30
April, 2012
Humane
Society International (HSI) today welcomed the Federal Government listing
of the koala as vulnerable in Queensland, NSW and ACT. HSI has long been calling for the koala population to be protected
nationwide and is therefore disappointed that all koala populations will not be
covered by this listing.
““Whilst bolstered protection for threatened
State and Territory populations at the national level provides those koala
populations with increased protection, national protection is the best chance
for long term survival and recovery of all populations,” said Alexia Wellbelove of Humane Society
International. “It is therefore
disappointing to see these restrictions on recovery being put in place.”
However the
protection for the koala may amount to no further protection at all, if the
Federal Government agenda to fast-track the disembowelment of Australia’s
national environmental protection law, recently bolstered by support from big
industry, the Prime Minister, and Opposition, and due to be introduced to
Parliament later this year, succeeds.
“Whilst
the koala may now be protected in Queensland, NSW and ACT, the sad reality is
that the Government agenda to remove green tape means that this protection will
sadly amount to nothing,” continued Ms Wellbelove. “The Federal
Government agenda to devolve its powers for threatened species to States, will
mean that the koala will continue to suffer at the hands of developers. This
removal of green tape will allow fast-tracked development in critical koala
habitat and make the States the decision makers – a situation which has not
worked well for the koala to date.”
HSI believes
that the Federal Government must
retain control of all matters of
‘National Environmental Significance’ such as threatened species. Failure to do so will destroy
indispensable national environmental protection gains that took nearly 100
years to achieve. HSI therefore rejects
the proposed reforms of the federal environmental legislation.
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