4 May 2012 - 317 projects
around the country will benefit from the
first round of the Gillard Government’s
Biodiversity Fund.
The Biodiversity Fund is a key component
of the Gillard Government’s strategy to
enhance biodiverse carbon stores and secure
a clean energy future for Australia.
Announcing the first round of Biodiversity
Fund grants, Minister for the Environment,
Tony Burke and Minister for Climate Change,
Greg Combet said the 317 projects would
help to revegetate, rehabilitate and restore
around 18 million hectares of the Australian
landscape over the next six years.
Collectively these projects have real potential
to advance the reversal of biodiversity
decline and establish significant areas
of carbon storage. They are an important
first step in connecting our landscapes
and making them more resilient to climate
change.
Minister Burke said
the Biodiversity Fund would provide much
needed long-term commitment to biodiversity
conservation and restoration with almost
half the projects announced today running
over a six year period.
“Providing long-term
support to land managers leads to enduring
results for our environment and for the
community,” Mr Burke said.
“Across Australia, farmers and other land
managers already do a great job through
Landcare work and the Biodiversity Fund
will build on this work.
“A number of projects announced in this
first round also align with the intent of
the draft National Wildlife Corridors Plan
helping to improve connectivity in the landscape
through the establishment of landscape scale
wildlife corridors.
“This program has received overwhelming
support from land managers right across
the country with the Biodiversity Fund encouraging
an additional $207 million in in-kind or
financial contributions.”
In Queensland the Biodiversity Fund will
support a project to restore the Condamine
catchment landscape in collaboration with
the local community.
In South Australia, the Fund will provide
$2.6 million to rehabilitate South Australia’s
remnant coastal corridor, the Samphire Coast,
over the next six years.
The Fund will also support a project to
protect Victoria’s iconic River Red Gums
and restore native vegetation along the
Hopkins River.
Minister Combet said just over a third of
the Biodiversity Fund projects indicated
that they may go on to participate in the
Carbon Farming Initiative.
“These policies will
help to protect biodiversity on the land,
boost carbon storage opportunities and improve
the resilience of unique species against
the impacts of climate change,” Mr Combet
said.
“The Biodiversity Fund is an important part
of the Government’s Clean Energy Future
plan and is supported by revenue from the
carbon price. It focuses directly on taking
action on-ground to maintain the productive
capacity of our landscape and natural ecosystem.”
+ More
United States shipwrecks
from Battle of the Coral Sea now protected
under Australian law
4 May 2012 - Heritage
Minister, Tony Burke, today declared the
United States warships the USS Lexington,
USS Sims and USS Neosho sunk during the
Battle of the Coral Sea as protected historic
shipwrecks.
Mr Burke said the remains
of these warships are a poignant reminder
of the service and sacrifice of Australian
and US serviceman who fought during the
battle and are, for some, their last resting
place.
“It is a great honour to be making this
declaration today, the 70th anniversary
of one of the most fiercely fought days
of the battle, and I hope in some way it
conveys the gratitude and condolences of
all Australians to Coral Sea veterans and
their families,” Mr Burke said.
“These shipwrecks are a tangible link to
one of the most dramatic events in Australian
and US military history and one of the most
defining moments of World War Two - the
Battle of the Coral Sea.
“To protect and preserve
their exceptional heritage value these shipwrecks
are now protected under Australia’s Historic
Shipwrecks Act 1976 and any actions that
may result in damage, interference, removal
or destruction of these shipwrecks or their
associated relics are now illegal.”
On 7 May 1942 aircraft from the USS Yorktown
and the Lexington sunk the Japanese aircraft
carrier Shoho just before noon. At about
the same time, and in a separate engagement,
dive bombers from the Japanese carriers
Shokaku and Zuikaku sunk the destroyer USS
Sims and left the US fleet oiler Neosho
a crippled wreck.
Later that day a support
group including the HMAS Hobart and HMAS
Australia were attacked by another force
of bombers, which were based at Rabaul in
New Guinea. The battle continued on 8 May,
when the two main carrier forces engaged
directly for the first time, resulting in
the loss of the Lexington with 216 members
of her crew.
“In early 1942 Japanese control of south
east Asia and the northern Pacific was virtually
unchallenged and for many Australians, who
kept an ever watchful eye on events as they
unfolded in the Pacific, it would have been
easy to believe Australia was next,” Mr
Burke said.
“Victory in the Coral Sea was the first
major defeat for Japanese forces and the
beginnings of the long and difficult road
towards victory.
“The significance of the battle is not only
that it marked a turning point and the emerging
importance of aircraft carriers in the Pacific
war, but also that it was the first joint
military action between Australian and US
forces.
“The sacrifice of those who took part in
the battle lives on in the strength and
vitality of the US-Australian alliance,
that has grown and developed into a firm
friendship over the last 70 years and continues
today.
“In making the declaration today the Australian
government recognises and acknowledges the
exceptional heritage significance of the
shipwrecks of the USS Lexington, USS Sims
andUSS Neosho and is ensuring their remarkable
legacy is protected forever under Australian
law.”
