Media release - 5 August
2013 - Minister for the Environment, Heritage
and Water, Mark Butler, today took the final
step for the protection of Tasmania's Giant
Trees and Tall Eucalypt Forests under Australian
law.
Mr Butler signed into
Australian law the new boundary for the
Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area,
which was approved by the World Heritage
Committee last month.
"From today, over
170,000 additional hectares of some of Australia's
most remarkable world heritage environments
are now protected under Australian law,"
Mr Butler said.
"This is the final
and irrevocable step for the protection
of Tasmania's majestic old growth forests
in the Upper Florentine, the Styx, Huon,
Picton and Counsel River valleys.
"The Upper Styx
area contains the greatest concentration
of very tall eucalypt trees, the world's
tallest flowering plants, with many trees
that are over 90 meters tall.
"These areas are
now protected in perpetuity under the Australian
Government's Environment Protection and
Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999."
The Commonwealth Gazettal
Notice sets out the new boundary for the
Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area
and ensures its majestic stands of tall
eucalypt forests, glacial landforms and
alpine and sub-alpine environments and other
world heritage values are protected.
"Protection for
important new habitat for rare and threatened
species such as the wedge-tailed eagle,
the Tasmanian Devil and the white form of
the Grey Goshawk are now also guaranteed,"
Mr Butler said.
"I would like to
thank all involved with the Tasmanian Forest
Agreement and the Tasmanian Wilderness World
Heritage Area boundary extension for their
commitment, co-operation and perseverance
during the long journey towards a sustainable
Tasmanian forests industry and protection
for its outstanding forests and other world
heritage values.
"I would also like
to acknowledge the former Minister for Sustainability,
Environment, Water, Populations and Communities,
Tony Burke, for his hard work towards this
environmental result."
+ More
A bright future ahead
for FluoroCycle
Media release - 5 August
2013 - Lighting Council Australia has officially
taken on responsibility for the FluoroCycle
scheme, which aims to reduce the amount
of harmful mercury entering the environment
from the disposal of waste mercury-containing
lamps.
The Hon Amanda Rishworth
MP, Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment
and Urban Water today congratulated industry
for funding and administering this important
initiative.
"Initially delivered
jointly by the Lighting Council Australia
and the Australian Government, FluoroCycle's
first three years of operation has been
a great success, with the scheme growing
to include 189 signatories.
"All of our signatories
are committed to increasing recycling rates
of mercury-containing lamps and reducing
the amount of harmful mercury-containing
waste entering landfill.
"Many lamps that
contain mercury end up in landfill each
year, posing a potential risk to the environment
and human health. In fact, mercury-containing
lamps contribute an estimated 2-3% of Australia's
total annual emissions of mercury,"
Ms Rishworth said.
Speaking at the launch
of the industry lead scheme, Ms Rishworth
said Lighting Council Australia is setting
an important example for other industries
by playing its part as product stewards
for mercury-containing lamps.
"Joining FluoroCycle
is an ideal way for businesses to do something
practical to help the environment.
"I encourage both
private companies and public organisations
such as local councils and government departments
to sign up to this worthwhile scheme.
The Australian Government's
support of FluoroCycle includes $600,000
in funding for the first three years of
the scheme and is part of our commitment
to reducing the impact of waste disposal
on the environment and improving the efficiency
of resource use.
Lighting Council Australia
is the peak body for Australia's lighting
industry and its goal is to encourage the
use of environmentally appropriate, energy
efficient, quality lighting systems. The
Council has advised that it strongly supports
the Product Stewardship Act 2011 and will
seek accreditation for FluoroCycle as an
industry-led, voluntary arrangement under
the Act.
Ms Rishworth said the
Australian Government's landmark Product
Stewardship Act 2011 provides the framework
for a flexible and practical approach to
managing the lifecycle of products and recognises
that each product, material and industry
is different.
"The Act also allows
for three types of accreditation for product
stewardship—voluntary, co-regulatory and
mandatory.
"As a voluntary
scheme, FluoroCycle embodies the ideals
of the Australian Government's product stewardship
legislation.
"This groundbreaking
legislation came into effect in August 2011
and aims to ensure we all share responsibility
for the products we consume, from the point
of design and manufacture right up until
their disposal," Ms Rishworth said.
FluoroCycle and the
landmark Product Stewardship Act 2011 are
both priority initiatives under Australia's
National Waste Policy.
