The document discusses the Great Eastern Ranges Connectivity Corridor, a proposed conservation area extending 2800 km along Australia's eastern ranges. It contains a high proportion of Australia's plant and animal species, including many endemic and ancient species. The corridor was officially launched in 2007 with $7 million in funding. It aims to protect ecosystems and increase connectivity between protected areas from the Australian Alps to Atherton, to benefit biodiversity and communities. Governments are working to establish effective governance and integrate diverse conservation strategies along the corridor.
10. SOME OF AUSTRALIA’S BIODIVERSITY (Attiwill and Wilson 2006) 213 Mammals (77% in forested areas) 770 Birds (38% in forested areas) 191 Amphibians (53% in forested areas) 658 Reptiles (33% in forested areas) Total: 1832 species A2A latitudinal variation: it includes 14 Bioregions of Australia’s 85 A2A: estimated to be 8250 vascular plant species (of 23,000) A2A: refugia for ancient plants
27. Governments of Queensland, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria agreed to help achieve the Great Eastern Ranges Corridor from the Australian Alps (Victoria) to Atherton in Queensland
29. Great Eastern Ranges connectivity conservation potential Atherton tablelands Australian Alps Black line: Great Dividing Range Red line: Great Escarpment Dark Green: Protected Areas Light Green: State Forests Yellow highlight : Potential GER connectivity Atherton tablelands Australian Alps
30. Vision “ The ecosystems of Australia’s great eastern ranges to be healthy and interconnected from the Australian Alps to Atherton and beyond, and contributing to the long term economic, social, cultural and spiritual well-being of the community”
31. Great Eastern Ranges Governance Environment Protection and Heritage Council Agencies working group: NSW, VIC, QLD, ACT, COMMONWEALTH NSW Environment Trust (Chair- Minister) GER sub-committee DECCW Agencies Partners (eg Catchment Management Authorities, Greening Australia) Stakeholders Scientific/technical reference group Aboriginal reference group
37. Initially a Government facilitated initiative in NSW To be transformed into a community based governance model
38.
Editor's Notes
Spaceship Earth and Australia Australia is the World’s largest island, its smallest continent, and it is, in its own right, one of Udvardy’s eight Biogeographic Realms of Earth It represents about 6% of the Earth’s landsurface It includes about 7-10% of the Earths species It is one of 17 Mega-diverse Countries on Earth (Nations that together harbour 60-70% of species on Earth) Its geology spans the almost the entire history of Earth, since it includes the oldest rocks known on Earth, the four billion year old rocks near Shark Bay in Western Australia
A2A 2800 kilometres
For visitors to our country, they are immediately struck by the beauty, colour and richness of our birds
But there are many surprises….Moist rainforests with their ancient mossy understory
Tall, gigantic Eucalypt forests which are hundreds of years old
Greater Glider: A small gliding Koala…eats Eucalypt leaves only
1350 vertebrate species not found anywhere else on Earth (Indonesia is next with 850 endemic species)
Population densities of Australia, 2006
The biggest threat of all for A2A
Keeping the common species common Conserving diversity
One continent, one nation
Keeping the common species common Conserving diversity
Old trees critical…nesting hollows….300 species of mammals, birds and reptiles use the hollows