Australians love the natural beauty and unique wildlife that we share this country with, but our natural world is hurting, and only major reform will save threatened species.
In response to the threatened species and nature policy suite released by the Greens today the Australian Conservation Foundation’s Nature Program Manager, Basha Stasak, said:
“The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) welcomes the Greens’ nature protection policies, in particular the $2 billion-a-year nature fund, the pledge to fund threatened species recovery plans, the rejuvenation of Landcare, the investment in Indigenous Protected Areas and the commitment to expand our National Reserve System.
“Australians love the natural beauty and unique wildlife that we share this country with, but our natural world is hurting, and only major reform will save threatened species like the koala, the Corroboree frog and the Mountain pygmy-possum.
“In the last decade three native species have been wiped out and scientists predict a possible 17 animals could go extinct in the next 20 years.
“Since Australia’s national environment protection law took effect 17 years ago an area of threatened species habitat larger than the size of Tasmania has been destroyed.
“Despite these damning statistics, nature has been neglected by the current federal government, with investment in protecting and restoring the environment cut by nearly 40 per cent since 2013-14, while the overall federal budget has grown by 17 per cent in the same period.
“We call on all parties to reinvest in nature and commit to an annual investment of $1 billion a year to restore landscapes and stop extinction, as set out in ACF’s budget submission.
“Alongside increased funding, Australia needs a strong new national environmental act backed by a federal Environment Protection Authority to protect our unique wildlife.”
