Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes:

(i) the fact that the southern cassowary is listed as endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, and that estimates of the remaining population range from 1 000 to 4 000 individuals,

(ii) the recovery plan for the southern cassowary, published in 2007, which estimated a total cost for recovery of the southern cassowary of $994 000 over 5 years, including $50 000 for a cassowary rescue program, and

(iii) the funding uncertainty surrounding the Garners Beach Cassowary Rehabilitation Centre, which has reportedly seen local vets instructed to euthanase injured adult cassowaries and their then-orphaned chicks, rather than sending them for care in the Centre; and

(b) calls on the Federal Government to:

(i) urgently update the recovery plan and ensure that it is implemented, including by prioritising habitat protection and restoration, allocating adequate funding for reducing vehicle strikes, protection from predation by dogs, rehabilitation and protection from other threats, and

(ii) work with the Queensland State Government and urgently consider providing federal funding to allow the Garners Beach Cassowary Rehabilitation Centre to remain open to rehabilitate orphan cassowary chicks, and to expand its operations to enable injured adult cassowaries to be cared for.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government is already taking action to support the endangered cassowary through the actions and targets set out in the Threatened species strategy launched by Mr Hunt a few weeks ago. The Australian government is taking real action to turn around the decline of our threatened species. Eighteen Green Army projects and a 20 Million Trees Program are helping on the ground to protect and restore cassowary habitat. Additionally, we have allocated more than $2 million for projects to revegetate and provide habitat connectivity for the species. We also fund, through the National Landcare Program, local natural resource management groups to protect cassowary habitat. The Garners Beach cassowary rehabilitation centre should contact their local NRM to find out how they can access support through their 20 per cent small project funding. The Minister for the Environment will write to the Queensland minister for the environment to consider this matter.

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement that might be useful in considering this motion.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted is for one minute.

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is an issue which I have been following, as has Mr Andrew Cripps, the local state member. Mr Cripps made very strong submissions to the Queensland state government regarding the closure by the Queensland government of this particular facility. I am pleased to see a report in a newspaper which indicates that the closure of the centre will now not happen and that the Queensland government has, in fact, provided the $50,000 injection required to retain the Garners Beach cassowary rehabilitation centre in Mission Beach.

Question agreed to.