Scientists say there are an estimated 380,000 plant species, with many falling victim to loss of habitat. (Photo: Lesley Price)

Some Australian environmental experts say they not surprised by the findings of an United Kingdom study showing more than 20 per cent of the world’s plants face extinction.

Researchers from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Natural History Museum and International Union in the United Kingdom sampled almost 4,000 plant species and found that 22 per cent of flora should be classified as endangered.

Pat O’Brien, president of the Wildlife Protection Association of Australia says the current situation is dire and Australians need to be aware of the facts.

“We’re not doing anywhere near enough and we need to change our habits,” he said.

“The world’s biodiversity is disappearing and if nothing is done, I think we’ll find the situation will get a whole lot worse.”

Human threat

The study estimates human activity accounts for up to 81 per cent of the damage, while global warming and other natural factors account for the remaining 19 per cent.

Professor Hugh Possingham, director of the Ecology Centre, says the main human activities threatening plant life are forestry and infrastructure development.

He says with our growing population, species are going extinct due to the increasing amount of habitat degradation and destruction.

“The loss of habitat is happening particular in tropical rainforests where almost half or more of the biodiversity is,” he said.

“When it gets destroyed clearly the plants get destroyed and if you wipe out the entire population of some of the species, a lot of them have very restricted distributions.”

However, Mr O’Brien says expanding agriculture is the biggest problem.

“I think the key to humans surviving on the planet with adequate biodiversity is to stop eating meat,” he said.

“Agriculture is depleting our resources, it takes a huge amount of water and a huge amount grain to feed animals for meat production.”

Ecologist Gillian Eckert says although environmental organisations are doing their best, there must be more protection for plant species.

“When species are actually listed as endangered then you can protect them but it’s the ones that aren’t quite endangered yet that they don’t worry about,” she said.

“Every year more and more species are being put on the list because we don’t protect them early enough.

“There are lots of species in Australia we haven’t even identified yet.”

Taking action

Professor Possingham says people should demand more information about where products are coming from to ensure they are from sustainable plantations.

“The key thing is to know where you’re having an impact,” he said.

“At the moment we know what we’re eating in terms of vitamins and calories but we don’t know what was destroyed in biodiversity to make that product.”

Ms Eckert says there is a variety of things people can do on a local basis to help.

“Try to look after your local bushland, plant species that are endemic to your area rather than planting lots of exotic plants,” she said.

“If there’s a housing development going up, it’s really worth looking into it and asking what they’re going to destroy by doing this.”

Mr O’Brien says while local support is great, the government also needs to be investing more into conservation.

“You’ve just got to look at the last election, the issues were things that have little relevance to whether we can continue to live on this planet,” he said.

“I’d like to see our politicians face up to this study and say we have to do something … if we don’t have a sound biodiversity on this planet, none of us are going to be able to live here.”

• Plants at Risk study

Australian farmers will no longer be allowed to use pesticides containing Endosulfan. Photo: ABC online

More than 60 countries have discontinued Endosulfan products after research showed it had a negative impact on ecosystems and the health of farmers.

World Wildlife Fund Conservation Policy Officer Julliette King said the ban had been a long time coming.

“Endosulfan has been banned by a whole range of different countries progressively over a number of years,” she said.

“The United States and Canada acted to ban it this year and Australia is now catching up.”

Health Risks to Farmers and Ecosystems

The United States Environmental Protection Agency banned the chemical after deciding it posed an unacceptable risk to the neurological and reproductive health of U.S farmers.

Ms King said more research is needed to determine the instances of Endosulfan-related health problems in Australia

“There hasn’t been a lot of research conducted in farmers in Australia but those human health risks have been recognised around the world,” she said.

The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicine Authority (APVMA)  regulates pesticide chemicals in Australia and is responsible for the ban.

APVMA Manager of Public Affairs Doctor Simon Cubit said prolonged exposure to Endosulfan from spray drift and run off could cause significant environmental damage.

