The environment: Biodiversity strategy does not stand alone

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The environment: Biodiversity strategy does not stand alone

Protecting biodiversity in Australia benefits from healthy scientific debate, however, your article ("Nature [un]nurtured", 21/1) did not fully capture the many approaches already being taken to ensure the future of our precious plants and animals.

Australia's Strategy for Nature 2018-2030 is a draft document – not a final policy – that is out for consultation and seeks to galvanise support for biodiversity under a unifying strategy. The threats to our species are complex, which makes the recovery of nature a long-term task we must approach in a collaborative way.

Illustration: Matt Golding

Illustration: Matt Golding

Importantly, this strategy does not stand alone. Since 2014, the Australian government has mobilised more than $255 million for more than 1200 projects to protect our species. This includes controlling feral cats, creating feral-free islands and planting 20 million trees by 2020. We have a threatened species strategy with ambitious targets, we have committed more than $1 billion to the National Landcare Program, and many projects under the Emissions Reduction Fund will protect habitat for vulnerable species.

Australia's Strategy for Nature 2018-2030 is open for public comment until March 16 at www.environment.gov.au. I encourage anyone with an interest in biodiversity to provide us feedback that will help our collective efforts to protect Australia's rich and diverse environment.

Dr Sally Box, Threatened Species Commissioner, Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra ACT

Not a war to win ...

It seems the news is all bad, but at least the war on the environment is going well! In fact it is going exceedingly well as noted in The Sunday Age (21/1). To expect any better from our current federal Environment Minister is a sign of insanity equalled only by the belief of his cohorts in endless population and economic growth on a finite planet.

Heinz de Chelard, Hamilton

Decisive action, backed by legislative support

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We should have learnt by now that it will take more than the pious words and political wish-lists of Australia's Strategy for Nature 2018-2030 to save our natural environment from irreversible degradation. The present government has consistently ignored the warnings of the scientists advising it. Decisive action backed by legislative support is becoming ever more necessary: the proposed strategy is too little, too late.

Jenifer Nicholls, Armadale

We need a healthy environment

The Turnbull Coalition government prefers coal over renewables primarily to placate its benefactors in the fossil fuel industry. Its pathetic plan to protect Australia's remaining wildlife is designed to placate farmers.

It has a track record of putting business and profits ahead of the environment. What the Turnbull government fails to see is without a healthy environment there will eventually be no people and therefore no business and profit.

Phil Alexander Eltham

THE FORUM

Impose spending limits

Adam Gartrell ("Time to get private money out of politics", The Sunday Age, 21/1) says that the donors and political parties claim the donations are used to pay for election campaigns. Rather than increase public funding of election campaigns, surely spending limits should be required. It might stop the flood of robocalls and the wasteful advertising. The political parties clearly have too much money and the donors and lobby groups have too much influence.

Peter Carlin, Frankston South

Welcome perspective

Jon Richardson, ("A gang mentality", Opinion, 21/1), provides a former Australian diplomat's informed perspective on the abysmal ignorance of Australians where Africa is concerned.

The vicious stereotyping of the South Sudanese community in Victoria puts the lie to the notion that this nation has evolved into a multicultural triumph and follows the relentless federal government-driven conflation in recent years of our Muslim communities with a minority of self-proclaimed jihadists.

Influential politicians from parties with "Anglo" conservative traditions still target, in a reflexive, prejudiced manner, those immigrant populations that differ from the traditional mainstream, either racially or religiously.

One only has to observe the trauma being visited on US immigrants from nations derided by US President Donald Trump to realise that populist leaders like him, and our own Peter Dutton, are betraying the pluralistic principles essential in a functioning and civilised democracy. The recent practice of decrying "multiculturalism" needs more than ever to be challenged.

Jon McMillan, Mount Eliza

Well said, Wendy Squires

Wendy Squires, you speak the truth. ("Big mother is watching you", Opinion, 21/1). Imagine how different our society would be if overzealous parents focused their time and money on the big issues that ultimately affect the world into which their precious bundles are born – climate change, nuclear weaponry, assisting refugees.

A more apt end to your cafe conversation would have been "You don't have children of your own so you DO understand". In fact, you possess an amazing quality called perspective. Oh, and you're welcome to look after my children any time if you can track them down – they don't wear a GPS device so it might prove difficult ...

Sara McMillan, Frankston South

Trust your children

Wow – my parents clearly failed the responsible parenting test in the 1970s. Maybe they just trusted me because, when I was 14/15, I was allowed to fly to Tassie with my best friend at which point we hitchhiked around the island for a week. We camped in people's backyards, learnt how to use a shotgun on the west coast (didn't tell Mum about that one) and had to put up with evangelists trying to convert us.

