Senate debates
Tuesday, 4 December 2018
Motions
United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity
4:48 pm
Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
I move:
That the Senate—
(a) notes that:
(i) the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity took place in Egypt from 13 to 29 November 2018,
(ii) the United Nations report to the Convention demonstrated that Australia is failing to meet international targets, especially in parts of the country where land clearing and habitat destruction are widespread,
(iii) the World Wildlife Fund also issued a report, as part of the conference, that placed Australia amongst the worst performers on biodiversity in a group of 100 nations, and
(iv) the Convention called on governments to scale up investments in nature and people towards 2020 and beyond, and to accelerate action to achieve Aichi Biodiversity Targets by 2020; and
(b) calls on the Federal Government to heed the recommendations of the Convention.
Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
I seek leave to make a short statement.
Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
The Liberal-National coalition government has put in place several important measures to safeguard Australia's biodiversity. In 2014, the government appointed Australia's first Threatened Species Commissioner to help drive improvements in threatened species conservation. In 2015, we launched the Threatened Species Strategy, which contains ambitious targets, including a commitment to turn around the population trajectories of 20 mammals, 20 birds and 30 plants by 2020. In 2017, we launched the Threatened Species Prospectus to encourage the private sector to join us in saving species. Since 2014, over $302 million has been mobilised for over 1,200 projects protecting and recovering threatened species.
Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
The question is that motion No. 1301 be agreed to.