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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 7 Hansard (26 June) . . Page.. 2352 ..

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Mr Speaker.

The natural resources of the ACT are part of our heritage and an important cultural and economic asset. Custodial obligations are shared by us all. On behalf of the Canberra community, the ACT Government is conscious of its responsibilities for setting directions and priorities that ensure these resources are protected, managed and used in ways that are ecologically sustainable. Today, I am pleased to announce an important step forward in this process with the release for public comment of A Nature Conservation Strategy for the ACT.

This draft Nature Conservation Strategy provides a framework within which we all can work towards ensuring that the native plants and animals of the ACT are maintained in the long term. This is conservation of our biological diversity - the variety and number of living organisms, their ecological communities and their habitats.

With this biodiversity conservation framework in place, other Government policies and programs that have implications for the environment can be developed and implemented in an appropriate context. For example, kangaroo management strategies, plans of management for nature reserves and fire fuel management strategies will benefit from application of relevant principles and objectives set out in this nature conservation strategy.

Production of this strategy satisfies a commitment entered into by the Government in 1996 as a signatory to the National Strategy for the Conservation of Australia's Biological Diversity. All State and Territory Governments have agreed to develop complementary biological diversity strategies. Members may be aware that NSW recently released its own biodiversity conservation strategy for public comment.

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