5 April 2011 - The Gillard
Government has today tabled in the Australian
Parliament the interim report from Mr Bill
Kelty who is facilitating progress on the
Statement of Principles agreed between conservation
groups, the CFMEU and the timber industry
in Tasmania.
Environment Minister
Tony Burke said the Government was considering
findings and recommendations in Mr Kelty's
report and expected to respond in coming
weeks.
"We thank Mr Kelty
for his hard work with signatories to the
agreement in identifying the next steps
in the process," Mr Burke said.
"The Gillard Government
is committed to working with the Tasmanian
community to respond to the challenges facing
the forest industry.
"It is a credit
to those involved that after decades of
conflict they have been able to start to
work through those challenges.
"The Statement
of Principles started with community and
industry groups coming together. It is not
an agreement between governments.
"But it will only
stay together if the determination that
started that process is maintained by the
groups involved.
"The Gillard Government
believes an agreement would be a good result
for jobs and a good result for the environment
in Tasmania."
In October last year,
the Tasmanian forestry industry and several
environmental non government organisations
reached an historic high level princip les
agreement for protecting native forests
and developing a sustainable timber industry
in Tasmania.
The Gillard Government
welcomed the landmark agreement and in December
last year appointed Mr Kelty as independent
facilitator to assist signatories to progress
the agreement and report back to the Government.
The report is available
at http://www.environment.gov.au/land/publications/forestpolicy/tasmanian-forests-interim-report.html
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National Wildlife Corridors
Plan Advisory Group
12 April 2011 - Environment
Minister Tony Burke today announced members
of an advisory group to inform the Gillard
Government’s development of a National Wildlife
Corridors Plan, to be chaired by former
Environment Minister Bob Debus.
The National Wildlife
Corridors Plan advisory group, which meets
for the first time today, will consult with
regional and community groups, landholders,
environmental organisations, other governments
and the private sector to inform development
of a draft National Wildlife Corridors Plan.
Mr Burke said the meeting
of the advisory group was an important step
in delivery of the Government’s commitment
to establish a National Wildlife Corridors
Plan.
“The Gillard Government
understands we need to prepare our native
plants and animals as well as our agricultural
landscape for climate change,” Mr Burke
said.
“That’s why the Government
has commmitted to working with the community
through regional natural resource management
groups to plan these National Wildlife Corridors.
“The corridors will
link national parks and reserves with well-managed
private land and guide future Government
investments in projects to support the protection
of our natural environment and conserve
our biodiversity.”
The Gillard Government
made a commitment at the 2010 Election to
invest $10 million to build the resilience
of Australia’s environment to climate change
by working with the 56 regional natural
resource management groups to develop a
National Wildilife Corridors Plan.
The Advisory Group comprises
representatives from academia, industry,
environmental non-government organisations,
natural resource management bodies and Indigenous
groups.
