The ACT Greens believe:
1. biodiversity, ecosystems and ecosystem processes maintain Earth’s life support systems, including the climate system
2. the protection and conservation of biodiversity is essential for the wellbeing of all life on Earth, including human life
3. the loss of Australia’s biodiversity poses an unacceptable threat to human and ecosystem health, and dramatically reduces our ability to cope with major ecological threats such as climate change
4. protected areas are vital to the preservation of biodiversity in the ACT, and therefore to our health and wellbeing
5. habitat loss and fragmentation, together with the spread of alien invasive species exacerbated by climate change, are the greatest threats to the biodiversity of the planet.

The ACT Greens want:
1. to maintain and enhance the resilience of local and regional ecosystems
2. Canberra to remain the “bush capital”
3. optimum water, soil, and air quality in the ACT and a reversal of existing land degradation
4. natural resource management based on sound environmental research informed by the precautionary principle
5. integrated regional management of vulnerable native habitats
6. an ACT community that is aware of the importance of ecosystems and the services they provide.

The ACT Greens support:
1. opportunities for the ACT community to experience and positively interact with local environments
2. ensuring that the system of reserves within the ACT is comprehensive, adequate and representative and, includes, where necessary, buffer systems around and wildlife corridors between nature parks and reserves
3. nomination of the ACT as a United Nations Biosphere Reserve
4. increasing plantings of locally native species in private and public urban areas
5. the activities of Park Care groups to restore degraded parts of Canberra Nature Park
6. adequate and secure funding for ACT community organisations working to promote biodiversity and environmental protection
7. working with relevant governments and authorities to enhance river and other water management strategies, and establish regional biodiversity corridors and buffer zones
8. developing and implementing programs to reduce the impact of feral and invasive fauna and flora in both urban and rural environments
9. establishing a voluntary Conservation Agreement system for ACT rural leaseholders
10. developing, implementing and regularly reviewing recovery and regional management plans for vulnerable ecological communities, including freshwater aquatic ecosystems
11. fully investigating and addressing soil erosion, acidity and dry-land salinity in the ACT
12. halting urban encroachment on vulnerable ecological communities
13. phasing out the use of persistent, bio-accumulative and hazardous chemicals
14. urging the Australian Government to increase funding for compliance with National Environment Protection Measures goals, standards, protocols and guidelines
15. strengthening, monitoring and reporting on ACT air quality standards
16. the wood-heater buyback scheme
17. a national moratorium on releasing genetically modified organisms into agricultural and other ecosystems, and maintaining the ACT ban on genetically modified products
18. significantly improving current noise, light, and electromagnetic exposure regulations.

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 30th, 2008 at 12:00 am and is filed under Policy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.