15
October 2008 - Minister for Climate Change
and Water, Senator Penny Wong, said international
climate change talks in Poland this week
had confirmed that action on climate change
could not stop because of the global financial
crisis.
Senator Wong attended
the talks as part of a series of negotiations
leading up to the Copenhagen meeting in
December next year, which will aim to forge
an international climate change agreement
for the post-2012 period.
"The formal summation
by Conference Chair, Polish Minister for
the Environment Maciej Nowicki, specifically
stated that the financial turmoil does not
provide a justification for postponing action
on climate change," Senator Wong said.
"It stated that,
in addressing both the finance and climate
change crises, collaborative action can
be shaped in a way that creates benefits
for all countries around the globe.
"The meeting recognised
that this Warsaw conference is part of a
complex process that includes the Poznan
discussions this year and ongoing negotiations
through next year, culminating in Copenhagen
in December next year."
As part of the Warsaw
talks, Senator Wong chaired a meeting of
the Umbrella Group (Australia, US, Canada,
Japan, New Zealand, Russia, Ukraine and
Norway) which discussed issues of mutual
interest in the negotiations ahead.
Senator Wong also took
part in a number of important bilateral
meetings with her ministerial counterparts
from China, Indonesia, Germany, the European
Commission and Denmark.
"I used these meetings
to explain Australia's approach to reducing
carbon pollution and to explore different
perspectives on the issues that will be
the subject of the negotiations going forward,"
Senator Wong said.
"Australia is particularly
vulnerable to climate change, and it is
in our interest to help find an effective
global solution."
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Minister in Warsaw and
London for climate change talks
12 October 2008 - Minister
for Climate Change and Water, Senator Penny
Wong will be in Warsaw and London this week,
12-18 October, for a series of high level
international climate change meetings.
In Warsaw, Senator Wong
will participate in ministerial consultations
designed to help forge greater consensus
ahead of the UN climate change meeting in
Poznan, Poland in December.
Senator Wong will also
host a meeting of the Umbrella Group - a
key grouping of non-EU developed countries
that actively cooperate in the negotiations.
Australia is the permanent chair of this
influential group.
In London, Senator Wong
will meet the newly appointed Secretary
of State for Energy and Climate Change Ed
Miliband, to share views on the challenges
of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
She will also meet industry
leaders and non-government organisations
to explain Australia's approach to reducing
carbon pollution and gain a first hand update
on British and European efforts to make
the transition to a low-carbon economy.
"These meetings
are an opportunity to update key private
and public sector figures on Australia's
Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme and hear
the latest on European efforts to tackle
climate change," Senator Wong said.
"Our discussions
will focus on many of the issues central
to developing domestic climate change responses
and to the United Nations climate change
negotiations. I will also be able to update
key people on the Australian Government's
efforts to help shape a global solution
to the challenge of climate change."
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$26.76 million boost
to Indigenous ranger work
14 October 2008 - Environment
Minister Peter Garrett today announced $26.76
million to help Indigenous rangers fight
the loss of biodiversity in remote Australia.
The package under the
Caring for our Country initiative includes:
$21.65 million to boost
the work of Indigenous rangers on Australia's
25 declared Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs)
over the next five years
$2.454 million this
year to help develop new IPAs
$2.662 million to employ
up to 44 Indigenous rangers this year through
eight Working on Country projects.
"From the red deserts of the Kimberley
to the coastal shrublands of the Great Australian
Bight, Australia's Indigenous rangers are
on the environmental front line," Mr
Garrett said.
"Today's funding
will help Indigenous people fight biodiversity
loss in some of Australia's most fragile
environments - protecting turtles from deadly
ghost nets, fighting weeds and wildfire
and controlling feral animals.
"A huge proportion
of Australia's habitat is on Indigenous
owned land and much of it is incredibly
remote, so we rely on the dedication and
skills of Indigenous people to conserve
it for all Australians.
"As we face threats
from climate change our environment needs
its Indigenous rangers more than ever and
the Rudd Government is determined to help.
"Their important
work not only benefits all Australians but
it also delivers real jobs to Indigenous
communities with spin-offs in health, education
and social cohesion."
Mr Garrett said the
$26 million package helps fulfil the Rudd
Government's commitment to create an environmental
rescue force of 300 Indigenous rangers and
triple funding for IPAs.
Today's investment in
IPAs will expand the work of existing IPAs
and help develop up to 35 new ones.
Mr Garrett said Working
on Country and IPAs complement each other,
with two of today's Working on Country projects
taking place on IPAs.
"The eight projects
funded through Working on Country are now
gearing up across Queensland, South Australia
and the Torres Strait," Mr Garrett
said.
"These projects
will put up to 44 extra Indigenous rangers
on the ground, caring for habitat, monitoring
marine life and fighting invasive species."
For more information visit www.nrm.gov.au
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Tough measures placed
on Tiwi plantations
16 October 2008 - Environment
Minister, Peter Garrett, today announced
a raft of tough measures, including up to
$2 million for remediation works, to be
imposed on forestry operations at the Tiwi
Islands, Northern Territory, following a
breach of approval conditions.
Mr Garrett said clearing
carried out at the plantations between 2004
and 2006 had encroached on required buffer
zones which protected important rainforests
and wetlands.
