Murray Watt visiting producers in Central Queensland. Photo: Murray Watt Facebook
THE Federal Government has opened a Request for Expression of Interest process for strategic purchases of Australia’s high biodiversity land.
In a media release Federal Environment and Water Minister Murray Watt said the process is the latest step in the Albanese Government’s target to protect and conserve 30 percent of Australia’s land and 30 percent of its oceans by 2030.
He said a Request for Expression of Interest (REOI) now open for strategic land purchases.
Read more: Cattle Australia warns conservation land ‘carbon grab’ will inflate prices
“Achieving this target is crucial to reverse environmental decline and protect Australia’s native plants, animals and other species from extinction.
“Almost 25 percent of Australia’s total landmass is now protected but we need an additional 39 million hectares of land to meet the 30 by 30 target. It is important that this additional land acquired is strategic, in areas of particular importance for biodiversity.
:Strategic land purchases are a component of the Albanese Government’s Australian Bushland Program which is investing $250 million to boost conservation and protect more land.”
Minister Watt said that late last year, the Government sought feedback from potential partners on the design of the strategic land purchase component.
“We’re now seeking to shortlist potential purchasing partners with the capability, capacity and experience to work with the Government to purchase and protect properties for conservation.
“Purchases will be made from willing sellers only, with properties required to meet the Australian Bushland Program’s criteria for identifying the most important areas for addition to our National Reserve System of protected areas.”
The REOI is open until 3 August on AusTender.
Minister Watt said the investment in strategic land purchases is further evidence of the Albanese Government taking action to meet its 30 by 30 land target.
“The Albanese Government’s Australian Bushland Program is investing $250 million to boost conservation and protecting precious natural habitat for threatened species and future generations,” Minister Watt said.
“We are keen to partner with eligible organisations with experience in purchasing, protecting and managing land to deliver biodiversity and conservation outcomes.
“I encourage interested organisations to respond to this REOI through AusTender and work with us to help secure and protect our most important land for biodiversity.”
Source: Minister for Environment and Water
Using land area as some proxy for biodiversity protection is a poor policy. Farming, grazing and forestry are reported to occupy 55% of the continent and protected land 25%. When you remove land held under pastoral tenure but not used for pastoralism (private conservation, Aboriginal groups, mining and military) then the land area under active farming and grazing falls below 50%. It will be from this productive 50% that the minister goes shopping. The land area under idle pastoral title isn’t considered protected. Vast areas of Unoccupied Crown Land, particularly in WA, are also not categorised as protected. Using taxpayers money to buy active farmland denies the opportunities for real biodiversity protection that could be employed across the almost half of the continent not used for farming. An informed cynic might see land purchases just to meet a conservation area target as purely political. Real protection requires doing things on land already categorized as protected but also on land not under active agriculture.
Instead of buying more land, maybe instead they could spend the money on controlling introduced feral pests such as cats, pigs etc. This would do more to preserve Australia’s unique biodiversity.