The Australian Government must stem the rising tide of environmental pests by creating a national body tasked with harnessing the energy and brainpower of community volunteers already battling the nation’s escalating weed and feral animal crisis.
The latest State of the Environment Report says 60 per cent of Australia’s nationally endangered species are threatened by introduced pests and cautions that our natural heritage is under pressure from a fast-growing number of invasive species.
It also warns that management of impacts of invasive species on biodiversity is ‘ineffective’ and that the trend is ‘deteriorating’.
Obviously our current approach to invasive species is not working – Australia needs a new approach to tackling its growing environmental pest problems.
The Invasive Species Council today launched its proposal for a national biosecurity taskforce – Environment Health Australia.
Recent research shows that Australians are very concerned about invasive species and want to know what government is doing about them.
Environment groups are saying we need a new national biosecurity taskforce that can reverse decades of neglect by focusing on the growing pest threats facing our natural environment and harnessing the huge amount of energy already committed by conservation volunteers, farmers and land managers across the country.
Establishing Environment Health Australia is the best thing the Federal Government can do now to overcome our historical neglect of these issues and give the environment a level of attention previously only enjoyed by primary industry through Animal Health Australia and Plant Health Australia.
It will bridge the divide between government, industry and the community sector and generate smarter programs with more resources to tackle Australia’s growing invasive species problems.
To find out more about this proposal visit the Invasive Species Council our website.
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