Home Object Activities Contact Who's who How to join NSF How to support NSF What's on Nature and Society The Biosphere Reserve - report of our meeting on 16 May 2007 In his opening remarks at our 16 May meeting on the proposal to nominate the ACT as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Brendan Mackey commented that there is a world-wide trend towards the regeneration of the city state. Various cities, some with their surrounding bio-region, are positioning themselves to try to attain a sustainable future, in their own right. Urbino, Chicago and Seattle are examples of this trend, and the ACT could do the same, through being declared a Biosphere Reserve. Ian Anderson pointed out that many scientists were becoming concerned about the state of the environment in the 1970s. The establishment of Unesco Biosphere Reserves was one result of this concern, aiming to educate and to promote sustainable development and the conservation of species and ecosystems. Now they can also have a role in coping with climate change. Ian provided a draft vision statement for the ACT Biosphere. The Conservation Council of the South-East Region and Canberra has been running a public consultation process to engage the Canberra community and conservation groups on this proposal. They have had mixed success, finding it difficult to get the concept across. On the other hand many members of the scientific community are enthusiastic. If it is to succeed it is essential that Biosphere Reserve eventually achieves real engagement by many sectors of the community. If we use our imaginations we could achieve great things by securing this nomination. Mick Gentleman who chairs the Legislative Assembly’s inquiry into the nomination said they had run several forums on the topic. Occasionally he has found groups declaring their opposition to the idea, because of vague fear of more regulation for their business. He thinks that a long process of gathering information and talking to the public is an important part of the nomination process, and could build momentum. The inquiry is ongoing, and he wondered if there was any need to hurry. Overall most submissions have been supportive. Ian Pulsford was the last speaker on the issue. He has been involved with various reserves, but it is now realised that reserves in themselves are insufficient. It is necessary to look at whole landscapes and connectivity. With climate change species trapped in reserves could perish; they need to be able to move. For this reason the A to A (Alpine to Atherton) program is being promoted – an effort to provide connectivity right down the east coast along the Great Escarpment and the Great Divide, from Cooktown to Gippsland. One critical part of this will be connecting Namadgi to the Tinderries, and Kosciuszko to the coast. An ACT Biosphere Reserve would fit perfectly into this plan. General discussion followed the presentations and showed general support for the nomination but a division of opinion as to whether it should be allowed to proceed slowly or whether it should be speeded up. Stephen Boyden argued strongly for avoiding delay and said that an enormous amount of good work had gone into the submissions already. Questions were raised as to whether the reserve should be limited to the ACT, or should include Yass, Queanbeyan and the region. The importance of government support was also queried. Some thought that without the Federal Government coming on board there would be little hope of success. Others pointed out that Mornington Peninsula had nominated successfully, with one of the best proposals ever submitted, and with no government support of any kind. It had all been done privately, by dedicated individuals, and has one individual who has been a particular driver of the whole process. Nevertheless to get a functioning Biosphere here it will be important to involve the whole of the ACT community, with local and Federal Government support. At present there is a lack of youth involvement, but there are a couple of youth leadership groups who could become involved if the Biosphere proposal is taken to them. If some groups get inspired, the whole movement could start to take off. The need now is to present a complete, comprehensive case that business and the public, school children, conservation groups and all others can relate to. It would lift the profile of the national capital, and ‘build a brand’ to be proud of. Jenny Wanless June - July 2007 edition accessible here Back to top ________________________________________________________________
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