AOC 2023 -
Conference Statement
Sign the AOC 2023 conference statement calling on the Australian Government to deliver strong new nature laws before the next election!
Why we need strong new laws:
Australian birds are facing potentially existential threats like climate change, habitat destruction, and invasive species. Sadly, Australia’s current suite of environmental laws fail to protect our unique ecosystems.
One sixth of Australia’s birds are at risk (Action Plan for Australian Birds, CSIRO, 2021). New data collated for the 2023 Threatened Bird Index (TBX) launched during this conference reveals that threatened bird populations have declined by an average of 60% since 1985. This corresponds to a decline of 2.2% per annum since 2000 for the 72 threatened and near-threatened bird taxa included in the index.
To tackle this crisis Australia urgently needs new strong new nature laws that drive transformational change in the way we manage our environment.
Sign the conference statement, to add your expert voice behind new laws!
What would strong new nature laws look like?
We need to get Australia’s nature laws on track to end the destruction of nature and onto the path of recovery. In order to do this, we are calling on the Australian Government to deliver the following elements:
Legally enforceable National Environmental Standards, that aren’t undermined by the potential use of ministerial discretion
A fully-independent Environment Protection Agency
Mechanisms to ensure public trust and confidence in national environment laws, including guarantees of the right to consultation
Embed First Nations perspectives
Protection and recovery of species and habitats through properly funded recovery instruments and legally binding abatement responses. Listed species, migratory species and ecological communities must have identified Critical Protection Areas and all of these activities must be adequately funded
A rigorous system for the management and use of environmental data and information, monitoring and analysis
Regional planning must be conservation-led and capable of accommodating new information about threats and be subject to strict integrity measures
Offsets must be strictly limited and climate impacts considered
Strong Federal Government leadership and funding must underpin all of the above actions.
Sign the conference statement, to add your expert voice alongside your peers here at AOC 2023.
Download the AOC Conference Statement
And for more ways that you can help campaign for strong new laws, see the tiles below.
Photo: Swift Parrot by John Barkla
