Habitat Vol. 38 Number 2: April 2010

1Australian Conservation Foundation HABITAT AUSTRALIA APRIL 2010

VOLUME 38 NUMBER 2: APRIL 2010

2010 the International Year of BiodiversitySpecial Commemorative Issue

The campaign for biodiversity – your actions count Are your holiday plans eco-friendly?Australia’s big blue oceans – a world in picturesTo revive the Murray? Just add water!The Tarkine – walking an ancient landscapeHow do I talk to a climate sceptic?

2 Australian Conservation FoundationHABITAT AUSTRALIA APRIL 2010

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Vol 38 No 2 April 2010

Habitat Australia is published by the Australian Conservation Foundation Inc. ABN 22 007 498 482

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ACF website: www.acfonline.org.auHabitat email: [email protected]

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ACF campaigns to protect, restore and sustain the environment. New members are welcome.

PresidentProfessor Ian Lowe

Vice PresidentsRosemary HillAlex Gordon

Chief Executive Offi cerDon Henry

EditorMargaret Ambrose

Contributing EditorAlex Monday

Design and ArtworkPang & Haig Designwww.panghaig.com

PrintingFinsbury Green46 Wirraway Drive, Port MelbourneVIC 3207 (03) 9644 9644

AdvertisingStavro DascarellosAdvertising Representative Habitat [email protected]

ISSN 0310-2939Habitat is ACF’s membership magazine. Membership fees are:Individual/Group/Household $65, Concession $39, Junior $16.50 (includes GST).

CopyrightReproduction in whole or in part may only occur with the written permission of the editor. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily the views of the Australian Conservation Foundation.

Habitat is printed on Cyclus, an unbleached paper made from 100 per cent recycled post-consumer waste.

This publication is authorised by Don Henry, Executive Director, Australian Conservation Foundation, 60 Leicester Street Carlton, VIC 3053.

4 Eco-Shopper 5 Letter from Don Henry 5 Letters to the editor 6 Dispatches from the fi eld 8 Australia’s east coast

marine wonderland 12 Reconnecting the web

of life 16 CHOICE: Dishwashers18 How to talk to a climate sceptic 19 Climate cover-up: the

crusade to deny global warming

20 Removing seafood confusion

22 Indigenous communities getting dumped in it. Again.

24 How to save the Murray-Darling? Just add water!

25 The Tarkine: walking an ancient landscape

27 Australia’s best eco-friendly holidays

28 The Kimberley: big and unprotected

29 The natural rivers of the north: an indigenous perspective

30 Ask the experts31 Introducing…

Danny Vadasz

®

‘I invest ethically because I don’t want to make money from harming others.’

NADINE

HABITAT AUSTRALIAAUSTRALIACONTENTS


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Compiled by Margaret Ambrose


Green skiesThe article ‘Green and Gone‘

(Habitat vol 38 No.1) suggested

some simple ways that

consumers can use their travel

to assist airlines in decreasing

carbon emissions. However,

airlines and consumers need to

work together. Here are some

practical suggestions:

Meals should be ‘opt-in’

on short fl ights, so that the

number of people choosing not

to consume can be calculated.

Passengers carrying lighter

luggage should be rewarded

with frequent fl yer point

credits. Travel carbon offsets

should be ‘opt-out’ at point

of ticket purchase – not many

people would opt out as the

cost of offsets is minimal on a

long fl ight.

Laele Pepper, Ferndale VIC

Making the switchIt occurs to me that one simple

and cheap action that we can

all take to mitigate climate

change – and one that would

have a huge effect if we all did

– is signing up for 100 per cent

accredited Green Power.

It’s easy because it can be

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simple because it takes just

one action to achieve. It’s

cheap because there are some

good deals available. And it’s

effective because suppliers are

required by law to supply the

equivalent amount of power

from renewable generation.

If we all switched to 100 per

cent accredited Green Power,

eventually all the coal-fi red

power-stations would have to

close – just by letting consumer

power force suppliers to go

green!

Having just converted to

100 per cent accredited Green

Power myself, I know what a

good feeling it is!

Ian Freney, Torrens Park SA

Letter from the CEO

Dear Supporter

Welcome to the special

commemorative issue of

Habitat, celebrating 2010, the

UN Year of Biodiversity.

Protecting our biodiversity

is about more than making

sure our wilderness areas

are sustained for the next

generation to enjoy on

their holidays. Protecting

biodiversity is about looking after our life-support systems.

Our rivers, forests, oceans and landscapes all contribute to

our wellbeing.

Check out our special biodiversity feature on page 12,

which examines the interconnectedness between our lives

and our natural landscapes.

But biodiversity is also about natural landscapes and

the life they support. In Australia, we have neglected our

wildlife and the ecosystems they rely on for too long. Close

to half of all mammal extinctions in the last 200 years have

occurred in Australia.

The greatest threat to Australia’s biodiversity is, of

course, climate change. And during this year, ACF is

calling on the government to rapidly scale up investment

for biodiversity and climate change adaptation to over $1

billion a year to address the crisis confronting our wildlife.

If you haven’t already, I strongly urge you to visit

www.acfonline.org.au and sign up to receive our

monthly e-bulletin, ACF NEWS. You will not only get the

latest environmental news and opinion, you’ll also

be notifi ed of all our online actions to save Australia’s

precious biodiversity.

Like you, I was very disappointed that once again talk

has turned to which part of Australia would ‘best’ be made

into a nuclear waste dump. The current Federal Government

plan is a continuation of the divisive approach of the past. It

is secretive, controversial and inconsistent with the current

government’s commitments and international standards.

Please make sure you read Justine Vaisutis’ snapshot

of the impact of the nuclear industry on Indigenous

communities (page 22). Mistakes of this magnitude cannot

be made again, especially when there are far safer and

superior alternatives to the nuclear industry. Radioactive

waste lasts longer than any politician and it is important

that we approach its management in an open and

responsible manner.

Don Henry, CEO Australian Conservation Foundation

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Photo of the issueACF Campaigns Director and

Vice-Chair of the Antarctic

and Southern Ocean Coalition,

Denise Boyd, presents The

Hon Bob Hawke with a

commemorative photograph

of the anniversary of the

decision to withdraw support

for mining in Antarctica.

Letters to the editor

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Our work on the Rapid Active and

Affordable Transport Alliance (RAATA)

continues. We are focusing attention on

the federal and Victorian elections and

in the lead-up will deliver to the two

major political parties the key messages

around reforming transport spending as

a way to fast track the delivery of better

public and active transport infrastructure

and to contain urban sprawl. With other

RAATA members, we also met with the

Queensland Offi ce of Sustainable Transport

and are contributing to their longer-term

work plan.ACF has been advocating for some time

for mandating vehicle emissions standards and the need to provide incentives for promoting alternative technologies and environmentally sound alternative fuels. In March, we participated in an NRMA summit on this subject and will be working collaboratively with the NRMA and others during this federal election year.

ACF is also working with the Queensland Government and the Queensland Conservation Council to hold a joint forum on creating south-east Queensland as a water-sensitive region.

There are lots of initiatives happening in the built environment space at the moment: the launch of the ASBEC report, Cities of the Future; further work being undertaken on our Smart Cities initiative; and participation in many initiatives on energy effi ciency. We are also developing an ACF Sustainable Cities Index, which will rank the 20 largest Australian cities on a range of indicators, including air quality, climate change, public participation and education.

The Werribee Plains project is in its fi nal phase, with a Sustainable Framework and some groundbreaking research being launched at a community event on 23 March.

Monica Richter, Sustainable Australia Program Manager

You don’t have to be endangered to know

that things aren’t going well for much of

the world’s species of plants and animals.

Since Australia became a signatory to the

International Convention of Biodiversity 17

years ago, the rate of biodiversity loss

has increased.

To play our part in the global effort to halt

and reverse biodiversity loss, ACF focuses

on key ecosystems across freshwater, marine

and forest and woodland environments.

Expanding and strengthening protected

areas in our oceans is crucial to sustaining

marine biodiversity. We have kicked off a

new campaign to establish marine protected

areas in the Pacifi c Ocean. This builds on

our existing campaign work with ENGO

partners in the seas of south-west Western

and northern Australia. The University

of Technology in Sydney is working with

ACF to rollout a new scientifi c assessment

of sustainable fi sheries that will create

incentives for the fi shing industry and

consumers to protect our oceans.

Freshwater ecosystems are declining

faster than any other on Earth. In the

Murray-Darling Basin 90 per cent of

wetlands have been destroyed. Surviving

wetlands are vital sanctuaries for wildlife

and people. Our Water for Wetlands

campaign gives Australians the opportunity

to personally return water to wetlands

in Hattah Lakes National Park, and

send a clear message to federal and state

governments that Australians expect more

water to be returned to the Murray and

Darling Rivers. You can donate at

www.justaddwater.org.auWe have been building a strong economic

case for the transition of industrial logging

operations out of Victoria’s native forests.

It makes little economic sense to keep

destroying this valuable carbon store and

wildlife habitat when there are vast amounts

of plantation hardwood in south-west

Victoria that can already provide far more

than our national domestic pulp and

paper demands.

