The Boobook Declaration
We call upon the Australian Government to act decisively to fulfil its international and national promises to protect biodiversity. Specifically in 2010 — the International Year of Biodiversity — we call on the Australian Government to:
1. Acknowledge the critical importance of safeguarding biodiversity as part of Australia’s climate change response and commit to correspondingly urgent action to address the systemic drivers of biodiversity loss. In so doing, due recognition should be given both to the threat that global warming poses to biodiversity and ecosystems such as the Great Barrier Reef, and to the vital role these have in mitigating dangerous climate change including by permanently storing carbon;
2. Substantially increase investment in biodiversity and ecosystem protection, restoration and management to at least $9 billion over the three years to 2012 and establish an independent widely consultative process into future funding and stewardship of Australia’s, terrestrial, aquatic and marine biodiversity;
3. Restore and increase the capacity for publicly funded biodiversity research, auditing, monitoring, accounting and communication, including through an expanded independent Land, Water and Biodiversity authority; and
4. Develop our biodiversity education and training programs so that all sectors of the Australian community and business have the knowledge to understand the magnitude of current threats to our biodiversity and the skills to take action to conserve our biodiversity and ecosystems. This is essential to transforming our nation to a healthy, sustainable society and economy.
The Boobook Declaration has been signed by 55 groups across Australia, large and small, interested in all aspects of biodiversity. Join the move to put biodiversity back on the public agenda by asking groups with which you are associated to sign up too: www.boobook.org.au.