Demystifying law reform
At Humane Society International we rightly place great emphasis on law reform. Laws are important because they set the rules for how animals are treated—whether they be animals in human or wild environments. Weak…
The Murray Darling Basin is the lifeblood of inland Australia. It supports 16 internationally significant wetlands, 120 water bird species, more than 40 native fish species and over 95 threatened species of animals and plants. The Australian Government is consulting on proposals to list two ecological communities in the Basin – the Wetlands and inner floodplains of the Macquarie Marshes and the River Murray downstream of the Darling River and associated aquatic and floodplain systems – as threatened. Submissions on the proposals are due on 15 October 2024.
What is the Government consulting on?
Each year the Government invites nominations for species and ecological communities that should be protected (‘listed’) as threatened under national environment law. Those species and ecological communities that are prioritised for assessment are then considered by Threatened Species Scientific Committee. Comments are invited on species and ecological communities that are proposed to be listed.
The Government is currently consulting on two proposals:
Listing of these ecological communities will provide important protections under our national environmental laws and ensure that any proposed significant impacts on the wildlife and vegetation in these areas must be assessed under national law.
Have your say
The consultation process provides an opportunity for the Government to hear that the community wants to see these areas better protected. It also provides an opportunity for you to share any important information you have on these areas.
The Government has released draft a Conservation Advice for each ecological community. If approved, a Conservation Advice is an important source of information about what can be done to stop the decline, and support the recovery, of the ecological community. A Conservation Advice must also be considered when the Environment Minister is making a decision about whether to allow a significant impact on a protected ecological community.
The proposed listing of each ecological community is being consulted on separately so you can choose to comment on one or both nominations. Submissions on both ecological communities close on 15 October 2024.
To see all the materials available and to make a submission visit:
What does HSI Australia think?
HSI Australia has fought hard for these ecological communities, first nominating them for federal listing as Critically Endangered in 2008. In 2013, the ecological communities were officially recognised as threatened but unfortunately, following a change of Government, the listings were ‘disallowed’ (i.e. overturned) in Parliament. That decision meant these ecological communities and the wildlife that depend on them were deprived of the additional protections that could have provided over the past decade.
We strongly support both ecological communities being listed as Critically Endangered. Key points you could include in a submission for each of the ecological communities are provided below.
Wetlands and inner floodplains of the Macquarie Marshes
River Murray downstream of the Darling River, and associated aquatic and floodplain systems
Submissions close on 15 October 2024.
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