Natural Heritage - Number 8
The Journal of the Natural Heritage Trust
Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Australia, 2001
Environment Australia, Summer 2001
ISSN 1440-7256
PDF file
About this document
In one of the driest continents on earth, the Federal Government is making a vital commitment to helping people who are taking care of our water.
Both at home and overseas, the Government is acting at all levels on issues that affect this precious resource, from leading the international policy debate, to providing funding for local Waterwatch groups.
Of course, in a country better known for its glorious beaches, inland waterways and wetlands don't get a lot of publicity. This issue of the Journal gives us a glimpse of the wealth of our waterways, and how Australians are conserving and restoring them with help from the Natural Heritage Trust.
Australia is leading an international effort to develop a permanent, comprehensive, multilateral framework for cooperation on migratory waterbird conservation in the Asia-Pacific region, by asking our Asian and Pacific neighbours to join with us in acting to protect the migratory waterbirds whose flight paths unite our nations.
As well, Australia is strongly committed to supporting wetland conservation and management at the international level under the Ramsar Convention and is actively supporting developing countries in our region to undertake conservation and sustainable use of wetland resources.
Australia's lead role is demonstrated by our active participation in the 7th Conference of Parties to the Convention where, with the agreement of Papua New Guinea and New Zealand, Australia became the Oceania representative on the Ramsar Standing Committee for the next triennium, and an Australian was subsequently elected as the chair.
On 15 June 1999 Delmar Blasco, Secretary General of the Ramsar Bureau wrote of this appointment: "…the newly elected Standing Committee asked Australia to take on this important role, in recognition, I believe, of the leadership your country has shown to the Convention over many years." Mr Blasco also took the opportunity to congratulate Australia on the establishment of the New National Centre for Tropical Wetlands Research in Darwin.
Through the Natural Heritage Trust, the Federal Government is supporting community groups taking part in programs like Rivercare, Waterwatch, Fisheries Action, Murray-Darling 2001, and the National Wetlands Program, all of whom are contributing to a viable future for our inland waterways, and some of whom we are able to introduce to you through this issue of Natural Heritage.
While projects improving our waterways are an important feature of the Trust, we urge community groups to get their applications in for any type of environmental or natural resource management project prior to 23 February 2001 to be eligible for funding under the 2001-2002 round.
Robert Hill
Minister for the Environment and Heritage
Warren Truss
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
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