It is
well known that land clearing is the single biggest threat to Australia's
biodiversity. No wonder when you consider scientists estimate 7.5 million
birds and 100 million reptiles are killed a year due to landclearing. If
counted, the figures for other groups of animals would be as alarming.
Animals die either directly under the bulldozers or shortly after due to
the impact of losing their habitat, shelter and food supply.
As
their populations and habitats diminish, hundreds of species are edging
closer to extinction. Over 1400 species are classified as
threatened with extinction in Australia, with landclearing identified as a
key threat in a majority of cases.
HSI's Landclearing Campaign
HSI
has worked tirelessly for nearly a decade protecting habitats for
Australian wildlife from threats such as landclearing, and with increasing
success. Our work has included:
§ Protecting
millions of hectares of threatened ecological communities under state and
federal legislation, including grasslands, woodlands, alpine and coastal
habitats all around Australia.
§ Securing
the first ever listing of a threatened ecological community, Cumberland
Plain Woodland in Sydney, on federal and NSW legislation.
§ Securing
legal recognition for landclearing as a Key Threatening Process under
state and federal legislation
§ Exposing
maps of illegal and legal landclearing through freedom of information laws
§ Instigating
an investigation into improper conduct/possible corruption over government
department failures to prosecute landclearing offences
§ Nominating
critical habitats for threatened species for listing under federal
legislation
§
Submitting nominations that have led to protection of scores of threatened
species under state and federal laws, including Kangaroo Island dunnarts,
marsupial moles, koala, long-nosed bandicoot, green and golden bell frog,
black striped snake, species of skink and several species of flying fox.
§ High
profile media drawing attention to the severity of the problem
§ Steadfast
lobbying for stronger laws at all levels of government to bring vegetation
clearing under control and to better protect threatened species and their
habitats. This has included a key role in negotiations for the
Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
and the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995. |
