Media release
24 March 2010
A new Indigenous
Community Compliance Liaison officer to
help tackle illegal hunting and poaching
in Cairns and the Cape York region was announced
today by the Minister for Environment Protection,
Peter Garrett, and the Federal Member for
Leichhardt, Jim Turnour.
"Traditional Owner
groups are concerned about the incidence
of illegal hunting and poaching, particularly
of marine turtle and dugong and the impact
it is having on their communities and their
Sea Country," Mr Garrett said.
"The Indigenous
Liaison position will work closely with
Traditional Owners to identify solutions
and deliver practical results, building
on the work already underway including through
the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.
"Education and
information exchange play an important role
in giving Traditional Owners the capacity
to identify and report any illegal activities
taking place.
“This is something that
the local MP, Jim Turnour, has been very
keen to impress on me and an issue that
I know he has been working actively on in
his local communities. I am very pleased
to recognise that contribution and his support
in getting this new position in place,”
Mr Garrett said.
Mr Garrett said this
was an important step forward in working
with communities to help ensure a sustainable
future for their Sea Country and the Great
Barrier Reef.
"It's about empowering
communities with practical knowledge and
skills. This position will support an existing
knowledge base, and help Traditional Owners
make a real difference for their Sea Country,"
he said.
Marine turtles and dugong
monitoring programs, reporting sick, stranded
and injured animals, and maintaining cultural
heritage sites are a few examples of how
Traditional Owners are playing an active
role in caring for their Sea Country.
The new Indigenous Liaison
position will become part of a team already
working with Traditional Owners in far north
Queensland on compliance and Sea Country
management issues.
This initiative builds
on the Australian Government’s Reef Rescue
Indigenous Land and Sea Country Partnerships
Program.
Reef Rescue is fundamental
in supporting Traditional Owners to effectively
manage their Sea Country to conserve biodiversity,
protect heritage values and contribute to
reducing climate change impacts and maintaining
the resilience of the Great Barrier Reef.
Last week a new partnership
between the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
Authority and the North Queensland Land
Council (NQLC) commenced, with the first
of four workshops in Gordonvale.
Through these workshops,
to be held in Gordonvale, Yarrabah, Kuranda
and Innisfail, GBRMPA and the Land Council
will work together to canvass Traditional
Owner interest in developing partnerships
to manage sea country, including Traditional
Use of Marine Resources Agreements.
+ More
Building Indigenous
partnerships to care for Great Barrier Reef
sea country
Media release
19 March 2010
Marine managers and a Native Title representative
body have officially teamed up to work with
Traditional Owners in the Cairns region
on sea country management.
The Great Barrier Reef
Marine Park Authority's (GBRMPA) partnership
with the North Queensland Land Council (NQLC),
kicks off today with the first of four workshops
in Gordonvale.
Through these workshops,
to be held in Gordonvale, Yarrabah, Kuranda
and Innisfail, GBRMPA and the Land Council
will work together to canvass Traditional
Owner interest in developing partnerships
to manage sea country.
Environment Protection
Minister, Peter Garrett, said this collaborative
approach to managing sea country presented
new opportunities for Traditional Owners
and benefits for the health of the Great
Barrier Reef.
"The partnership
between the GBRMPA and North Queensland
Land Council is an important step forward
in working with eight Traditional Owner
groups in North Queensland," he said.
"The Land Council
will assist the GBRMPA to provide information
and seek views from Traditional Owner Groups
with strong links to the Reef and dedication
to protecting it for the future.
"Our work with
the Land Council supports development and
implementation of management arrangements
and plans that are driven by Traditional
Owners, including Traditional Use of Marine
Resources Agreements.
"The Australian
Government is committed to working with
Traditional Owners on all matters relating
to the management and sustainable use of
sea country resources in the Great Barrier
Reef Marine Park."
North Queensland Land
Council Chief Executive Officer Dewayne
Mundraby said they were keen to work with
respective government agencies and Traditional
Owners on this important issue.
"The NQLC Board
of Directors has endorsed this administrative
initiative of establishing a communicative
management regime across the extent of our
coastal representative region for the enhancement
of Traditional Owners’ socioeconomic wellbeing."
These workshops are
supported by the Australian Government’s
Reef Rescue Indigenous Land and Sea Country
Partnerships Program. Reef Rescue is fundamental
in supporting Traditional Owners to effectively
manage their sea country and supports broader
Australian Government initiatives including
Closing the Gap for Indigenous Australians.
North Queensland Land
Council is the Native Title representative
body for North Queensland stretching from
the Daintree and Bloomfield Rivers in the
north, to Sarina in the south, and west
to beyond Richmond and Croydon.
+ More
Australian Carbon Trust
Board commences
Media release
24 March 2010
Climate Change Minister Penny Wong has today
announced the directors and management team
of the Australian Carbon Trust Limited.
The Australian Carbon
Trust – to be chaired by Professor Robert
Hill - will lead efforts to boost energy
efficiency in households and businesses
across Australia. It will be responsible
for implementing the Energy Efficiency Trust
and the Energy Efficiency Savings Pledge
Fund.
The Australian Carbon
Trust head office will be based in Brisbane.
Senator Wong announced
the appointment of the following directors
to the Trust Board:
Martijn Wilder, Head
of Baker & McKenzie’s Global Climate
Change and Emissions Trading Practice.
Tony Coleman, Director of Lonergan Edwards
Associates.
Don Matthews, National President of the
Australian Industry Group and former Chief
Operating Officer of Amcor Australasia.
“These directors will bring a great diversity
of commercial and governance experience
to the Board of the Australian Carbon Trust,’’
Senator Wong said.
“The Australian Carbon
Trust represents an innovative new way of
engaging Australian households and businesses
to support them to take action to save energy.”
Senator Wong also announced
the appointment of the Trust management
team:
Chief Executive Officer
Meg McDonald, who was previously President
and Treasurer of Alcoa Foundation and Director,
Global Issues, Alcoa Inc.
Chief Operations Officer Cath Bremner, who
was previously Head of International Development
at The Carbon Trust in London.
Chief Financial Officer Andrew Powell brings
a wealth of financial management expertise
to the position.
The Energy Efficiency Trust will promote
the use of energy efficient technologies
and practices – including through financing
the retrofitting of commercial buildings.
The Energy Efficiency
Savings Pledge Fund will help householders
identify energy efficiency opportunities.
Using web-based tools, households will be
able to work out their energy use and identify
ways to save energy and save money. The
Pledge Fund will also enable householders
to donate in a tax efficient way towards
the purchase and retirement of Australian
Emissions Units – or offsets approved under
the National Carbon Offset Standard.
Further directors will
be appointed to the Board in coming weeks.