Dr Paul Sinclair, Healthy Ecosystems Program Manager


Already in 2010, there have been two

decisions that will have a major impact on

northern Australia.

The fi rst was positive. It was the release

of the Federal Government’s Northern

Australia Taskforce report on future land

and water resource use, which concluded

that the region cannot be the nation’s new

‘food bowl’ as has been proposed for

decades by some politicians and farmers.

Made up of experts from science,

business and farming, as well as prominent

Indigenous leaders, the taskforce stated

that despite heavy rainfall across the north

during the wet season, the combination

of heat, high evaporation rates and

geography makes the construction of dams

for large-scale agriculture unviable.

This conclusion was not unexpected,

given the several failed attempts at large-

scale agriculture in the Kimberley and

Northern Territory. On a brighter note,

the Taskforce identifi ed conservation

and natural resource management as a

potentially big contributor to the region’s

economy, and said there must be greater

support for Indigenous people to build on

their comparative advantage in providing

customary and commercial services on

the vast area of Indigenous-held lands in

northern Australia.

The second major decision was not

positive. In the Kimberley, Woodside and

Last year was a huge year for the climate

change campaign and 2010 is shaping up

to be another big one. While 2009 was

dominated by the CPRS and Copenhagen,

2010 looks like it will be dominated by a

federal election and a grab bag of different

climate change policies of mixed quality.

We were dismayed by the Coalition climate

policy when it was released in January and

spent a lot of time explaining to journalists

that although one million solar rooftops

sounds good, it would only reduce

Australia’s emissions by less than one

per cent.

On the positive side, The Greens Party

made a very constructive move around

the same time by proposing the interim

carbon price fi rst put forward by Professor

Ross Garnaut. At the time of writing the

government, Greens and other senators

were still negotiating a fl at carbon price

applied to Australia’s big polluters.

It will be a tough fi ght just to keep

climate change on the election agenda this

year but we have one very powerful force

on our side – the overwhelming majority

of Australians who still want action on

climate change. ACF will be more than

happy to work with our members to ensure

that message is deafening in the corridors

of power in Canberra.

Tony Mohr, Climate ChangeCampaign Manager

its partners Shell, BP, BHP Billiton and

Chevron decided that James Price Point,

60km north of Broome, was the preferred

site at which to build a large gas processing

facility. The CEO of Woodside said the

decision was “the best economic outcome”.

This was somewhat predictable, given

that the Western Australian and Federal

governments enforced a ‘use it or lose it’

deadline of April 1 on the companies when

it changed conditions for renewing leases to

recover gas from Browse Basin in late 2009.

ACF was hopeful the companies

would opt to pipe their gas to established

industrial sites in the Pilbara and spare

the Kimberley widespread and lasting

environmental damage. Still, there remains

a chance the project may not go ahead if

environmental assessments fi nd it poses

unacceptable risks to the natural values of

the Kimberley. A decision is due in late 2010

from environment minister Peter Garrett.

For more information on these issues

visit: http://www.acfonline.org.au/northernaustralia

Dr Suzanne Jenkins, Northern Australian Program Manager

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Biodiversity Special

From unique and threatened wildlife to amazing underwater seascapes, the ocean off Australia’s east coast is fi lled with marine wonders. Incredible marine photography now allows us to venture deep into the blue, capturing these treasures and allowing us to understand why this ocean deserves special protection.


PHOTO © Gary Bell/OceanwideImages.com

1. Bigeye trevally Broadbill swordfi sh and black marlin move through this part of

the ocean, along with large schooling species such as trevallies

and tunas. Like many creatures of the deep, these fi sh are

commercially, socially and ecologically valuable.

2. Lord Howe Island lagoon The world’s southernmost coral reefs occur around Lord Howe

Island, a volcanic island that is part of a 1000-kilometre long

seamount chain. A unique mix of tropical, sub-tropical and

temperate species are found in this area, including Galapagos

sharks, black cod and seabirds.

2.



PHOTO: © marinethemes.com/Mark Conlin

3.

3. Loggerhead turtle Threatened marine reptiles including the green turtle, the

loggerhead turtle, and the world’s largest marine turtle –

the leatherback – all swim in these waters. The endangered

loggerhead, named after its distinctive large head, has powerful

jaws that can crush through shells.

4. Humpback whalesThe annual migration of humpback whales takes them along

Australia’s eastern coastline, as they travel between their Antarctic

feeding grounds and their breeding grounds in the tropical waters

of the Great Barrier Reef.

Australia’s east coast marine wonderlandContinued



PHOTO: © marinethemes.com/Kelvin Aitken

East coast marine sanctuariesThe ocean off our east coast is rich in

natural wonders, but less than one per

cent is protected. This places the unique

marine environment at risk from threats

such as climate change, pollution and

over-fi shing.

Setting up marine sanctuaries where

wildlife are free from the pressures

of fi shing - and habitats are protected

from human impacts - is the best way to

guarantee the survival of this precious

marine life.

ACF, in partnership with other

community environmental groups, is

campaigning for a network of large

marine sanctuaries off Australia’s east

coast to protect the ocean for present

and future generations.

Our east coast marine campaign

is focused on Commonwealth

waters offshore from Fraser Island in

Queensland to Bermagui on the New

South Wales south coast, and includes

Lord Howe and Norfolk islands.

Coastal communities depend on

healthy oceans for food, recreation,

industry and employment. Oceans also

drive climate and weather - the air we

breathe and the water we drink is all

linked to the ocean.

The Federal Government is

identifying areas for marine protection

around Australia, including off the east

coast. You can help by demonstrating

strong community support to protect

oceans – our planet’s life support

system.

Follow this campaign and learn how

you can take action at www.acfonline.org.au/marine

4.



When we think about biodiversity, we

tend to view it in the same way as the

typical dictionary defi nition: as the variety

of species living in a particular area. We

often also think of it in aesthetic terms

as the beauty of our rich environment

– our scenic natural heritage. But these

narrow perceptions don’t do justice to

biodiversity’s greater truths: that it is

the interdependencies between different

species that sustain life on our planet, from

micro-organisms right up to blue whales,

and that this ‘web of life’ includes

human beings.

Disconnected from the life-support

system of biodiversity, we simply would

not survive. We depend on plants to

refresh our oxygen and to feed many of

the animals that in turn feed us. We rely

on fungi and micro-organisms to maintain

the fertility of the soil in which we grow

our crops. Birds and insects pollinate

fl owering plants, enabling them to bear

the fruit that we eat, and spurring nutrient

cycles. Biodiversity also ensures that there

are always species resilient enough to

withstand disease and climatic extremes,

so preserving ecosystems and keeping the

cycle of life fi rmly on the move.

The fundamental importance of the

connections between all living creatures

was acknowledged by the United Nations

when it declared 2010 the International

Year of Biodiversity. The UN initiative is

in one sense (to use the organisation’s own

words) “a celebration of life on earth”. But

it is also a plea for global action. Human

activity is causing greatly accelerated

biodiversity loss and irreversible damage

to the world’s ecosystems – to the forests,

rivers and oceans that help safeguard our

health, and that of our companion species.

The UN’s message is a clear one: we

must take immediate action to stop this

from continuing.

But why has it been necessary for an

international chorus to chant the obvious?

Why do we seem to have forgotten that

our very existence depends on biodiversity,

instead taking it for granted that our most

basic needs will always be fulfi lled, which

BELOW: ACF works to preserve healthy biodiversity for future generations. PHOTO: Lisa Hunt


Reconnecting the web of lifeIn this, the International Year of Biodiversity, Habitat explores why biodiversity is vital to our very existence and how it is hanging in the balance.

Paul Smits



assumes an almost delusional measure of

self-reliance?

According to Dr Paul Sinclair, ACF’s

Healthy Ecosystems Program Manager,

“Modern life in a sense insulates us and

pushes us away from recognising the

natural processes that make our country

habitable. This understanding mostly

breaks through in times of disaster: in

Australia, think of bushfi res, the recent

dust storms and fl oods. This is when we

usually regain a sense of the connectedness

of life, and how we as a species are as

connected as everything else, regardless of

whether we choose to acknowledge this

or not.”

However, Sinclair also thinks that

people intuitively have a deeper

understanding of the web of life, including

its increasing frailty. “They understand

how this web is being dismantled, how the

strands are being disconnected because of

the changes infl icted by humans, and the

long-term consequences, such as global

warming,” he says.

“Our challenge is to remake the

connections within, across and between

species and all parts of the landscape

– and most importantly, to remake

the connections between ecosystems

and ourselves.” Sinclair says we must

understand that biodiversity loss will not

resolve itself. We cannot ignore our place

at the centre of the problem; we can only

choose whether or not to fi x it.

Australia is one of 17 nations that are

scientifi cally recognised as ‘megadiverse’.

Collectively, these countries are home

to around 70 per cent of the world’s

known species. Unfortunately, Australia

is also notable for the staggering scale of

biodiversity loss on the continent. Over

110 species of fl ora and fauna have been

extinguished over the past two centuries.

But while the legacy of our past activities

is bad enough, the legacy of our present-

day behaviour is set to be much worse.

