9 June
2006 - Places throughout Australia where the rich
diversity of native plant and animal species is
threatened, have been singled out for increased
investment by the Australian Government, the Minister
for the Environment and Heritage, Senator Ian
Campbell, said today.
“These special places face a
variety of threats, such as land clearing, development
pressure, salinity, weeds and feral animals,”
Senator Campbell said.
“The biodiversity hotspots programme
brings a proactive approach to managing threats
in areas that are still relatively intact and
maintaining their biodiversity values.
“Managing the threats effectively
requires a whole of landscape approach across
all types of land ownership, to promote active,
ongoing conservation management.
“An exciting feature of this
programme is that it draws on the considerable
expertise of Australia’s non-government conservation
organisations to deliver stewardship payments
and voluntary property acquisitions for those
areas throughout Australia most in need of conservation.”
The stewardship payments offer
direct financial support to land-holders to help
them protect existing natural habitats with high
conservation values. Large properties with outstanding
biodiversity values are those most likely to be
targeted for acquisition.
“Over the past 10 years, the
Australian Government has committed historic levels
of funding to tackling our environmental challenges,”
Senator Campbell said.
“This programme hits the spot
by investing in preventing biodiversity decline
and providing support to those land mangers that
have already made a commitment to maintaining
the biodiversity values of their properties.
“In view of the highly diverse
nature and richness of Australia's plants, animals
and ecosystems, the Australian Government has
not constrained this program to apply only to
the 15 previously identified biodiversity hotspots.
“We will soon be launching a
process to engage non-government conservation
organisations to help deliver some $21 million
of projects across Australia. We will be seeking
organisations with a proven track record in property
acquisition and management for conservation and
delivering market based incentive projects.
“This spending complements the
on-ground work being funded under the Australian
Government’s flagship $3 billion Natural Heritage
Trust and the $1.4 billion National Action Plan
for Salinity and Water Quality programmes.”
“In particular it builds on
the success of the Government’s Natural Heritage
Trust funded National Reserve System Programme
that has provided $80 million since 1997 to establish
20 million hectares in 271 new reserves across
the country,” Senator Campbell said.
An invitation to tender for
agents to deliver the programme is expected to
be made in July 2006.