“These effects are not dramatic but over a long period of time they are likely to lead to chronic effects on some aquatic communities,” he said.

Farmers Reduce Pesticide Use

He also said the chemical was no longer popular in the agricultural industry meaning farmers should not be affected by the ban.

“We believe at the moment it’s not used very much at all,” he said.

“In 2005 the APVMA concluded a significant review of the use of Endosulfan and imposed quite significant restrictions.”

Queensland Farmers Federation Chief Executive Officer Dan Galligan said farmers try to avoid using pesticides.

“Farmers use as little chemicals as they can because of the cost on the bottom line,” he said.

“Banning products, removing the options form the market place, sometimes just increases the cost of production and that cost can’t be passed on to consumers.”

Regardless, he said some farmers still use Endosulfan products out of necessity.

“Some of those crops and farmers rely on Endosulfan  because of a lack of other choice rather than that being the primary chemical they would use,” he said.

More Chemicals to be Banned

Despite the recent ban environmental protection organisations want more pesticides removed from Australian shelves.

Ms King said there was a number of dangerous chemicals still available for purchase.

“Getting rid of Endosulfan is not the end,” she said.

“The APVMA has been reviewing the safety of at least nine chemicals for more than thirteen years…. we have a long way to go.”

Mr Galligan said removing some of the chemicals listed would be unnecessary.

“Farmers have been asked to implement tighter restrictions on the way they use chemicals under review,” he said.

“It’s not like nothing happens in a review phase. If there is cause for increased restrictions the federal regulator can call for those and farmers need to comply.”

Since its launch by the United Nations General Assembly on June 29, 2000 the Earth Charter has aspired towards a more just, peaceful and sustainable global society.

Clem Campbell welcomes everyone to the Peace & Sustainability Fair. Source: Sophie Barrington

Hosted by Earth Charter Australia, the three day festival was run in partnership with the International Day of Peace Alliance, along with the involvement of state government and over 15 community and not-for-profit organisations across Brisbane.

Chair of Earth Charter Australia Clem Campbell said “the tenth anniversary highlights the journey to date, but also the great amount of work to be done.

“The festival focused on our collective ability to respond to climate change, the global financial crisis and regional conflicts, using the values and principles of the Earth Charter as a way forward,” he said.

With a strong focus on the Pacific region, the festival highlighted Australia’s responsibility to respond to the major impacts of climate change affecting island communities.

Several funded delegates from Samoa and Papua New Guinea were able to voice the concerns of those small island nations already struggling with climate change.

Speaking on behalf of Samoa, Fiu Mataese Elisara-Laulu said “many peoples of small island nations have looked to Australia for responsible leadership.

“But it has been found wanting in our contemporary times, as it continues to support and develop global and regional policies that will eventually lead to many environmental refugees as a result of climate change,” he said.

By encouraging dialogue on these issues, Mr Campbell said the Earth Charter Festival recognised “the shared responsibility we have.”

This sentiment was echoed by Earth Charter Committee member Wendy Flannery, who worked closely with the regional delegates.

The festival encouraged Queenslanders to “recognise the impact our lives and decisions at all levels have on other communities, especially those more vulnerable than ourselves,” she said.

In the past, Brisbane has hosted several important events on the Earth Charter, including the Asia Pacific Earth Charter Conference in 2001 and the Earth Charter Dialogues in 2006.

Mr Campbell said “the festival was a continuation of these internationally significant events held in Queensland.

“It highlighted Queensland’s continuing leadership role in promoting sustainable communities,” he said.

The festival also engaged faith groups, multicultural groups and secondary school students through a number of workshops held across South Brisbane.

Convenor of the Living and Breathing Communities workshop Jeff Brunne said “I believe change happens at the level of the very small.”

With a strong focus on Australia’s responsibilities, the workshops focused on “adapting to and mitigating climate change through local initiatives.

“This year’s festival was an opportunity to re-affirm the commitment of people to implement the principles and recommendations of the Earth Charter.

