Dear local member,
[Your personal message goes here]
I’m writing to express my concern about the findings of the recent Inquiry into Ecosystem Decline in Victoria, and to urge you to support the recommendations.
The inquiry committee members came from across the political spectrum – Labor, Liberal, Nationals, Independents and Greens – but they all agreed that Victoria’s environment is in significant decline and requires urgent action and much greater funding.
Victoria is the most intensely settled and cleared state in Australia. Since European settlement, half of the Victoria’s native vegetation has been cleared. Almost 2000 animals, plants and communities are listed as threatened in Victoria.
But while extinction is irreversible, it is not inevitable. The inquiry report included some recommendations which show how we can reverse this decline and bring our beloved plants and animals back from the brink.
Importantly, it recommended significantly increased funding for threatened species and habitat conservation.
I support the call from community environment groups for a package of funding, at least $500 million, to deliver commitments in four key areas:
1. A dedicated long term threatened species program.
– Activate all available mechanisms under State threatened species laws to protect species in decline (including using laws to protect critical habitats)
– Improve prioritisation of threatened species for protection to stop further extinctions for those most at risk
– Enable enhanced and targeted landscape programs to control key threats statewide including feral animals & pests to facilitate recovery.
2. Dramatic increase in public funding for land and sea conservation & threatened species laws & programs including:
– Increase in funding core ecological management funding for Parks Victoria to at least 1% of state expenditure annually and an enhanced threatened species recovery and action program across all public land across land and sea
– Increase targeted funding for Community Action, Landcare and private land protection
– Expanded and resource Traditional Owner Joint Management on Country
– Dramatically speed up the transition out of native forest logging
3. New $30-$50 million for a Land Conservation Revolving fund which “purchase, protect, resells” high conservation private land to be run by the Trust for Nature.
4. Strengthen the Wildlife Act to properly protect all native species
Thank you for your time. The inquiry report is available to read on the parliament website here: https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/epc-lc/article/4455
Kind regards,
[Your Name and postcode will be inserted here]