Conservation biologists have concluded

that our ecosystems are inherently

susceptible to the key threats to existing

biodiversity: habitat loss and degradation,

invasive species, climate change,

overexploitation, pollution and disease.

Australia suffers most from the

destruction of habitat. Non-sustainable

agricultural practices such as land clearing

have claimed half of our precolonial-era

forests and woodlands, and most of the

rest are in worsening shape because of

widespread logging. The overuse of water

resources has also hit our environment

hard, with Australia’s river systems

depleted by irrigation. And, of course,

there are the growing effects of climate

change to contend with, which include

rising ocean temperatures and acidity,

and the resultant bleaching of large coral

reefs, as well as protracted droughts and

the threat of bushfi res of unprecedented

ferocity.

Paul Sinclair says that since its

inception, ACF has made its core business

the nurturing and protection of healthy

ecosystems to prevent biodiversity loss.

All ACF campaigns can be traced back to

LEFT: A desert toad emerging before a cyclone, Port Hedland, Western Australia. PHOTO: Julian Bentley

BELOW: Brodribb river, Errinundra. PHOTO: Ivan Carter


this imperative, and all acknowledge the

importance of reconnecting people with the

environment that fosters them.

“ACF’s healthy country work seeks to

establish large areas of protected, healthy,

high conservation value forests, which

science tells us are one of the key indicators

of Australia’s environmental prosperity – if

you trash the local vegetation, there’s not

much chance of healthy connections,” says

Sinclair. Equally crucial is the conservation

of our rivers, lakes and oceans, which

work together through evaporation and

precipitation to supply us with fresh water.

Paul Sinclair says that the International

Year of Biodiversity is a great opportunity

for people to transform their intuitive

understanding of humanity’s life-support

system into a public understanding – and

then to act on it. In the wake of the UN

announcement, emphasising the growing

consensus for action and casting an eye

towards the upcoming Australian federal

election, ACF called for the establishment

of a Biodiversity and Climate Change

Fund. Sinclair explains that making

biodiversity protection a national priority

requires not only unequivocal government

commitment and participation, but

unparalleled investment. “What Australia

needs is the promise of a national,

fully-funded package of measures

designed to build up the resilience of

its ecosystems.”

Sinclair says the endeavour must be

in the form of a long-term policy, not a

short-term measure – the underlying

causes of biodiversity loss need to be

addressed, not just the symptoms. He adds

that we also need a watchdog to make

sure the money is spent properly, and to

effectively police government regulations,

such as those spelt out in the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (the EPBC Act). To this end, ACF

has also called for the establishment of a

National Environment Commission. Lastly,

Sinclair says that absolute excellence in

environmental policy must be demanded,

an approach that embraces continual

improvement in thinking and practice.

RReecooooonnnnnnneeeccttiinggg tthhhee wweeeb ooof liifeeCContinuued

Protecting biodiversity in 2010 – getting the Australian Government on boardThis year is promising to be a big one

for biodiversity. Not only is 2010 the

International Year of Biodiversity, with

celebrations, meetings and conferences

happening around the world, many

countries participating in the Convention

on Biological Diversity will be meeting

in October to advance protection of the

world’s biodiversity.

Importantly, the Conference will

assess the progress of countries towards

the 2010 Biodiversity Target, which is

set to achieve a signifi cant reduction of

the current rate of biodiversity loss. The

target includes sub-targets, such as the

effective conservation of at least 10 per

cent of each of the world’s ecological

regions, and the improvement of the

status of threatened species.

In mid-2010 the Federal Government

has indicated that it will announce

the changes it plans to make to our

national environment legislation – the

Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 – after it was

independently reviewed late last year.

Strong national laws to protect our

environment are fundamental and ACF

will be working hard to ensure that the

government strengthens these laws.

In the next month or so we are

also likely to see Australian state

governments release Australia’s

Biodiversity Conservation Strategy

2010–2020, which should spell out targets

and timelines for action to conserve

Australia’s biodiversity, though we are

yet to see whether the Strategy contains

action to refl ect the scale of the challenge

facing our biodiversity.

With a federal election expected

sometime this year, it is a good time for

you to remind the government of what

is important to you and what you

would like to see them do to protect

our biodiversity.

Write and talk to your local MP

and get them enthusiastic about all the

fantastic opportunities for protecting our

wildlife and special places, and ask them

to work with their colleagues, the PM

and ministers to commit to protecting

biodiversity.

You can talk to them about protecting

high-value forests in Tasmania and

Victoria, protecting wetlands in the

Murray-Darling Basin and around

the country, increasing the number of

national parks and Indigenous Protected

Areas, protecting the Kimberley and

Cape York, and establishing large

networks of marine sanctuaries

throughout our oceans. The Federal

Government also needs to commit to

funding a large Biodiversity and Climate

Change Fund, which will help build the

health of our biodiversity to withstand

the impacts of climate change.

You can also ask your MP and the

Federal Government what leadership

it intends to show at the Conference for

the Convention of Biological Diversity,

and what we are doing to meet our

international commitments to the 2010

Biodiversity Targets.

Not only is it important for those

in parliament to hear about all the

fantastic opportunities for protecting our

biodiversity, it’s very valuable for them

to keep hearing that people want action

on the environment.

Once you have spoken with your MP,

talk with friends and colleagues, and call

talk-back on your local radio station to

broadcast your ideas.

And, last but not least, don’t forget

to look out for good news stories of

how efforts locally and nationally have

delivered good outcomes for our wildlife

and environment. The more people

know about these, the more hope and

enthusiasm people have for supporting

efforts into the future.

The interconnectedness of fl ora and fauna: Imperial White butterfl ies on fl owering gum. PHOTO: Julian Bentley



Sinclair offers the following message to

ACF supporters who are concerned about

biodiversity loss: “It’s easy to despair

at degradation, at the loss of species, of

beautiful places undergoing dramatic

changes. I would urge our supporters

to instead help forge reconnections

between all environments, and crucially,

between each other, to create the political

momentum to protect and preserve our

life-support system. The challenge we face

is that the impacts of human behaviour

have been so profound that restoration will

take a long time – we won’t see the full

benefi ts ourselves. Nevertheless, we should

pursue this goal for the ongoing future and

all who will shape it.”

Green turtle hatchlings emerging from sand in late afternoon, Heron Is, Great Barrier Reef. PHOTO: Justin McCaul



GREEN CHOICE: A HABITAT &

Dishwashers

With many areas in Australia

experiencing water (and power)

shortages and utility prices on the rise,

eco-friendly upgrades are becoming

more important when you’re looking to

buy or replace a large appliance such

as a dishwasher. The big questions are:

which ones are more environmentally

effi cient (water and electricity

consumption) and does a more effi cient

machine come at the expense of

performance?

There are exceptions, but CHOICE tests

show that machines that dry the dishes well

tend to be less energy-effi cient, indicating

that good drying performance mostly comes

at the cost of higher energy use. Of the top

performers only a few manage to score

80 per cent or better for water or energy

effi ciency when tested on the ‘normal’ cycle

(CHOICE research shows the majority of

users still run their dishwashers on this

program).

Many dishwashers, however, do wash

well, so one way you can save water is

by not rinsing plates before turning them

on. We test each dishwasher’s washing

performance by getting it to clean a load

of dishes and cutlery coated with food

that’s been left to dry on overnight. As

most machines now wash these clean on

the normal program, there’s no need to

waste water by rinsing plates before you

stack — just scrape the food scraps off fi rst.

Or, if you do pre-rinse (because you don’t

run the machine every day) try using the

dishwasher on its ‘fast’ program, which

uses less water.

How CHOICE tests • Water and energy effi ciency: Testers

measure the amount of water and energy

used in a cycle.

• Washing: Our testers check the

machines’ performance by placing

equal amounts of egg yolk, spinach and

baby cereal on plates, butter on saucers,

tomato juice in glasses and tea in cups.

They also put egg yolk and cereal onto

cutlery. It’s all left to dry for 15–18 hours

before being washed (using the sensor

program if the machine has one or the

normal cycle if it doesn’t) and dried. Each machine is tested at least twice and the scores averaged. The score is based on the number of specks of food left on the dishes or the area of the larger stains.

• Drying: The drying performance score is based on the number of drops and/or streaks left on the dishes half an hour after the end of the wash. There are no plastic items in our load as these take a very long time to dry.

Some tips in what to look for in a dishwasher:• Will your normal dinnerware fi t into the

dishwasher without crowding or hitting the spray arms? Take a few of your day-to-day dishes, such as a large dinner plates and tall glasses, and try them out in the store to see they both fi t at the same time. Spin the spray arms to make sure they don’t hit the plates and glasses.

• Look for height adjustable top baskets and removable or fold-down plate racks/tines for more versatility when loading. An ‘easy-lift’ top basket means you can adjust the height without needing to completely remove the basket to change its position.

• Fold-down or removable tines are useful for loading larger items like pots, pans and baking dishes.

• Anti-fl ood hose: This hose has an electric cut-off near the water tap connection, which means it stops leaks in the hose, not just in the machine. Almost all dishwashers have some level of protection, an anti-fl ood hose is a high-level protection.

