more
Angela Heck, Press Office, WWF-Australia
Phone: 02 8202 1268
Mobile: 0421 053 023
Email: aheck@wwf.org.au
Julie Kirkwood, Invasive Species Policy Officer, WWF-Australia
Phone: 03 9669 1303
Mobile: 0417 121 430