“Bringing together the number of conscientious people and groups that we did, it certainly contributed to this outcome,” he said.

Earth Charter Australia hosts the Peace & Sustainability Fair. Source: Sophie Barrington

The Earth Charter Festival was closed by a Peace and Sustainability Fair, which is held annually by the International Day of Peace Alliance.

Convenor of the Peace and Sustainability Fair Richard Cowley said “after several days of dialogue and activity it was an opportunity to bring everything to a conclusion.

“It was also an opportunity for not-for-profit organisations and environmental groups to raise their profile amongst the local community.

“We’re part of a global community and we have to find better ways to work with people who are more vulnerable. Until we start to think locally and act globally, what Brisbane has just done through this festival, we just won’t get there,” he said.

83 per cent of Qld national parks do not have overall management plans. Photo: Dominique Wiehahn

The Opposition says Queensland national parks may be at risk of neglect due to the lack of compulsory overall management plans, resource shortages and inadequate funding.

An auditor-general report tabled to State Parliament found only 98 of Queensland’s 576 protected parks have compulsory overall management plans.

These plans are required under the Nature Conservation Act of 1992.

Queensland Climate Change and Sustainability Minister Kate Jones says there are currently strategic plans, operations plans and annual business plans in place for the day-to-day management of protected parks.

She says implementing overall management plans on top of these would be a long process.

“The lengthy process involved in the overall management plans [taking over two years to complete] is not the most effective and efficient process,” she said.

Ms Jones says other action is being taken.

“We are finalising a new Masterplan for parks in Queensland, as well as developing our Queensland Biodiversity Strategy – to consolidate our management of parks across the state and reduce duplication,” she said.

But Queensland Opposition climate change and sustainability spokesman Glen Elmes says Labor has failed to uphold their legislation by not having overall management plans in place.

“For 18 years the state Labor government has failed to fulfil the obligations in its own legislation,” he said.

‘Parks missing out’

Mr Elmes says existing resources for national parks are inadequate.

“You need to be able to put rangers into these parks, so that we keep feral pigs, feral foxes, cats and noxious weeds under control,” he said.

“Each Queensland parks and wildlife ranger in the state is now responsible for almost 17,000 hectares of national park.

“That is clearly beyond the ability of rangers to be able to effectively manage.”

But Ms Jones says Mr Elmes’ policy would intensify this problem.

“I don’t know how Glen Elmes plans to better manage Queensland’s national parks, given that the LNP’s only policy is to cut ranger numbers and oppose the declaration of national park on North Stradbroke Island,” she said.

The executive coordinator of National Parks Association Queensland, Paul Donatiu, says members of his organisation have reported not seeing enough rangers in parks.

“Their reports give us sufficient evidence that parks are missing out,” he said.

An expert in protected areas management from James Cook University, Jeremy Little, who formerly also worked for the Daintree National Park, says the existing resources in even the biggest parks are disgraceful.

“The Daintree gets over a million visitors a year and if you have a look at the number of staff and the amount of resources allocated to that place, it’s a national embarrassment,” he said.

Enough funding?

Qld national parks are a major tourism asset: WWF. Photo: Dominique Wiehahn

World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) spokesman Dr Martin Taylor says Queensland national parks are being expanded, but the funding for their management is not.

“If you’re expanding the park system, obviously you have to pay attention to the investment in ongoing management,” he said.

Dr Taylor says funds have decreased in recent years and need to be evaluated.

“The funds are actually shrinking in real terms for management of threats on parks,” he said.

“We really need to see a review or some sort of analysis of whether what the government’s investing in the management of our park system is really sufficient.”

Dr Taylor says national parks are the fundamental asset of Queensland tourism.

He says the last estimate, conducted in 2008, found tourists spent 4.43 billion visiting parks.

“When you look at it from that perspective, you’d expect an awful lot more investment in our park system,” he said.

Future survival

Mr Donatiu also says without an increase in funding, national parks will struggle to survive.