• Half-load option or load sensing: Half-load adjusts the water and program times for a much smaller load, while load sensing adjusts them according to the number of items and soil in the dishwasher. Both let you wash smaller loads more economically.

• Eco/economy or bio wash: To wash more economically with less water, or at a lower temperature - around 50°C is good for enzyme-based detergent (the

majority of detergents have enzymes).

• Fast/quick wash: For washing

lightly soiled or rinsed dishes more

economically in a faster cycle.

• Child-safe detergent dispensers and

door locks.

• Optional anti-nesting grids on the

cutlery baskets or cutlery trays.

• A fault display helps you identify simple

problems, such as an empty rinse-aid

dispenser or blocked spray arms, and

avoid unnecessary service calls; or warns

you of a serious problem that does need

a service call.

• Fan-assisted drying can improve drying

by removing condensation from inside

the dishwasher.

• Controls and labelling. The controls

should be easy to use and the labelling

intuitive and clear. Look for engraved or

etched labels on stainless steel so they

don’t come off when cleaning. Only

use water and a microfi bre cloth on

bonded labelling.

• A concealed heating element prevents

items from damage if they fall through

the basket, and food from being burnt

onto the element and causing a bad smell.

Information in this article has been

provided by CHOICE. It focuses on the

environmental performance of a number

of current dishwasher models, and does

not cover the full test results, performance

testing, specifi cations, features and prices.

CHOICE is the number one advocate

of consumer rights in Australia. As

the public face of the Australian

Consumers’ Association (ACA),

CHOICE is a completely self funded

body that is committed to providing

consumers with advocacy and advice.

Members receive independent and

expert advice on the products and

services they encounter every day,

while the community at large benefi ts

from vocal and active campaigns that

champion consumer rights.


CHOICE COLLABORATION

Brand / model Water effi ciency score (%)

Energy effi ciency score (%)

Water used (L)

Energy used (kWh)

Noise (dB)

Half-load option

Eco wash

Fast wash

Running cost ($/10 years)

Bosch Classic Electronic

SMS50E12AU/07

94 89 12 0.66 41 Yes Yes $452

Dishlex DX301WK 71 62 21 1.57 48 Yes Yes $1,050

Westinghouse

WDF901WA

77 61 19 1.60 49 Yes Yes $1,059

Asko D3122 82 60 17 1.63 50 Yes Yes $1,075

Electrolux ESF68040X 63 60 24 1.63 44 Yes Yes $1,102

Miele G 1143 SC 69 58 22 1.71 42 Yes $1,140

Whirlpool ADP7000 84 81 16 0.93 53 Yes Yes $686

Fisher & Paykel Double

DishDrawer DD60DCW6

86 72 15 1.22 49 Yes Yes Yes $824

Blanco BFD10X 86 64 15 1.49 43 Yes Yes $997

LG LD-1420T2 82 70 17 1.31 41 Yes Yes Yes $873

Smeg SA8210X7 80 67 18 1.4 47 Yes Yes $934

Baumatic BAD6002 85 83 16 0.88 53 Yes Yes $605

Omega DW601XA 85 83 16 0.87 54 Yes Yes $612

Ariston LV645A 89 74 14 1.17 49 Yes Yes $795

Bellissimo by Technika

TBD4SS-4

94 81 12 0.93 54 Yes Yes $624

Haier HDW100WHT (H) 97 89 11 0.67 55 Yes $458

Summary Table of Dishwasher Effi ciency Performance

Table Notes Noise: All the dishwashers are fairly quiet, but a difference of 3dB is noticeable to the human ear.

Running cost: An estimate of cost over 10 years for water & electricity if you wash a full load every day using

a normal or ‘auto-sensing’ cycle, based on 17 cents per kWh for electricity and $1 per 1000L water.

Special Offer to Australian Conservation Foundation members4 issues of CHOICE magazine for $4 – offer expires 31 May 2010Simply call 1800 069 552 (9am-5pm AEST) and quote E510/ACF

After the promotional period, CHOICE will inform you before charging the regular quarterly subscription rate of $20.50 (you can cancel this at any time). Offer not available to professional/institutional subscriptions and available to new CHOICE members only.


Whilst the World Meteorological

Organisation, NASA, CSIRO and the

Bureau of Meteorology have all recently

declared that we have just experienced the

hottest decade on record, climate change

deniers seem to be a surprisingly heat-

tolerant species. Here a few handy tips

to remember:

Do climate deniers take out car insurance?Are you dealing with a full-blown climate

change denier? Someone who has read

every page of Ian Plimer’s book and

followed Lord Monckton round Australia

like an ageing hippy on a Bob Dylan tour?

If so, it’s best to approach with caution – or

perhaps walk in the opposite direction.

You probably won’t change this

person’s opinion in one conversation but

if you want to try, remind them that whilst

you might not be a climate scientist, with

110 countries supporting the Copenhagen

Accord, and NASA, CSIRO, and the

Bureau of Meteorology all highlighting

the impacts of climate change, you think

it would be a good idea to take action to

manage these risks. After all, how many

of us take out insurance on our houses

and cars?

Weigh up the credibility of the evidenceChances are, though, you’ll most likely

encounter the garden-variety sceptic. Many

of these people are just trying to weigh

up recent reports in the media against the

years of warnings about climate change.

Actually, there is nothing wrong with

being a genuine sceptic. Here at ACF we’ve

been very sceptical about the calls of the

big polluters for ever more compensation

for putting a price on carbon and the

claims of some electricity generators that

the lights will go out the day we decide

to act on climate change. We encourage

people to seek out the facts for themselves.

Start by reminding people that there

is very strong evidence for the science of

climate change in peer-reviewed scientifi c

journals like Science and Nature. There are

no papers in these journals that refute the

overall conclusions of the world’s

climate scientists.

Your garden-variety sceptic may

be confused by recent media storms

on climate change. It’s true that the

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate

Change (IPCC) did take a battering over a

mistake in its 2007 report that Himalayan

glaciers could melt in the next 30 years.

However, even the scientists who pointed

out this mistake have been at pains to

report that this doesn’t discredit the overall

conclusions of the IPCC. The IPCC report

has been poured over by hundreds of

people looking for mistakes; if only a few

are found then it will have stood the test of

time very well.

On the other side of the ledger, Glaciers

are still melting at an alarming rate around

the world, and it has accelerated since

1990. A number of scientists have pointed

out that other impacts of climate change,

like melting of arctic sea-ice and sea level

rise, are occurring faster than scientists

projected just a few years ago: www.copenhagendiagnosis.org/press.html

Use the information at your fi ngertipsIf you fi nd yourself sometimes baffl ed by

the scientifi c and technical jargon, don’t

worry about answering specifi c questions.

There are a number of excellent resources

online that provide simple answers to the

most complex questions thrown up to

challenge the science of climate change.

There’s even an iphone app for the

techsavvy: www.skepticalscience.com. Or try this from Dr Brett Parriss of

Monash University: www-personal.buseco.monash.edu.au/~BParris/BPClimateChangeQ&As.html

Is there really a global conspiracy going on?Claiming that all the world’s climate

scientists, scientifi c academies and

government have got it all wrong on

climate change is a big stretch, so if

questioner is making this case, ask

them how and why they think this has

happened. I’m yet to meet someone

who can do this without referencing some

sort of global conspiracy theory.

Who benefi ts from denying climate change?The rise in reports of doubt about climate

change science is not totally spontaneous.

Sadly there is an organised campaign

to sow seeds of doubt. A recent book by

James Hoggan, Climate Cover-up, highlights

the dirty campaign that’s been run against

climate change science for decades.

Exxon Mobil has recently been criticised

for funding organisations that sponsor

gatherings of climate deniers. Exxon

Mobil’s funding of this type of activity has

added up to millions of dollars since 1998.

“It would be an enormous relief,”

said Al Gore recently, “if the recent

attacks on the science of global warming

actually indicated that we do not face an

unimaginable calamity requiring large-

scale, preventive measures to protect

human civilisation as we know it”.

Unfortunately it’s not the case. There

is nothing wrong with asking questions

and challenging mainstream science, but

willfully ignoring the warnings of the

world’s best scientists is simply dangerous.

So next time you meet a sceptic or a

denier remember to stay calm, breathe,

don’t be threatening or sarcastic, but do

your best to remind one person why we

need to act now to save the planet.

Owen Pascoe is ACF’s Climate Change Campaigner

How to talk to a climate scepticIt’s always the way. Just when you think it’s safe to start talking about doing something to tackle climate change, up they pop – individuals or groups trying to tell you that it isn’t happening or it’s nothing to worry about.

Owen Pascoe


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James Norman looks at the global propaganda campaign that has, for over two decades and largely funded by the oil and gas industry, successfully made the public believe that climate science is controversial, unproven and unworthy of united global action.

James Norman

Climate Cover-up – The Crusade to Deny Global Warming by James Hoggan,

exposes a global climate change-denying

propaganda campaign.

In 1998 the American Petroleum

Institute (API) created a ‘Global climate

science communications plan’ aimed

at convincing the media and public of

‘uncertainties’ in climate science, not to

promote a genuine understanding of

the science.

