Taxpayers want more action on climate, biodiversity: WWF poll
06 Mar 2007
Australians in the outer suburbs of major cities want governments to invest more money to protect habitat against the upheavals of climate change, according to a Galaxy opinion poll commissioned by WWF-Australia.
The Galaxy Poll found more than nine in 10 polled in Australia's marginal seats thought climate change was a significant threat to Australia's native wildlife and natural areas, and 78% (or nearly eight in 10) wanted the government to do more to counter the threat.
Currently the Australian Government only invests on average about 60 cents per tax payer per year on acquiring land for national parks or nature reserves, a level well short of that needed to achieve a commitment agreed to in 2005 by the Australian, State and Territory governments.
Experts estimate that about four dollars a year for five years is needed for every taxpayer to achieve the biodiversity protection targets agreed to by governments in 2005.
The Galaxy Poll revealed that most Australians were willing to invest a lot more in safe guarding Australia's unique biodiversity against the effects of climate change by creating new national parks and nature reserves, with the average amount being $16.20 per taxpayer per year.
"Four dollars from every taxpayer would add up to $50 million a year for five years to build a decent safety net for nature, which is pocket money compared with the ten billion dollars needed to fix the Murray Darling Basin," said Dr Martin Taylor, WWF-Australia's Protected Areas Policy Manager.
"To date the Australian Government has signed the national plan to create adequate nature reserves but is shy about budgeting the money needed to create sanctuaries large enough and connected enough to cope with climate change.
"The poll shows that the average taxpayer is more than willing to chip in the money required, which is the equivalent of a box of corn flakes a year, to ensure our wildlife and wild places have a fair chance at surviving climate change," Dr Taylor said.
"It's many times more cost-effective to protect what's left of nature in Australia than let it be degraded and have to fix it up later," he said.
WWF-Australia is urging the Australian Government as part of this year's May Budget to establish a new five-year $250 million program specifically for creating new protected areas on government, private and Indigenous lands.
"This will be the litmus test of whether the government is really serious about taking the lead to protect Australia's globally important diversity of life."
For more information
Charlie Stevens, Press Officer, WWF-Australia
Phone: 02 8202 1274
Mobile: 0424 649 689
Email: cstevens@wwf.org.au
Dr Martin Taylor, Protected Areas Policy Manager, WWF-Australia
Phone: 07 3839 4361
Mobile: 0406 384 289
Email: MTaylor@wwf.org.au
