Landclearing
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Unbeknownst to most Territorians,
the Parks and Wildlife section of the Department of Infrastructure,
Planning and Environment (DIPE) has released for public comment
a "draft management program" to regulate the commercial logging
of the Northern Territory's native forests and woodlands on public
land (including pastoral lease land and unalienated Crown land).
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For more information click
here
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ECNT's
LANDCLEARING CAMPAIGN
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Picture - QCC, ACF and TWS
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Broad scale clearing of vegetation for agriculture
remains Australia's greatest threat to biodiversity. It also
contributes greatly to salinity, other soil and water degradation
problems and greenhouse gas emissions. |
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Until recently temperate
and sub-tropical woodlands have been the main ecosystems targeted
for landclearing, particularly in the southern states and Queensland.
However northern Australian woodlands are now facing rapidly increasing
clearing and associated problems with parts of the agricultural sector
targeting Northern Australia for 'greenfields development opportunities'.
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Several massive agriculture
schemes are in the early stages of development, while existing schemes
are being expanded. The long term risk is that the Top End and the
Kimberley will repeat the overclearing and irrigation problems of
southern Australia, with consequent massive loss of biodiversity
and soil and water degradation.
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| TARGETED AREAS |
Some of the areas being
examined for agricultural expansion include:
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The Darwin rural area - where significant
clearing has already taken place without assessment of ecological
impacts.
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Ord River Irrigation
Area - It is proposed to expand agricultural production
from 14,000 ha to around 60,000 ha. This is a joint project
between the NT and WA Governments and private developers. The
WA EPA recently (August 2000) approved the clearing of 35,000
hectares of native vegetation for Ord Stage 2.
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Katherine-Daly
Rivers Region - The NT Government has identified 110,000
ha as being 'suitable for agricultural production'. The government
is beginning to allocate funds for new roads to 'open up' the
region and recently (November 2000) announced the sale of 70,000
hectares of Government land for agricultural development. The
NT Government has targeted the Douglas - Daly region for 30,000
ha of mixed agriculture including cotton. This may require
damming sections of the Daly River, one of the NT's most important
river systems.
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West
Kimberley - The WA Government has entered into a Memorandum
of Understanding with Western Agricultural Industries to determine
the feasibility of establishing an irrigated agriculture industry
based on cotton. Some 250,000 ha have been earmarked for development.
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Tiwi Islands
Forestry Project - Silvatech and the Tiwi Land Council
are pursuing a 30,000 hectare forestry plantation in the Tiwi
Islands. Two and a half thousand hectares of land have already
been cleared for the acacia plantation with no environmental
impacts assessment being carried out. Silvatech have an option
to clear up to 100,000 hectares for forestry plantations. Given
the small scale and unique values of the Tiwi Islands,clearing
on this scale would represent an environmental disaster.
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Expansion into new areas would involve broadscale
landclearing and levelling, mining of groundwater, establishment
of irrigation systems and the introduction of farm chemicals
into what currently are relatively in tact and pristine ecosystems.
The NT Government has also been investigating the feasibility
of damming several important rivers, including the Daly, for
agricultural production. Cotton, sorghum, sugar cane, mangoes,
peanuts, bananas and other water and chemical intensive crops
are being proposed for these areas. These schemes will target
the relatively small areas of more fertile soil in the Kimberley
and Top End in the richer river valleys.
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At direct risk from clearing is the flora and
fauna of these ecosystems. In addition coastal and river ecosystems
are at risk through disruption of the Wet/Dry flooding and drying
cycles caused by damming and irrigation. Experience in the south
indicates that such changes lead to loss of aquatic species and
greatly reduced fisheries, a key commercial and tourist resource
in northern Australia.
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The risk of major environmental impact and biodiversity
loss is increased by the complete absence of landclearing and
water use regulations in the Northern Territory and the lack
of scientific knowledge about the biota of the region.
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The Environment Centre is intensifying its work
on landclearing. In May 2001 ECNT released a detailed report
into the status of landlcearing in the NT. This report can be
downloaded below.
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We are also distributing landclearing postcards
for people to sign and send to the Chief Minister of the NT demanding
that the NT Government move to regulate landclearing in the NT
and outlining the impacts of landclearing.
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ECNT is working with Broome-based environment
group Environs Kimberley to work on landclearing issues across
the Top End and Kimberley.
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Please join the
Environment Centre and assist us in our campaign to protect the native
vegetation of Northern Australia.
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MORE
INFORMATION |
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Major
Campaign