We had great fun and learnt lessons for life.

Graham Fetherstonhaugh, Carlton North

You can't unsee it ...

I wish I'd read "Libs vow to teach values" in the The Sunday Age's "Headlines you won't see" rather than on the front page of the paper (24/1).

Christine Duncan, Surrey Hills

Sharing the blame

Australia's Strategy for Nature 2018-2030 reflects widespread community indifference to endangered species. Evident during a recent holiday in Mallacoota was the plight of the endangered hooded plover and the vulnerable fairy tern. Both nest in the sand over summer on the upper parts of the beaches. At Mallacoota Main Beach are permanent signs by the East Gippsland Shire indicating dogs are banned from this beach between November and April. A short-lived sign from Parks Victoria reinforced this ban. However, each day up to 17 unrestrained dogs roamed this beach, encroaching on the fragile nesting areas.

No enforcement of these rules, or effective education campaigns have been evident from any authority in the 30 years we have been visiting this area.

Peter and Alma Ries, Mt Eliza

What are the odds?

Schadenfreude can be a good feeling on the odd occasion. Nick Toscano's withering assessment (The Age, 27/1) of the apparent failure of the William Hill betting agency to make significant inroads into the Australian market is welcome. Furthermore, governments at the state and federal level are to be commended for serious (and long overdue) reform of the gambling sector.

For years we have been bombarded with saturation advertising on billboards to bus stops regarding odds offered on sports and even election outcomes. The smiling face of Tom Waterhouse appeared everywhere in the media ostensibly offering "special commentary" but in reality spruiking forthcoming bets. Even the ABC was not immune with a certain commentator thankfully since departed talking up the betting markets while covering the races.

Hopefully, these changes will see a re-calibration of our enjoyment of sport without having the continual reminder of having a wager front and centre all the time.

Steven Haby, Gisborne

Last thoughts on ...

There are many important dates in our history, but settlement as a penal colony the most important? Really, Australia? There are so many options to consider that better represent what our country has become. These include the date the last penal settlement was disbanded, the last convict was freed, or the overwhelming approval in the 1967 referendum for including Aboriginal people in the census and allowing the Commonwealth to create laws for them.

Maybe we could even plan for a new day when Indigenous Australians have the equal access to resources of other Australians.

Linda Skinner, Mooroolbark

... Australia Day

Once again we see that the mood of the people is ahead of the politicians. The people are ready embrace the debate to change Australia Day to a more suitable and inclusive date. Sadly we do not have politicians with the capacity to progress us in this important matter. They lack the vision and courage to lead.

Judy Kevill, Ringwood

Spare a thought

Perhaps just a little too much scoffing and sneering by some letter writers agreeing with Vivienne Pearson's views on summer heat (Comment, 19/1). Good for you if you are one of the robust. For my 93-year-old neighbour, and many others, temperatures above 35 degrees are, indeed, "akin to a health apocalypse".

Karina Kanepe,Northcote

What's their secret?

Towards the conclusion of "Two of Us" ("Good Weekend", 27/1), there is a reference to "wacky healthy things" by Michael Robbo to his brother, Mark. Whatever these might be there must be something that works for each of these brothers. At 79 and 69 years of age, respectively, they each look to be bright, alive and alight, and certainly much younger than their chronological years. Good on them! Perhaps the next book could elaborate on their secret?

Kay Arthur, Diamond Creek

A practical solution

Surely the solution is not to remove options for prescribing pain medication to patients in need, forcing them to long wait times for specialist or pain clinic appointments ("GPs face ban on painkillers", The Age, 27/1).

An education program for GPs coupled with an improved system to monitor prescription of such drugs and prevent "doctor shopping" would be more sensible.

Dianne Lewis, Mt Martha

There's a link here

I find the photo of Scott Morrison interesting (The Age, 27/1). The Treasurer is trying to justify a race to the bottom with corporate tax rates. He presented a chart showing corporate tax rates around the world. I could not help but notice that the countries with the three highest tax rates, France, Germany and Belgium, are all successful, industrialised countries with healthy economies. They also have excellent infrastructure, healthcare, educational and social welfare systems, all of which requires tax money. Does this fact escape you, Mr Morrison?

Barry Lizmore, Ocean Grove

It's quite easy, really

Gender balance can easily be established in the Australian honours system. Given that many more men and women are nominated than are admitted into the Order of Australia each year, a rule should be adopted making it mandatory that 5o per cent of the awards go to women.

The principle of meritocracy would not be weakened – unless one believes there couldn't possibly be an adequate number of women among the thousands of nominees in the backlog. Clearly this would not be the case.

Barry York, OAM, Lyneham, ACT

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