Among the key aims of the

communications plan was the intention,

working on behalf of industry, to change

conventional wisdom regardless of science

and to overwhelm the media by injecting

‘balance’ into coverage - regardless of

whether that balance refl ected the true

nature of the science.

Following this, infl uential think

tanks took on the call of promoting this

uncertainty, largely funded in doing

so by ExxonMobil. In November 2006,

Conservative think tanks began offering

cash to scientists who would agree to write

critiques of the IPCC fourth assessment

report.

Then a new denier think-tank came to

the fore – the Heartland Institute.

In 2008, Heartland offered an all

expenses paid trip to New York and a

US$1000 honorarium to any scientist

willing to “generate international media

attention to the fact that many scientists

believe forecasts of rapid warming and

catastrophic events are not supported by

sound science.”

Now there’s a new category of climate

sceptic – the nondenier denier. These

people, typifi ed by Bjorn Lomborg,

put themselves forward as reasonable

interpreters of the science, even allies in

the fi ght against climate change, but then

undermine the public appetite for action.

Despite Lomborg’s book The Sceptical Environmentalist being heavily criticised

by the Danish government for ‘fabricating

data’, as well as being ‘misleading’ and

containing ‘plagiarism’, Lomborg became

the toast of the sceptics movement,

receiving awards from conservative think-

tanks in the US and UK.

The problem is that in the interests of

traditional journalistic balance, people like

Lomborg can appear to be ‘centrist’ voices.

Falling between the environmental side of

the debate and industry funded lobbyists,

people like Lomborg are given a large

space in the media. The middle ground

shifts into unreality.

James Hoggan is Chair of the David Suzuki

Foundation and the Canadian Climate Project.


For the past three years ACF has been working with the Science Reference Panel (a team of leading Australian marine scientists) to remove seafood consumer confusion by taking the guesswork out of choosing sustainable seafood.

Chris Smyth

How to remove seafood assessment confusionThe Science Reference Panel’s fi rst job had

been to develop the Sustainable Australian

Seafood Assessment Criteria and the

assessment process to go with them. This is

the fi rst time such a set of criteria has been

developed in Australia.

For this assessment program to be

successful, the criteria and process

had to be independent, transparent

and scientifi cally rigorous with quality

benchmarks. They also had to be time- and

cost-effective, cover wild catch and farmed

seafood products, and effectively engage

the seafood industry.

Without these features, ACF would

not have been able to make credible

recommendations to restaurants in its

upcoming sustainable seafood community

outreach program.

In 2009, ACF and the scientists were

joined by the University of Technology

in Sydney, which will host the panel and

its assessment criteria and process. This

will ensure that the program remains

independent of industry, government and

environment groups.

Recently, the program completed a pilot

assessment project, which assessed four

seafood products: farmed barramundi from

Cone Bay near Derby in Western Australia,

and wild-caught red emperor from the

Pilbara Trap Fishery, western king prawns

from the Spencer Gulf Prawn Fishery, and

Coorong yellow-eye mullet from the Lakes

and Coorong Fishery. The fi rst four were

on the degustation menu at ACF’s gala

seafood event (opposite).

How do the scientists measure sustainability?For wild-catch seafood products, the

criteria for sustainability are the status

of wild stocks, the nature and level of

by-catch, and the impacts on habitats

and ecosystems. For farmed seafood

products the criteria for sustainability are

risk from disease and parasites, the site

and cumulative impacts of the operation,

interaction with wildlife, and the

sustainability of wild fi sh food sources.

A key feature of the Australian

Sustainable Seafood Assessment Program

is its focus on seafood products, not

species. A species may be caught or farmed

sustainably in one area but not in another.

The criteria and assessment process takes

this into account and will be used to

promote high-quality regional seafood.

You can fi nd out more about the criteria

and the assessment process at www.acfonline.org.au/seafood


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FAR LEFT: One of the delicious dishes on ACF’s sustainable seafood degustation menu

LEFT: A guest admires the apprentice chefs’ handiworkPHOTOS: Elke Kerr

Celebrating sustainable seafood!To raise funds for the very important

Sustainable Australian Seafood Assessment

Program, ACF held a sustainable seafood

competition as part of the Melbourne Food

and Wine Festival.

Each seafood dish on the night was

prepared by apprentice chefs from Delaware

North, the major event catering company

that very generously hosted the event, and

was judged by author and chef Adrian

Richardson, owner of La Luna Bistro.

ACF would like to thank Guy Westbrook

of Marine Produce Australia, Doug Gibson

from the Pilbara Trap Fishery, Garry Hera-

Singh and Tracy Hill from the Lakes and

Coorong Fishery and Karen Hollamby from

the Spencer Gulf Prawn Fishery for their

very generous donations of seafood for the

night.

ACF also wishes to sincerely thank the

following who donated items and prizes

for the night’s auction and raffl e: Guy

Grossi of Grossi Florentino, Delaware North

Companies Australia, Peregrine Adventures,

Neco, Hansgrohe, Classic Bicycle Shop,

Stefano’s, Deirdre Page of Ewingsdale

Cottage, Howards Storage World and Enjo.


As the Federal Government pursues controversial plans to dump nuclear waste in the Northern Territory, Justine Vaisutis takes a look back on a dirty industry and its devastating and long-lasting consequences for Indigenous people.

Justine Vaisutis

“Uranium mining has completely upturned our lives … uranium mining has also taken our country away from us and destroyed it – billabongs and creeks gone forever, there are great holes in the ground with poisonous mud where there used to be nothing but bush.” Yvonne Margarula, Mirarr senior

Traditional Owner, in Yellowcake

Country: Australia’s Uranium Industry, Beyond Nuclear Initiative, 2005, p8.

In 2005 Yvonne Margarula’s words

revealed the impact that uranium has

had on Aboriginal people since uranium

mining began in northern Australia

approximately 50 years ago.

In 1952 the Australian Government took

over land where uranium had been found

85km south of Darwin to establish the

Rum Jungle uranium mine. There was no

consultation with Aboriginal communities

and the mine became – and remains - an

environmental disaster.

More than 20 years later the Ranger

Uranium Environmental Inquiry was

conducted to examine the environmental

aspects of a mining proposal at what

has become the controversial Ranger

uranium mine in Kakadu. The inquiry

concluded that Aboriginal title should

be granted to several areas of land, but

while it recognised the Mirarr’s opposition

to uranium mining on their country it

explicitly concluded “their opposition

should not be allowed to prevail.”

Little has changed for Indigenous

people in the 30-plus years since the

Ranger Inquiry, and today Aboriginal

communities still have limited rights

in relation to developments on their

traditional lands. Many fi nd themselves in

a position where they must choose between

forming an agreement with a developer

or refusing to cooperate or consent, even

though this option is insuffi cient to prevent

a project going ahead.

Legally, Aboriginal people have no

right of veto in regards to uranium mining

under the Native Title Act. The right of veto

they have under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act can only be exercised before consent to

exploration, after this the only negotiable

factors are the terms on how – not whether

- mining will proceed. Many Aboriginal

communities are not aware that consent to

exploration equates to consent to mining

under this Act.

“Essentially, the Aboriginal Land Rights Act provides a right of veto but because

often it is not explained properly people

are left disempowered,” says Dave

Sweeney, ACF’s Nuclear Free campaigner.

“There is an improper institutional bias

in the legislation, the regulation and the

balance of need.”

Adding to this inequality is the fact

that the benefi ts from uranium mining to

Aboriginal communities have traditionally

been restricted to fi nancial reward with

little or no attention paid to the social,

cultural or environmental impacts.

Communities are often forced to use

mining profi ts to provide the basic needs,

services and infrastructure delivered

to most Australians as fundamental

citizenship entitlements by State and

Federal Governments. So what may appear

to be a lucrative windfall for a community

can in fact be the fi rst step towards a

vicious cycle of industrial welfare and a

dependence on mining profi ts.

Research conducted by Griffi th

University in 2007 demonstrated that few

of the Indigenous land use agreements

negotiated over the past 10 years have

resulted in signifi cant benefi t to the

relevant communities. Dave Sweeney

is frank in his assessment: “This is not a

level playing fi eld, it’s a stacked deck and

we have a policy that has been driven for

decades by carrot and stick”.

Traditional land owners have

consistently opposed uranium mining

and have spoken out passionately about

the negative impacts it has on their

communities. The Australian Nuclear

Free Alliance (www.anfa.org.au) is an

Indigenous controlled organisation that

seeks to support communities concerned

about and opposed to nuclear developments

on their lands. These sorts of concerns were

Yvonne Margarula, who led the successful campaign against uranium mining at Jabiluka in Kakadu National Park, and her niece Vernadine. PHOTO: Newspix


clearly expressed by representatives of the

Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation at the

MAPW conference in April 1997:

“We do not feel that our people or

country have been protected since mining

came here. Government has forced us

to accept mining in the past and we are

concerned that you will force mining

development upon us again. Previous

mining agreements have not protected

us or given our communities strength to

survive development”.

By ratifying the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Australia has made a public

commitment to address the historic

injustices caused by the dispossession of

Indigenous peoples’ land and resources.