“If funding is not increased, parks will suffer in the future,” he said.

Mr Little also says more must be done to ensure Queensland national parks are sustained in the future.

“My biggest concern is that you’ve got an increase in threats and use, things aren’t stable and if we haven’t got things right now, how are we going to go with a change in climate?” he said.

Ms Jones says the Queensland Government will continue to focus on combating these threats in the future.

“Our focus will continue to be on delivering frontline services and managing out day-to-day responsibilities such as pest, weed and fire management, as well as protecting the unique biodiversity of our parks,” she said.

Related Links:

• Department of Environment and Resource Management
• National Parks Association Queensland
• World Wide Fund for Nature

Julian Aalders values a piece of Nerida Slack-Smith's precious jewellry.

On September 29 the people of Moree, in northern New South Wales, took their precious antique items to be valued as part of the Healing Waters Festival.

The Healing Waters Festival is held annually to bring the community together and promote everything the town has to offer, including the hot spring baths.

Director of the Moree Plains Gallery, Katrina Rumley said the event was a great opportunity for the people of Moree to have their antiques valued by Sydney auctioneers Julian Aalders and Alexander Renwick.

Mr Aalders is a highly experienced and qualified auctioneer with a long list of achievements, including having worked extensively at Michael Nagy Fine Art, Flash Art Magazine, National Gallery of Australia and the Australian War Memorial.

“It was the idea of councillor Peter Strang and he suggested that because there are so many antiques in Moree it would be worth staging an event at the Gallery,” said Ms Rumley.

Ms Rumley knew the event would be successful after she received more than 50 phone calls the day before from locals and people from Narrabri and Inverell.

Councillor Peter Strang commented that the auctioneers did a very professional job and the event was well supported.

“It’s great to see so many people here to support the event, it’s really good for Moree,” he said.

Ms Rumley also said the event attracted many new faces and it was lovely to see more people taking an interest in the gallery.

“It’s unusual for the gallery program because usually we’re presenting; so it’s brought a whole new part of the community to the gallery which is fantastic for us,” she said.

From 10am to 12 noon locals could attend the road show with antiques and memorabilia and compare their treasures over some morning tea.

All money raised goes back into the gallery to help support future programs and events at the gallery.

“It was a great fundraiser for the gallery, it cost $10 for two items and the money will be donated to future programs,” Ms Rumley said.

Under the Bligh Government's proposed law amendments jealous ex-lovers will no longer be able to claim provocation as an excuse for criminal behaviour. Photo: Perry Woodward.

The government has announced new laws which will prevent murder charges from being downgraded to manslaughter if an offender claims they were verbally provoked.

The amendment stems from a review into the defence following the death of 16-year-old Taryn Hunt who was bashed to death with a steering wheel lock in 2005.

Her killer Damian Karl Sebo was sentenced to 10 years jail but acquitted of the charge of murder after he claimed he was provoked.

Queensland Attorney-General Cameron Dick says the amendment will ensure Queensland’s criminal code continues to reflect contemporary standards of justice.

“This change, which was recommended by the Queensland Law Reform Commission, will remove insults and statements about relationships from the scope of the defence,” Mr Dick said.

“The amendments will also recognise a person’s right to assert their personal or sexual autonomy and will reduce the scope of the defence being available to those who kill out of sexual possessiveness or jealousy.”

Mr Dick said the changes amending the partial defence of provocation will place the onus of proof upon the defendant and would “strike the right balance between the rights of the individual and the wider interests of the community”.

“These changes are further evidence of the Bligh Government’s commitment to modernising the state’s legal system,” Mr Dick said.

Deputy Liberal National Party Leader Lawrence Springborg said while the changes are welcomed by the opposition, they had come too late for many.

“While we have yet to see the exact legislation Labor is proposing, we believe these changes can’t come soon enough, although they will be too late for people who have lost loved ones only to see their killers acquitted through the accident/provocation defence,” said Mr Springborg.

