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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 7 Hansard (26 June) . . Page.. 2359 ..

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A regional perspective is important to conservation of the ACT's natural assets because of the relative scale of the landscapes involved. The Government actively participates in several intergovernmental forums that have been established with the express purpose of addressing regional issues in a coordinated manner.

As a signatory to the Alps Memorandum of Understanding for cooperative management of alpine national parks the Government has demonstrated a firm commitment to regional nature conservation. A number of benefits have flowed from this arrangement, including shared information and a more rational funding base for the national parks complex. During 1997-98, the ACT will receive a total of $60,000 to undertake projects that contribute to coordinated management of alpine parks in the ACT, NSW and Victoria. They comprise continuation of a monitoring program to assess the affects of changes in predator impact following release of the Rabbit Calcivirus Disease, development of a field guide to the ecology of the Australian Alps and developing high-profile interpretive material for community education and information.

The Government is also cooperating with the region's State and Local Government agencies, and the Housing Industry Association in a study which aims to identify and fill gaps in our knowledge of the region's biodiversity. This study will assist in providing greater certainty in planning for ecologically sustainable land use planning and development.

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