Article 29 of the United Nations Declaration

on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples states that:

1. Indigenous peoples have the right to the conservation and protection of the environment and the productive capacity of their lands or territories and resources. [and]

2. States shall take effective measures to ensure that no storage or disposal of hazardous materials shall take place in the lands or territories of indigenous peoples without their free, prior and informed consent.

But today the Federal Government is

pursuing a contested and secretive plan to

dump nuclear waste at Muckaty north of

Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory.

The plan is based on a confi dential Howard

Government agreement with some of

the Ngapa Aboriginal clan for cash and

services worth around $12 million dollars.

The lack of agreement, transparency and

consultation with other Aboriginal clans

that will be affected by the dump has

undermined the procedural credibility of

the Federal Government and provoked

strong opposition by environmental groups

including ACF, the Northern Territory

Government and many Indigenous groups.

By failing to enforce more stringent

conditions on mining companies and

greater protection for Aboriginal people,

Australian state and federal Governments

are failing to honour their commitment

to DRIP and continuing to perpetuate the

falsehood that Aboriginal people benefi t

from uranium mining. The on-ground

reality, as Yvonne Margarula observes, is

very different: “None of the promises last

but the problems always do”.

Aerial view of the Ranger Uranium Mine at the Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory. PHOTO: Newspix

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How to revive the Murray-Darling? Just add water!The launch of a ground-breaking new campaign will see everyday Australians quite literally pour much-needed water back into this iconic river system.

Ruchira Talukdar

This summer, yet another outbreak

of toxic algae crippled the health of the

Murray-Darling river system. In towns

like Yarrawonga in Victoria, people were

advised to avoid contact with the river

or risk gastroenteritis, and eye and ear

complaints.

However, algal bloom outbreaks are

the tip of the iceberg when it comes to

the state of the Murray-Darling, which is

particularly alarming given it is the source

of much of Australia’s food production.

More than 90 per cent of the wetlands

in the Murray-Darling Basin are already

beyond repair, primarily due to overuse

of water for irrigation. The crisis has been

exacerbated by the recent drought.

These wetlands are vitally important

for Australia’s environmental health,

since they act as natural fi lters, ensuring

good water quality for our rivers. They

are nurseries for wildlife, and protect

animals and plants during drought. The

Murray-Darling contains 16 internationally

signifi cant (RAMSAR-listed) sites,

including Hattah Lakes in northern

Victoria, which are hot spots for unique

wildlife.

Experts claim that these life support

systems have been without water for far

too long, and irreparable damage has

already been done to the soil and water

quality. As a result, some native species are

being pushed to the edge of extinction.

Alarmingly, it is predicted that the

impacts of climate change may risk the

Murray-Darling and its wetlands beyond

the limits of resilience, and ruining the

river’s ecosystems and their capacity to

adapt to changing conditions.

In 2009, Climate Change and Water

Minister Penny Wong added urgently

needed water to sustain the river red gums

at Hattah Lakes. But these wetlands need

much more water to perform their

basic functions.

To date, the Federal Government has not

met its international obligations to protect

such important wetlands and their wildlife.

The governments have failed to maintain

the quality of water and the health of the

river system, and this is threatening the

wellbeing and livelihoods of Australians.

ACF has conducted research on how the

community sees water and the Murray-

Darling. Results from polling in NSW, SA

and VIC, (conducted by Auspoll), show

that 89 per cent of people agree that the

Murray-Darling system is dangerously

degraded and that the problem needs to

be fi xed now.

According to ACF, the needs of

irrigators must be balanced with the needs

of the environment, rivers and wetlands.

But action must be taken now to restore the

river and its wetlands.

The solution? Just add water!Governments are adding some water, but

much more water and many more good

decisions are needed to get a handle on the

crisis. ACF, supported by mecu limited,

is taking direct action. In June 2010, ACF

is aiming to purchase 200 million litres

of water to be returned to Hattah Lakes

wetlands. That is equal to the volume of

more than 80 Olympic-size swimming

pools!

Water added to Hattah Lakes will help

provide sanctuary for threatened water

birds like the Australian bittern, threatened

fi sh like the silver perch, and will revive

the majestic river red gums. It will also

send a clear message to governments: that

Australians expect more water and more

good decisions from government.

Australians concerned about the

Murray-Darling can do their bit by

contributing to this fi rst-of-its-kind

initiative, and play a direct role in

returning the Murray-Darling to health.

How to get involvedBy donating just $15, you will help ACF

add around 75 ,000 litres of water to Hattah

Lakes wetlands. This will help provide

necessary drought refuge to native wildlife.

Simply visit www.support.acfonline.org.au/justaddwater and sign ACF’s

Just Add Water petition. This will send

a clear message to Senator Wong that

Australians now expect governments to

follow their lead and do more.

Senator Wong must deliver one national

solution for the continent’s lifeblood

through the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

The draft basin plan is due to be released in

the middle of this year, with the plan due

to be put into action in mid-2012.

For more information, to donate and to

sign the petition to Senator Wong, visit

www.support.acfonline.org.au/justaddwater

Ruchira Talukdar is ACF’s Healthy

Ecosystems Campaigner.

A dry wetland in the Hattah-Kulkyne National park near Mildura in Northern Victoria waits for much needed water. ACF is attempting to purchase and put back 200 million litres into the Hattah Lakes in autumn this year. PHOTO: Ingvar Kenne.



Ancient trees tower overhead; whist underfoot are rotting, spongy mosses and lichen, the layers of fallen, decaying foliage that is evidence of the forest’s cycle of decomposition and re-growth. On all sides, the rainforest stretches on, dense and labyrinthine, criss-crossed by rivulets and creeks, and alive with the sound of birdsong. This is a place of a hundred shades of green; a place where giant tree ferns live for centuries, where, undisturbed, the forest itself has been growing quietly for millennia – a remnant of the ancient continent of Gondwana.

This is the Tarkine.

Despite its global signifi cance, the Tarkine is currently threatened by logging, mining and a proposed road that would cut through the wilderness, ‘opening it up’ to day trippers. I have come here for a six-day hike to experience a taste of one of Australia’s primeval landscapes fi rst-hand, before it is potentially changed forever.

At the northern boundary of the Tarkine, we make the short river crossing of the Arthur River by dinghy. This marks our transition from civilisation to wilderness, as we leave behind our transport and continue on foot, carrying our tents, clothes and food. We fi rst hike up

old forestry roads, before the paths narrow

and become even older ‘snig’ tracks, along

which logs would have once been dragged.

But now even these disappear, reclaimed

by the undergrowth, and we are in virgin

rainforest, where only the incongruous

pink fl uorescent trail markers, distinct from

the greens of the forest, mark the

path onwards.

Over the next days we will walk

through plains of button grass, through

groves of tea trees, which stain the creek

walks of South Africa

The vastness of the Tasmanian wilderness. PHOTO: Elke Kerr

Walking an ancient landscapeIt is the southern hemisphere’s largest remaining tract of temperate rainforest, an area of global ecological signifi cance and home to many threatened and endangered species. Yet outside the state of Tasmania, the Tarkine is barely known. Elke Kerr ventured deep into the wilderness.

Elke Kerr as told to Alex Monday

Eco-travel


waters red with tannin, and on through eucalypts with their heady, uniquely Australian scent. But here in the rainforest proper the myrtle beech is king. These giants, reaching heights of 50 metres or more, can live for more than 500 years. They are another link to the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana, and will dominate the landscape for much of the journey.

This trip is a physical challenge for me, unused as I am to hiking through undulating terrain, carrying a third of my body weight on my back. Having unwisely skipped the recommended pre-hike training, the physicality of the walk takes its toll at fi rst, and my sore shoulders and aching legs mean that every night I fall into a deep sleep almost instantly, missing the nocturnal sounds of animals, which my fellow walkers overhear.

Every day we wake at 7am, have coffee and breakfast, pack up our camp and start walking. We clamber over huge fallen trees, evidence of last year’s severe storms. We frequently catch sight of tiger snakes, slithering away on our approach. We see signs of Tasmanian devils and, although

we fail to spot one of these shy creatures,

we learn that the Tarkine is one of the few

remaining places where the devils are free

of the facial cancer that is decimating their

numbers elsewhere in the state.

We visit the Tarkine Falls, the water

fl ow at its summertime low, gushing down

the black basalt rock face, and explore

‘Heaven’, a grotto of trickling water

droplets dripping from plant to small plant

as they make their way down the walls of

this beautiful cavern of ferns and moss.

On day four we walk uphill to a clear area

of button grass that allows panoramic

views of the rainforest, stretching to the

horizon in every direction. This truly is

a wilderness.

I feel deeply privileged to have been

able to see the Tarkine in its wild beauty

and hope that others can too – but the

opportunities that wider tourism may

bring to this area have to be balanced with

its preservation. By opening up the area to

allow easier and more convenient access,

we risk destroying its essence, and the very

reasons that attract people here. This forest

existed long before we even knew it was

there – let’s hope that it continues to exist

long after we’ve passed through.

Elke Kerr took part in the Tarkine Rainforest Trek, run by local eco-tour operator Tarkine Trails. For full information about this and other available tours, see www.tarkinetrails.com.au

Protection for the TarkineIn December 2009, Federal Minister

for the Environment Peter Garrett

used emergency provisions under

national environment law to include

the Tarkine in the National Heritage

List. Although this decision does not

in itself prevent the proposed Tarkine

road or any future developments

from being built, it does mean that

such developments must now be

assessed against the National Heritage

Listing alongside other environmental

impacts – a welcome decision.