“These changes should have been introduced two years ago, but they appear to be an attempt by the Attorney-General to grab a headline as he makes his run to replace Anna Bligh as premier.”

The Queensland Law Society (QLS) expressed their concerns over the amendments, saying the move would lead to less autonomy for juries.

QLS criminal law section chairman Glen Cranny told the Courier Mail the society had concerns about the attitude taken in changing the laws.

“We do have some concern about the approach of changing long-established laws on the basis of public disquiet about a couple of cases,” said Mr Cranny.

“We’re always concerned about changes to the law which take away from a jury’s discretion.”

The Bligh Government plans to implement the new laws later this year.

The issue generated great public concern when the Immigration Department approached several communities around Australia in a plan to alleviate the numbers flooding the detention centre on Christmas Island.

Jude Burke, a Dalby resident of 22 years, formed a social networking page aimed at voicing the opinions of the community and requested action be taken by the local town council.

“It (the Facebook site) was created to stress the point that employment is already hard enough in our town and that medical facilities are over stretched,” she said.

“I want to make it clear that I am not opposed to legal immigration.”

The Facebook site that helped voice the opinions of the Dalby community

Western Downs Mayor Ray Brown initially agreed to consider the proposal, but later admitted that Dalby was not ready to house an estimated 1,000 people due to inadequate interpretation services, medical facilities and close residential housing.

“We’re a wonderful community here in Dalby and I’m sure we can look at it,” he said.

“But there’s residential housing within roughly 500 metres of that (proposed) site. There would be huge concerns.”

Dr Robyn Keighran, a local general practitioner who has been living in the rural area for 16 years, believes that although the government is taking the right approach by placing asylum seekers in rural areas, Dalby does not have the ability to maintain a detention centre of that size.

“Country doc’s already struggle with pressure when appointment books are full…let alone the extra health costs,” she said.

“Nobody wants to work in the country anymore and as a result, we are left with a shortage of medical services in remote areas.”

Dr Keighran supported Mr Brown by stating that issues with language and social services would still remain.

“Allied health professionals are also scarce in rural areas and can often account for 50 per cent of the health workforce,” she said.

Mr Brown submitted a rejection letter to the Immigration Department outlining both public and council concerns.

“The response was very simple,” he said.

“We do not accept the detention centre in Dalby.”

The million dollar grant was announced as the Woodfordia site hosted its first Splendour in the Grass festival.

Federal Youth Minister, Kate Ellis said the money would improve office space, water and sewerage services, and provide funds to build new amenities blocks and storage sheds.

“If the Woodfordia site is going to continue to attract music events of the scale of Splendour in the Grass – then we need to have the infrastructure in place to sustain thousands of people living on site with minimal impact on the surrounding environment,” Ms Ellis said.

She also conceded that it had nothing to do with attracting Splendour in the Grass to stay at Woodford, and said the grant would be given out irrespective of Woodford lying in a marginal Labor seat.

“They’ll all benefit from having the sort of infrastructure in place that can cater for these crowds whether they live in marginal seats, safe seats or in different countries,” she said.

The news has been welcomed by the organisers of the Woodford Folk Festival and The Dreaming festival, as they struggle with financing infrastructure.

Woodfordia General Manager, Amanda Jackes, said without the funding it would be difficult to see a future.

“Every year the cost of infrastructure investment is greater than our profits and our debt level is now at the highest level we can afford,” said Ms Jackes.

“Our core trading business is fantastic and our balance sheet is strong but our cash flows and infrastructure demands do threaten our very survival.”

Principal Woodfordia organiser, Bill Hauritz echoed the same concerns and said the festivals boosted the local economy for Woodford.

“The Government will have their return almost immediately and the community will have theirs for many years into the future,” he said.

The Woodford Folk Festival has called the 202-hectare Woodfordia home since 1994, and has since been beneficial for the surrounding businesses.

Woodford Hotel Manager, Peter Dyett, said the recent Splendour festival and Woodford Folk Festivals brought ‘great business.’

