9 November
2006 - A landmark report by WWF-Australia has
hailed Australia’s National Reserve System as
the nation’s premier investment in biodiversity
conservation.
The report, Building Nature’s
Safety Net, was launched in Canberra today by
the Minister for the Environment and Heritage
Senator Ian Campbell.
“This safety net now comprises
almost 11 per cent of our land mass and I’m delighted
that WWF is singing its achievements.”
“Australia’s National Reserve
System is one of the most ambitious conservation
efforts in the world, yet it is one of our best
kept secrets,” Senator Campbell said.
“This nation-wide network of
reserves is especially set up to protect examples
of Australia’s unique landscapes, flora and fauna
for current and future generations.
“They are indeed ‘nature’s safety
net’ - an environment lifebelt for plants and
animals as they adapt to climate change and through
their important contribution to the water cycles
of our dry continent.
The National Reserve System
is made up of all national parks, 22 Indigenous
Protected Areas, hundreds of privately-owned reserves
managed by conservation NGO s and others, and
thousands of private properties under perpetual
conservation covenants.
“WWF has also identified the
Top 10 Protected Areas. I’m pleased to see that
the first to receive this award for outstanding
conservation management is Booderee National Park,
which is jointly managed by the Australian Government
with its Indigenous owners, the Wreck Bay Community.”
Senator Campbell said the WWF
report highlighted the environmental leadership
of the Australian Government in developing the
National Reserve System over the past decade.
“In 1997 we set up the National
Reserve System Programme to accelerate the conservation
effort. Since then we have invested more than
$87 million, adding 21 million hectares to the
nation’s protected land areas,” Senator Campbell
said.
“Under the Howard Government’s
stewardship the area protected forever under private
and public management has grown by 25 per cent
– compared with a growth of just 1 per cent under
the previous Labor Government’s meagre $5 million
investment.”
Building Australia’s Safety
Net highlights the outstanding cost-effectiveness
of investments under the Australian Government’s
National Reserve System Programme. Every dollar
has leveraged at least another dollar from private
conservancy groups, NGOs and state and territory
governments to develop the reserve system.
“As WWF points out, the Australian
Government’s partnerships with conservation NGOs,
Indigenous owners and the private sector are the
key to developing the reserve system,” Senator
Campbell said.
“Indigenous owners have added
14 million hectares of Aboriginal lands to the
National Reserve System over the last decade and
private landholders are managing their lands for
conservation whilst still running profitable businesses.
“Nowhere else in the world has
a national Government joined with so many partners
in a concerted strategy to conserve examples of
all the country’s important environments.
“At the same time, the National
Reserve System has generated economic dividends
as well. In 2005, nature-based tourism alone earned
$9.3 billion from 3.4 million international tourists.”
Rob Broadfield