The Tarkine, a place of a hundred shades of green.PHOTO: Elke Kerr

Walking an ancient landscapeContinued

Come and walk the highlights

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Eco-travel directory

Eco-travel

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Sunshine Coast and hinterland:

Glass House Mountains Eco-Lodge

The simple, down-market rooms here

include the use of old train carriages for

a communal kitchen and group area. An

old church has also been recycled, and

all greywater and blackwater is used on

site to irrigate the chemical-free orchard

that guests are invited to raid. Guests

are also encouraged to plant a tree and

contribute to ongoing conservation projects

such as the Richmond birdwing butterfl y

(Ornithoptera richmondia) recovery

program.

198 Barrs Rd, Glasshouse Mountains;

(07) 5493 0008;

www.glasshouseecolodge.com

Townsville to Cairns: Jabiru Safari

Lodge, Mareeba Wetlands

By staying in one of the fi ve safari tents

here, you will be contributing to wildlife

conservation at the Mareeba Tropical

Savanna and Wetland Reserve. Run

by a non-profi t trust that includes the

Wildlife Conservancy of Tropical North

Queensland, the 2000-hectare reserve has

eight lagoons full of birds and is now one

of the most important crane-roosting sites

in Queensland. Two of the safari tents have

solar power and gas appliances, and the

others are on mains power. Barbecue packs

and breakfast are provided, and there is a

shared outdoor spa in the bush.

(07) 4093 2514;

www.mareebawetlands.com

Beyond Albany: Munglinup Beach Park

With advanced eco-accreditation and

a quiet location to die for, this caravan

park east of Hopetoun is a little special.

It has wind generators and solar power

providing nearly all the electricity,

rotary composting toilets and an organic

vegetable garden that you are allowed

to raid if there is enough of something in

season. There is a range of self-contained

cabins and vans on site, as well as camping.

(08) 9075 1155;

www.munglinupbeach.com.au

Carnarvon to Port Hedland: Karijini

Eco-retreat

Solar panels provide the majority of power

for the 50 permanent safari tents in this

eco-accredited retreat, which is owned by

the Gumala Aboriginal Corporation and

Gumala Enterprises Pty Ltd. Most of the

tents have ensuites. There are also plenty

of campsites.

(08) 9425 5591;

www.karijiniecoretreat.com.au

Dampier Peninsula: Goombaragin

Eco Retreat

Built high on a clifftop overlooking Pender

Bay, 160 kilometres north of Broome, this

Aboriginal-owned-and-run resort has eco

tents built on platforms and new chalets,

primarily run on solar power and with

greywater recycling. You can take on-site

bushwalking cultural tours, discovering

local bushfoods, creation stories and

Aboriginal connections to the country.

(08) 9192 4717 or 0429 696 180;

www.goombaragin.com.au

Melbourne to Port Campbell: Cape

Otway Centre for Conservation Ecology

There are not many better-thought-out

ecotourism ventures than this superb

multiaward-winning facility on Cape

Otway. It has its own 66-hectare wildlife

refuge and doubles as a shelter for injured

and orphaned wildlife, including gliders,

koalas and kangaroos. The hosts are

dedicated to protecting, researching

and conserving wildlife and offer intimate

wildlife tours every day. There are only fi ve

bedrooms at the deluxe ecolodge, which

includes a nature studies room and library.

(03) 5237 9297;

www.capeotwaycentre.com.au

Kangaroo Island: Flour Cask

Bay Sanctuary

Stay in luxury eco-campervan tents or

camp in secluded camping spots on 200

hectares of yacca (grasstrees), forest,

grasslands, samphire and hyper-saline

lakes. The land is managed by a private

conservation trust that plants some 9000

trees a year. The tents have solar-powered

lights and ensuites with a chemical toilet.

There are 20 kilometres of walking and

cycling tracks, and bikes and canoes

for hire.

(08) 8553 7278;

www.eco-sanctuaries.com

Australia’s Best Eco-friendly Holidays (Explore Australia Publishing) by

Ken Eastwood, RRP $49.95.

Australia’s best eco-friendly holidays

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TOP: The Great Ocean Ecolodge at the Cape Otway Centre PHOTO: Chris Hillard

Eco-travel


Big and unprotected. The Kimberley

is huge (around 420,000km2 and almost

twice the size of Victoria) and much of

it inaccessible. Yet it is inhabited by just

over 40,000 people. Such a situation may

reduce overall environmental impact, but

it poses a big challenge for the managing

of existing threats to biodiversity, namely

uncontrolled wildfi res, invasive weeds,

feral animals, and land degradation caused

by overgrazing.

In 2008, WA Premier Colin Barnett

committed $9 million to a plan to protect

the Kimberley. Last year, ACF, with other

conservation groups, recommended the

WA Government develop a comprehensive

and integrated approach to the protection

of biodiversity and management of

development in the Kimberley. A special

advisory group to the government has

called for a state-based Biodiversity

Conservation Bill. If adopted, these

initiatives may help ensure the Kimberley’s

rich biological diversity is protected from

rampant development.

Heritage assessmentThe Commonwealth Government is

currently assessing the Kimberley’s natural

and cultural values. The aim of this process

is to have parts of the Kimberley listed on

the National Heritage register, a precursor

to a future World Heritage nomination.

For ACF, the assessment is double-edged

sword. Though strongly supportive of

the assessment, it comes as the WA and

Commonwealth governments pursue

plans to build a large industrial area on the

Dampier Peninsula. Despite this, this work

will be vital in highlighting the deep links

between cultural and biological diversity.

Indigenous knowledgeMuch of the on-the-ground biodiversity

conservation work is engaging Indigenous

people– range groups in particular. From

tagging freshwater sawfi sh in the mighty

Fitzroy River, to reintroducing traditional

fi re management techniques, to monitoring

marine turtles and dugongs along the

rugged Kimberley coast, Indigenous

rangers are at the forefront of biodiversity

conservation in the Kimberley.

One group, the Bardi Jawi rangers on

the Dampier Peninsula, has been nationally

and internationally recognised for bringing

together Western science and Indigenous

Traditional Knowledge and are assisting

scientists to gather data on marine turtles

and dugongs. At present there are 12

Indigenous ranger groups established and

working across the Kimberley.

Race against the clockAll of this good work comes as a massive

threat looms on the horizon. Plans to

build a large liquefi ed natural gas (LNG)

processing facility at James Price Point on

the Dampier Peninsula, 60kms north of

Broome, have the potential to irrevocably

change the Kimberley – environmentally,

socially, and culturally.

Already the proponents of this

development, Woodside, have said they

will need to construct a 5km break wall

from James Price Point into the Indian

Ocean to regulate the large tides common

in the Kimberley. Sand dredging and the

blasting of coral reefs are necessary to give

the large ships that transport LNG room

to turn. All of this will produce extensive

Kimberley coast near Broome.PHOTO: G. Eckhart

The Kimberley: big and unprotectedIn this International Year of Biodiversity, we take a look at efforts to protect one of our most biologically unique regions: the Kimberley.

Justin McCaul

sediment disturbance, and is bad news for

the humpback whales, snub-nose dolphins,

marine turtles and dugongs that inhabit

the waters of the Kimberley.

A fi nal decision on whether an LNG

plant will be built in the Kimberley will

be made in late 2010, when Environment

Minister Peter Garrett gives his fi nal

recommendation. Yet already no less

than 20 projects, from mining – including

uranium – to agriculture and more LNG

are earmarked for the Kimberley. The key

is access to a reliable and cheap source of

energy. And this is why plans to bring LNG

on shore at James Price Point is so pivotal

in shaping the future of the Kimberley.

Justin McCaul is ACF’s Northern Australia

Communications and Liaison Coordinator

For more information on the

Kimberley go to: http://www.acfonline.org.au/northernaustralia



The environment & Indigenous culture“My interest is how we can look after the

environment and support Indigenous

culture. For me the two go hand in hand

so that Indigenous people benefi t culturally

and economically from looking after their

own country.

“I also have a Master of Environmental

Science, which focused on Indigenous land

management techniques. I strongly believe

Indigenous knowledge can have good

outcomes for the environment and good

cultural, social and, increasingly, fi nancial

outcomes for Indigenous people.”

The importance of rivers to Indigenous people“I’m lucky because my mob have

rainforest, sea country and two freshwater

river systems that run through our lands:

the Daintree and Bloomfi eld rivers. All

aspects of country are important to us, but

rivers have always been economically and

culturally important to Aboriginal people.

“Rivers have been a source for food and,

culturally, rivers have been a source of lore

and creation stories that help explain our

connection to our traditional lands. Water

and our connection to it, whether a river

system or a coastal environment, defi nes

a people.”

The natural rivers of the north: an indigenous perspectiveLeah Talbot is ACF’s Cape York Program Offi cer, and also a Kuku-Yalanji woman. Her traditional country is north of Cairns in the Bloomfi eld and Daintree rainforest regions. Being an environmental campaigner as well as an Indigenous person, Leah has a unique perspective on the future of rivers in Northern Australia.

