Media release
- 14 December 2009 - The Minister for the
Environment, Heritage and the Arts today
celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Hawke
Government's initiative to prevent mining
in Antarctica.
"Bob Hawke led
the international push in 1989 for the rejection
of mining in Antarctica, instead promoting
the frozen and fragile continent as a natural
reserve devoted to peace and science.
"The Hawke Government's
actions initially proved unpopular with
the 33 Antarctic Treaty nations who, in
June 1988, had already signed the Convention
on the Regulation Antarctic Mineral Resource
Activities and Bob Hawke was told it was
a lost cause.
"Mr Hawke maintained
that Antarctica was too important to the
whole global ecosystem and that mining would
always be catastrophically dangerous in
that environment.
"Today, the mining
ban continues in Antarctica thanks to the
strong lead taken by the Hawke Cabinet,"
Mr Garrett said.
Mr Garrett also paid
tribute to the actions of environmental
organisations such as Greenpeace, the Antarctic
and Southern Ocean Coalition and the Australian
Conservation Foundation who mounted an effective
grassroots campaign.
"The NGO campaigns
saw my predecessors as Minister for the
Environment receive more than 12,000 individual
letters and postcards calling for a permanent
ban on mining in Antarctica," Mr Garrett
said.
In recognition of these
efforts, the Environment Minister Peter
Garrett, announced a new fellowship to be
aligned to Australia's Antarctic Program.
Mr Garrett said that
the post-doctoral award - to be known as
the R.J.L. Hawke Fellowship in Antarctic
Environmental Science - was further consolidation
of the Australian Government's commitment
to meeting the climate challenges of the
future.
"The Australian
Government recognises that to meet the challenges
of global change and sustainable development
we need to invest more in science capability
through people and infrastructure.
"This is particularly
true for our Australian Antarctic Science
Program where improved understanding of
the impacts of climate change on ice sheets
and the Southern Ocean, the sustainability
of fishing and krill, and the approaches
to protecting the unique and precious environment
are critical inputs to Australia's ongoing
commitment to Antarctica," Mr Garrett
said.
The Hawke Fellowship,
to be awarded on the basis of excellence
to new doctoral graduates for policy-relevant
science aligned to the Australian Antarctic
Strategic Plan, will start in 2010.
Mr Garrett also announced
that new accommodation at Wilkins Runway
in Antarctica would be known as the Hon
R J L Hawke AC, Living Quarters.
"'Hawke's Hut',
a fully-demountable building being constructed
this season will house mess, kitchen, laundry
and bathroom facilities for runway crews
during the summer season.
"The building will
have minimal impact on the surrounding environment,"
Mr Garrett said.
Mr Garrett said that
the powerful alliance from the highest levels
of the Hawke Cabinet, Non-Government Organisations,
and the community in understanding of the
importance of Antarctica deserved to be
recognised and remembered.
