CONSERVATION
PROTECT SLOPING MAIN FOREVER Many people don’t know how precious saltmarsh wetlands are. Sanctuaries for birdlife, a home for invertebrates and a hunting ground for small marsupials, saltmarshes are threatened by rising sea levels, housing development and the spread of weeds. In southern Tasmania, the Tasmanian Land Conservancy has the chance to turn a vibrant saltmarsh into a permanent nature reserve. This 116ha wetland Credit: Rob Blakers at Sloping Main sits between critically endangered black gum forest and beautiful coastal sand dunes. At the Tasmanian Land Conservancy, we already care for nature on more than 18,000ha of reserves across the state. We monitor and manage these important reserves so that threatened species and their habitats flourish forever. Help us protect Sloping Main at tasland.org.au/donate
VULNERABLE STATUS FOR FAT-TAILED DUNNARTS
The Channel Country floodplains in Queensland are among the last healthy, free-flowing, desert-river ecosystems left on Earth. These rivers and wetlands are home to millions of birds, endangered fish species, and other wildlife found nowhere else. But fossil-fuel giant Santos and other big polluters want to mine the area for dirty oil and gas using dangerous fracking, which poses enormous risks to the land and waters. Channel Country is a popular place to wet Alongside Traditional Owners, locals, graziers, your whistle. Credit: Glenn Walker environmentalists, scientists and thousands of Queenslanders, we’re calling for no new oil and gas in Channel Country, and asking the QLD Labor government to come good on its longstanding promise to protect these rivers and floodplains for future generations. Learn more at wilderness.org.au/channel-country
The last small marsupial of Victoria’s grasslands—the ferocious fat-tailed dunnart—will be listed as ‘Vulnerable’ on Victoria’s threatened species list. This listing is important; populations of this mighty but small predator have crashed in recent decades, and its grassland habitat is critically endangered, with less than 2% of its original extent remaining. An Action Plan will detail next steps for recovery: think research on population strongholds; programs helping farmers foster biodiversity; and hopefully money for implementation. Proposals to clear native vegetation should now have to consider fattailed dunnarts, saving grassland habitat as well. This listing has been a complex journey, from researcher Emily Scicluna’s PhD work, to the Scientific Advisory Committee, to the environment and agriculture ministers. We are hopeful one day ‘Dunnies’ will again thrive in our grassy meadows. You can read about Emily’s work at tinyurl.com/
MEG BAUER, The Wilderness Society
vnpa-how-i-got-dunnarts-listed
JANE RAWSON, Tasmanian Land Conservancy
FRACKING THE CHANNEL COUNTRY
ADRIAN MARSHALL,
GARDENS OF STONE UPDATE (In the Green Pages of Wild Autumn 2023, Keith Muir wrote that NSW’s Gardens of Stone is threatened by commercial tourism. There’s been a new development.) During the Christmas period of 2022, lease notices for privately operated accommodation within the Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area (accompanied by just five lines of information) were exhibited. But following public outcry and subsequent legal action, the Credit: Henry Gold NSW National Parks Service has agreed to restart the public-review process for the reserve’s adventure theme park and accommodation leases. Conservation groups are now calling for the Minns government to drop these developments and re-exhibit the plan of management. Priorities for this new park should be basic visitor facilities, restoring damaged areas and controlling pest species, not gold-plated facilities for commercial interests. Write to Penny Sharpe, Minister for the Environment and Heritage, at nsw.gov.au/nswgovernment/ministers/minister-environment-heritage to let her know your views. KEITH MUIR
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WILD
Victorian National Parks Assn
Tiny, but ferocious—the fat-tailed dunnart. Credit: Caleb McElrea
GOT ANY GREEN NEWS? Engaging in an environmental campaign that Wild readers should know about? Send a paragraph explaining what’s happening and why it’s important to editor@wild.com.au
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GREEN PAGES
