Australia lags behind China on protected areas
12 Feb 2008
Australia's commitment to protected land areas is weaker than the world's most populous developing nation, China, WWF-Australia revealed today.
Current national reports show 10.5 per cent of Australia's land area safeguarded in protected areas, considerably less than several other megadiverse nations that harbour the majority of the earth's species.
Comparatively, 14.8 per cent of China's land area is reported as being under protected areas.
On the opening day of an international summit on protected areas, WWF has called on the Federal Government to contribute $250 million to expand the country's National Reserve System.
"For the cost of a box of cornflakes a year from every taxpayer we could reach the government's stated target of 15.5 per cent of Australia's land area by 2010," said Dr Martin Taylor, Protected Areas Policy Manager with WWF-Australia.
While a vast improvement, such a commitment would still fall short of China's commitment to secure 17 per cent of land as recently reported to the Convention on Biological Diversity summit being held in Rome.
Of the 17 megadiverse nations in the world, Australia ranks highest for number of vertebrates and comes in at five for plants.
However, Australia lags behind megadiverse countries Colombia, China, Peru, the USA, Malaysia and Venezuela in terms of extent of protected areas.
Less than $7 million was spent annually by the previous government on protected areas, but experts believe up to $50 million a year over five years is required to meet Australia's 2010 protected areas target.
"Building our National Reserve System was one of the eight core priorities of the Natural Heritage Trust but only 2.3 per cent of total Trust investments ended up being spent in this area," Dr Taylor said.
WWF's proposal has been endorsed by the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas, an international commission of protected area specialists.
The IUCN's vice-chair for Australia and New Zealand, Penelope Figgis AO, said: "Climate change threatens the very existence of our wonderful plants and animals which are the result of millions of years of isolated evolution."
"They also are central to our national identity and a major attraction to international visitors.
"We urgently need to build a safety net to help our unique and threatened wildlife weather the upheavals of climate change."
Contacts
Dr Martin Taylor, Protected Areas Policy Manager, Brisbane
0406 384 289
Penny Figgis, IUCN vice-chair for Australia and New Zealand
0416 364 722