"Any action which
impacts on a matter of national environmental
significance as defined under the national
environment legislation is something which
I take very seriously and the new conditions
I am announcing today reflect that. In particular,
the forestry operator will be required to
undertake and pay for comprehensive remedial
action.
"My department
has undertaken investigations into these
breaches, and following an admission by
the company involved regarding the detail
of the breaches, I have imposed new conditions
requiring measures to remedy the damage
done, and for additional and ongoing environmental
benefits to the area."
Mr Garrett said that
as well as adding new conditions to the
operator's existing federal approval, a
$1million bond must be posted by the company
to ensure the necessary remediation works
were completed.
"The new conditions
require the operator to fix all incursions
into the rainforest and wetland buffers
and I have also required the operator to
pay a financial contribution of $1.35 million,
over three years, to the Tiwi Land Council
for use in the Indigenous Rangers Program.
This funding will support the rangers to
carry out environmental works and projects,
including the control of feral pigs and
exotic grasses.
Federal member for Lingiari,
the Hon. Warren Snowdon MP, said it was
a positive outcome for the people of the
Tiwi Islands.
"This extra commitment
of funds will help the Tiwi Land Council
to manage the environment, and will ensure
that jobs will stay," said Mr Snowdon.
The Tiwi Islands plantation
project involves clearing native forests
to establish up to 26,000ha of hardwood
Acacia mangium plantations on western Melville
Island in the Tiwi Islands group.
The project's approval
stipulated that clearing was not to occur
within set buffer zones designed to protect
important rainforest and wetland habitats
used by threatened species protected under
the Federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity
Conservation Act 1999.
The joint initiative of Sylvatech and the
Tiwi Land Council was approved in August
2001.
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World Heritage funding
for the region
13 October 2008 - Minister
for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts,
Peter Garrett today announced more than
$13 million for World Heritage projects
in Australia and across the Asia-Pacific
at the Pacific Islands World Heritage Workshop
in Cairns.
Addressing the workshop
via video-link, Mr Garrett said the funds
included:
$2.7 million for the
Wet Tropics World Heritage Area;
$3.4 million for the Tasmanian Wilderness
World Heritage Area;
$1.77 million for pest eradication on Macquarie
Island; and
an additional $1.9 million to support specific
projects and administration across our World
Heritage sites.
and $2.5 million to UNESCO to support World
Heritage initiatives internationally, with
a focus on the Asia-Pacific.
"This Government is committed to World
Heritage and to the safekeeping of our region's
extraordinary World Heritage places.
"The Rudd Labor
Government is determined to make sure our
World Heritage properties are more resilient
to impacts of climate change and introduced
pests so we can ensure these valuable resources
are conserved for future generations.
"Australia has
a rich and diverse representation of World
Heritage properties, including the Wet Tropics
of Queensland, Uluru - Kata Tjuta National
Park, the Tasmanian Wilderness and the iconic
Sydney Opera House, all of which are tourist
destinations for people across the world
and provide substantial economic benefits."
Welcoming representatives
from nations across the Pacific Islands
to the Workshop, Mr Garrett said Australia
also had an international responsibility
to World Heritage.
"All nations in
the Pacific region must work in partnership
and share knowledge and expertise to protect
exceptional sites for the global community
and Australia is significantly supporting
that effort.
"The Pacific, rich
in both cultural and natural wonders, is
the least represented region in the world
with only three World Heritage-listed properties.
"During the workshop,
experts from Australia, New Zealand and
the UNESCO World Heritage Centre will provide
practical advice and training in managing
and assessing places that have, or may have,
World Heritage values."
The Pacific Islands
World Heritage Workshop is jointly hosted
with the New Zealand Government and the
UNESCO World Heritage Centre, with the support
of the World Heritage Fund. The Australian
contribution to the workshop is part of
the Australian Government's contribution
of $1 million to the World Heritage Centre
to help build World Heritage capacity in
Pacific Island Countries.
Mr Garrett said Australia's
appointment as Vice-President of Asia-Pacific
for the World Heritage Convention at the
World Heritage Committee meeting in Quebec
in July, was clear recognition of our leadership
in world heritage, particularly in this
region.
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$1.4 million for Denmark
wind farm
16 October 2008 - Environment
Minister, Peter Garrett, today announced
funding of $1.4 million for a small wind
farm in the Western Australian community
of Denmark.
The Denmark wind farm
will be funded under the Australian Government's
Renewable Remote Power Generation Program.
Minister Garrett said
that the two wind turbines will generate
around 5800 megawatt hours of electricity
each year, and will reduce greenhouse gas
emissions by more than 5700 tonnes annually.
"The power generated
by this renewable energy facility will replace
the electricity that would otherwise be
supplied from gas and coal fired power stations.
It has the capacity to provide around half
of Denmark's annual electricity needs,"
Mr Garrett said.
"It's the Government's
aim to produce 20 per cent of Australia's
electricity needs from renewable sources
by 2020 and this project, while small, will
make a real contribution to the achievement
of that target.
"As well as providing
economic benefits to the local business,
the Denmark community will benefit through
improvements to the power quality in the
area."
The Denmark Community
Windfarm Inc, is a not-for-profit community
organisation that is raising the additional
$1.45 million needed for the completion
of the project from other Australian businesses
and private shareholders.
The two 900 kilowatt
wind turbines will be located at Wilson
Head Reserve.
