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Conservation in Australia is an issue of state and federal policy.Australia is one of the most biologically diverse countries in the world,[1] with a large portion of speciesendemic to Australia. Preserving this wealth ofbiodiversity is important forfuture generations. 25% of Australia is managed for conservation.[2]
Animalhabitats likereefs andforests must be preserved in order to preserve the population and diversity of animal species. Conservation is vital for future study and for fieldresearch to be taken, and because biological richness is an unmeasurable aesthetic that may be developed into commercialrecreational attractions.
According toJanine Benyus, the potential for advances inbiomimicry in Australia is great because theextreme weather and conditions found here provide an excellentevolutionary incubator. Research on natural processes can only occur if the habitat is preserved andorganisms continue to thrive.
Federal and State governments manageprotected areas andnational parks; a number of non-governmental organizations are also involved in conservation.
A key conservation issue is the preservation of biodiversity, especially by protecting the remainingrainforests. The destruction of habitat by human activities, includingland clearing, remains the major cause ofbiodiversity loss in Australia. The importance of the Australian rainforests to the conservation movement is very high.[3] Australia is the onlywestern country to have large areas of rainforest intact.[4] Forests providetimber,drugs, andfood and should be managed to maximize the possible uses. Currently, there are a number of environmental movements and campaigners advocating for action on saving the environment, one such campaign is the Big Switch.[5]
Land management issues includingclearance of native vegetation, reafforestation of once-cleared areas,control of exotic weeds and pests, expansion of drylandsalinity, and changedfire regimes. Intensification of resource use in sectors such asforestry,fisheries, andagriculture are widely reported to contribute tobiodiversity loss in Australia.Habitat fragmentation is one of the most important factors affecting the persistence of species.[2] Coastal andmarine environments also have reduced biodiversity from reduced water quality caused bypollution and sediments arising from human settlements and agriculture. In centralNew South Wales where there are large plains of grassland, problems have arisen from—unusual to say—lack of land clearing.
Shark culling (the killing ofsharks) currently occurs inNew South Wales andQueensland (in government "shark control" programs).[6] These programs have damaged themarine ecosystem.[6] Roughly 50,000 sharks have been killed by Queensland authorities since 1962, including in theGreat Barrier Reef.[7][8] Queensland's "shark control" program has been called "outdated, cruel and ineffective".[8] The "shark control" programs in New South Wales and Queensland have killed thousands of animals, such asturtles anddolphins.[6][9] In 2018, theHumane Society International filed a lawsuit against the government of Queensland to stop shark culling in the Great Barrier Reef.[8]
The protection of the iconicWollemi Pine is an important conservation issue because the tree is one of the rarest in the world.[10] There are only 46 mature individual trees remaining in the wild.[10] The small grove of unusual conifers in a remote canyon are threatened due to its highly restricteddistribution, extremely small population size, the ongoing impacts from exotic pathogens, inappropriate fire regimes, unauthorized site visitation and climate change.[10]
Specific issues:
Conservation of the natural environment in Australia is derived from five different sources of law, namely international law, federal law, State law and local government law as well as the application of the common law.
International agreements that affect conservation policy in Australia.
| Entry in force | Title, date, place of agreement |
|---|---|
| 1948 | International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, 1946, Washington |
| 1961 | Antarctic Treaty, 1959, Washington |
| 1975 | Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat, 1971, Ramsar |
| 1975 | Convention for the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage, 1972, Paris |
| 1975 | Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), 1973, Washington |
| 1982 | Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Living Marine Resources, 1980, Canberra |
| 1983 | Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, 1979, Bonn |
| 1985 | International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1983, Geneva |
| 1993 | Convention on Biological Diversity, 1992, Rio de Janeiro, leading to Australia'sBiodiversity Action Plan |
| 1993 | United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in those Countries experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, particularly in Africa, 1994, Paris |
| 1994 | United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982, Montego Bay |
| 1994 | United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, 1992, New York |
The primary federal law is theEnvironment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth), usually referred to as the EPBC Act.[2]
There are numerousprotected areas in all States and Territories that have been created to protect and preserve Australia's unique ecosystems. Protected areas include national parks and other reserves, as well as 64 wetlands which are registered under theRamsar Convention and 16World Heritage Sites. As of 2002[update], 10.8% (774,619.51 km2 or 299,082.26 sq mi) of the total land area of Australia is within a protected area.[11] Protected marine zones have been created in many areas to preserve marine biodiversity; as of 2002 they cover about 7% (646,000 km2 or 249,000 sq mi) of Australia's marine jurisdiction.[12] In Australiaforest cover is around 17% of the total land area, equivalent to 134,005,100 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, up from 133,882,200 hectares (ha) in 1990. In 2020, naturally regenerating forest covered 131,614,800 hectares (ha) and planted forest covered 2,390,300 hectares (ha). Of the naturally regenerating forest 0% was reported to beprimary forest (consisting of native tree species with no clearly visible indications of human activity) and around 18% of the forest area was found within protected areas. For the year 2015, 67% of the forest area was reported to be underpublic ownership, 32%private ownership and 1% with ownership listed as other or unknown.[13][14]
Protected areas of include those managed by the federalDepartment of the Environment and Energy, andnational parks and other protected areas managed by the states, Agencies responsible for protected areas include:
A number of governmental and non-governmental organisations work in the conservation and restoration of the Australian environment.