“It has been fantastic, not only for our business, but the rest of the community to receive increased trading in these times,” said Mr Dyett.

No funding has been announced for Byron Bay’s festival site, where Splendour in the Grass is usually hosted.

Police will soon be able to issue on-the-spot fines for swearing. (Photo credit: D Stopford)

Civil libertarians are slamming new laws which will allow police to issue on-the-spot fines for swearing.

The new laws, which are on target for an early 2011 rollout across Queensland, give police the power to issue $100 fines to those who swear in public.

It will mean offenders won’t have to go to court, but President of the Queensland Council for Civil Liberties, Michael Cope, believes the new laws will be detrimental to Queenslanders.

“We’re opposed to them because it gives far too much discretion to police officers,” he said.

“The basic problem with [the fines] is this is the sort of thing the police will be doing whenever they decide they don’t like somebody… It’s ripe for abuse.”

Police Minister Neil Roberts said both the police and the Queensland Government strongly support the new laws.

“Police have a zero-tolerance approach… Everybody has the right to feel safe and to enjoy public space.”

Townsville Magistrate Peter Smid earlier this month ruled in favour of defendant Bardon Kaitira, who was accused of swearing at an on-duty police officer.

Magistrate Smid said the defendant’s actions did not interfere with those around him and his swearing did not constitute a public nuisance.

Mr Roberts said the ruling would not deter police from issuing fines or arresting people acting inappropriately in a public place.

“The ruling does not mean another alleged offender charged for engaging in similar behaviour at a different time or place will escape punishment,” he said.

“Another Magistrate assessing all the facts… may find an alleged offender guilty.”

Mr Kaitira had been told by police he could either pay a fine or be placed under arrest.

Opposition spokesperson for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy and Member for Callide, Jeff Seeney said “we wouldn’t have done it at all; there is no justification for it.

Jeff Seeney. Source: www.lnp.org.au

“To have an increase of 450 per cent is money gorging. It’s gorging money from people for the government’s own profit. There is no justification at all in any case let alone a 450 per cent increase.”

Crown land is land owned by the state or federal government which is often rented to people and companies for private use.

Uses of crown land include placing a bore near a lake to provide water to a house, or phone and electrical companies using land for power poles.

Up until recently the lowest yearly rent being paid for Crown land was around $80, according to a spokesperson for Stephen Robertson, Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy. The new minimum is $370.

Some residents, who previously paid just under $100 a year, were shocked at being forced to pay up to $500 for bores which haven’t worked in years.

The Labor State Government announced earlier this year the rent on Crown land was going to increase. However many leaseholders failed to receive any notification of this.

The Department of Environmental Resources Management said the information packages regarding the new rental arrangements were distributed through the department’s mailing contractor to all the State’s 22,703 leaseholders.

As a significant number of lessees failed to receive their information packages, the department said a three month extension had been granted to landholders until 1 December 2010 to pay the new fees.

Over $99 million has been billed for the 2010/2011 billing period, according to the department.

The department said the new arrangements take into consideration the costs involved in administering the leasehold portfolio, which is worth $6.812 billion.

Deputy Leader of the Liberal National Party, Lawrence Springborg, cannot believe the claim the increase is to cover administration costs.

He told the Daily News recently “Labor is claiming the increase reflects administration costs, but that’s ridiculous because all the Government is doing is sending out the same computer-generated bills once a year”.

“If that’s how much it costs them to administrate, no wonder the State Government has racked up so much debt.”

Mr Seeney said the rent increase is likely to cause some hardship for people, especially for those leasing a small amount of Crown land.

“For a lot of the residents it’s a huge impost, especially for people on small acreages.

“They are very small areas, some of them are five square metres, 10 square metres that are leased that allow people to put a pump in a creek and there is absolutely no justification for the government to charge them $400 to do just that,” he said.

Any interested landholders could contact the Department of Environmental Resource Management on 13 13 04.