threatened species in the senate spotlight

Let's not remember
our species as stuffed
animals like this
threatened species, the
Leadbeater's Possum.

Recently Senator Larissa Waters successfully committed the Senate Standing Committees on Environment and Communications to conduct an inquiry into the effectiveness of threatened species and ecological communities' protection in Australia.

The investigation will cover:

(a) management of key threats to listed species and ecological communities;
(b) development and implementation of recovery plans;
(c) management of critical habitat across all land tenures;
(d) regulatory and funding arrangements at all levels of government;
(e) timeliness and risk management within the listings processes;
(f) the historical record of state and territory governments on these matters; and
(g) any other related matter. 

The investigation is timely, we've seen the Auditor General report that Victoria's environment and primary industry departments are failing to act as proper watchdogs (see The Age story here).

Further to that we've seen Professor Tim Flannery publish his opinion piece (from the Monthly's Quarterly Essay) on the extinction crisis pointing some of the blame at the Commonwealth's inaction (here). 

The rate of extinctions in this country is alarming, if you are concerned then you should write a submission to the  Senate Standing Committees on Environment and Communications. You can help create a policy that starts to protect our species, but to do so means you are going to have to make a submission.

MyEnvironment are planning Senate Inquiry Information Sessions across the region, visit their website for more information with the first one coming up in Healesville on Friday night (23/11). 

Want to know more? Then visit the Inquiry site.

The effectiveness of threatened species and ecological communities' protection in Australia

1. Information about the Inquiry
2. Terms of Reference
3. Getting involved in Committee inquiries
4. Upload Submission Online
5. Submissions Received

Submissions should be received by 14 December 2012. The reporting date is 07 February 2013.

  

The Committee is seeking written submissions from interested individuals and organisations preferably in electronic form submitted online or sent by email to ec.sen@aph.gov.au as an attached Adobe PDF or MS Word format document. The email must include full postal address and contact details.

 

Alternatively, written submissions may be sent to:

Committee Secretary
Senate Standing Committees on Environment and Communications
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Australia