Leah Talbot as told to Justin McCaul

Regulation of Cape York Peninsula rivers“Queensland has built its economy by

promoting mining opportunities and to

a lesser extent agriculture development.

Some people think the Cape is ideal for

this type of development because it’s

sparsely populated and can offer unlimited

potential. Over the years people have

said we can solve drought in the south by

sending water from regions such as Cape

York Peninsula via pipelines or large inter-

basin transfer schemes.

“But only a handful of rivers in Cape

York Peninsula fl ow all year ‘round

because tropical river systems are

characterised by a boom and bust cycle: it

pours in the wet season followed by a long

period of hot, dry weather. So Cape York’s

river systems, which are healthy and intact,

are open to exploitation.

“Obviously the Queensland

Government’s Wild Rivers legislation has

been in the media lately. For years mobs

have managed their rivers exceptionally

well according to cultural custom. But we

need to recognise that without steps to stop

extreme water uses we may be left with a

highly damaged river system. Unregulated

river systems are vulnerable to mining or

agriculture, which require huge amounts

of water, even if Traditional Owners are

opposed to such development.”

Sustainability and environmental protection“For ACF, our work in Cape York is about

fi nding the balance between sustainable

development and environmental

protection. ACF recognises that the

biggest problem for Indigenous people in

a region such as Cape York Peninsula is

underdevelopment. But we should be wary

of a ‘development at any cost’ attitude.

We don’t need to import complicated and

expensive problems like those affecting the

Murray-Darling.”

Leah Talbot is ACF’s Cape York Program Offi cer

For more information on Cape York

go to: http://www.acfonline.org.au/northernaustralia

ABOVE: The Coleman River starts in central Cape York Peninsula and drains into the Gulf of Carpentaria. PHOTO: K. Trapnell


Get involved!Find out what environmental events, marches, festivals and

seminars are happening in your area – log onto ACF’s event

calendar at www.acfonline.org.au/events


Dear Economist,With consumption now well exceeding the Earth’s capacity to support the present population, let alone projected future growth, has any work been undertaken on how a low-growth or, even better, a no-growth economy would change our way of life?

Doug Blackwell, Gungal NSW

As the economist Kenneth Boulding put it, anyone who believes

exponential growth can go on forever in a fi nite world is either a

madman or an economist.

Economic growth has been placed upon a throne at the top of

our society’s goals yet this has occurred based on some key, fl awed

beliefs. Most signifi cant of which is that growth, as measured by

GDP, equates to improved wellbeing.

Vast amounts of research now show that this is quite simply

untrue, rather “beyond a certain point, ever increasing material

gain can become not a gift but a burden. As people, it makes us

less happy, and the environment […] is increasingly degraded

by it” – and this from the UK Conservative Party! In the global

Happy Planet Index (and other similar indexes) many of the

world’s developing countries outrank Australia on happiness and

wellbeing, despite their lower rates of GDP per capita.

So the counter-argument - that all growth is bad - is

tempting, but not very useful. It’s probable, for example, that a

transformation of our economy towards zero emissions would

result in high GDP!

Instead, economic growth needs to be put back in its box.

Rather than GDP, our nightly news should be reporting our

progress (or failure) towards achieving true societal goals: those

of human and ecological wellbeing. Let’s ditch the fi nance reports

and elevate the wellbeing reports to the 6pm news!

As to how that would change our way of life, well, we should

all be much happier, like the Costa Ricans, who ranked fi rst on the

Happy Planet Index!

ACF is soon to release its economic policy primer, Better Than

Growth, so stay tuned. For further reading, see Prosperity Without Growth Report by the UK Sustainable Development Commission.

The EconomistSimon O’Connor is ACF’s Economic Adviser.

Dear GreenHomeI was thinking of getting a water tank because saving water is important to me, but then I heard that there have been health scares associated with them and that if people continue to get water tanks we will see the return of malaria and dengue fever. Should I be worried?Penny, East Brighton VIC

Tanks are a great way of storing water for our houses and gardens,

but will your water become home to other less welcome guests

like disease-carrying mosquitoes? The answer is no, according to

Queensland Health Senior Medical Entomologist Joe Davis – so

long as you take sensible precautions.

“If you can make your water tank mosquito-proof, you

won’t have any problems with them breeding in your tank and

spreading disease,” he explains. “It’s not that diffi cult to do, you

just have seal up the inlet, the outlet and the roof. You can buy

mosquito-proof mesh (with holes no larger than 1mm) at most

local hardware stores. If you already have mesh installed it’s

important to check it, because if it’s damaged the holes can allow

mosquitoes to access the water inside.”

You’ll need to make sure it’s a snug fi t, as even a small amount

of warping can create a gap big enough for a mosquito to creep

through. “Covers often warp over time, or through physical stress,

such as kids climbing up and jumping on the tank,” says Joe. “If

this happens, the cover will need to be replaced, or if the damage

isn’t too great a silicone sealant will often be enough to make it

mosquito-proof.”

So there you go: a properly sealed and meshed tank should

alleviate any worries of mosquito-borne disease. As for how to

stop kids climbing up on the tank and damaging it in the fi rst

place, well, that is a question for which science has yet to fi nd a

satisfactory answer…

For more information, or if you have any questions about dengue fever or other tropical diseases, please call Cairns Public Health Unit on (07) 4050 3600.

Ask theeconomistSimon O’Connor

Got a question for our experts? Write to us at [email protected] and your question could appear in an

upcoming issue of Habitat.

BELOW

Myth-busted: water tanks will not spread mosquito-carried diseases.

Ask the GreenHome expert


What appealed to you about working

for ACF?

Once I had decided that I wanted to

redirect my career to the environment

sector, I made a short list of organisations

I thought were relevant and effective in

advocating sustainability and, in particular,

climate change, and ACF was on top of

that list. And as circumstances had it, an

opportunity came up at ACF.

How did you become an

environmental activist?

My politicisation was informed by two

things. My family are holocaust survivors,

so I grew up with an acute awareness of

human rights issues, but also, as a gay

man, I experienced discrimination fi rst

hand. In my early years I worked in social

reform, civil rights and health promotion,

and you can’t be interested in questions

of equity without also being concerned

about the environment. Poverty, racism,

injustice - the exploitation of human capital

is inexorably connected to the exploitation

and degradation of our natural resources.

I’ve always been drawn to work within

the core issues of our time. For me, in the

seventies it was social justice, now it is

climate change.

Describe a typical day for you

The only typical thing about my day is

the recurring challenge to balance time

spent on process with time set aside for

A lifetime of social activism and a career in business places newly-appointed ACF Chief Operations Offi cer, Danny Vadasz, in an ideal position to take ACF into the future. With a focus on global sustainability, Danny never forgets that change begins in his own backyard.

important long-term strategic and creative

planning. That’s a daily battle.

When I fi rst began at ACF, I was

just in awe of the depth of knowledge

and commitment of the people here.

Working with our campaigners is great.

I have always considered myself to be a

campaigner. Looking at ways of integrating

our marketing activities with our campaign

activities is exciting.

I really enjoy mixing with ACF

supporters. I have met extraordinary

people and seen amazingly generous

philanthropy – it’s both humbling

and inspiring.

When you’re not busy saving the

planet, how do you like to spend

your time?

I haven’t had to worry much about how

to spend my spare time since joining ACF!

But my previous career in health taught me

the importance of nutrition and exercise in

managing stress and workloads.

Actually, what I really enjoy is applying

what I am learning here to my own life.

Behaviour change begins at home so I try

to apply the principles of sustainability

to my garden and to improving energy

effi ciency in my home.

I think that one of the great challenges

for ACF is how to make sustainability

relevant to ordinary people, to show

them that there are small but signifi cant

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changes they can make in their lives that

nevertheless add up to something that can

move the world. Going through that same

process myself gives me a sense of what

people are grappling with.

How do you see environmental

activism evolving?

Environmental advocacy has traditionally

relied on policy interventions. Climate

change in particular challenges this

way of campaigning because of its time

horizon. The natural cycle for a politician

is three to four years, yet we have to

deal with a ‘diabolical’ problem that will

gradually unfold over a 10, 30 or even 50

year time scale. As the current landscape

demonstrates, its almost impossible to get

our politicians to think on that sort of time

scale when they are completely focused on

the next poll.

The challenge now is to not only

fi ght for good policy , but also to engage

with people who can infl uence change

beyond policy. That means we have to

affect and work with the community,

other institutions and the private sector,

including those who are largely responsible

for the mess we’re in. It really is time for

an intra-sectoral grand alliance.


Get close to nature at Lane Cove River Tourist Park.

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> Family cabins

> Ensuite cabins

> Caravan sites

> Tent sites

> Take a look at

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Remember when a cup of tea was made in a billy? Sleeping in a tent was fun? And all you needed to amuse yourself was open air and a river nearby? Well here’s the thing, it still is fun and now you can camp only ten kilometers from Australia’s largest city, just fifteen minutes from Sydney.

Bushwalks, barbeques and abundant wildlife. Powered and unpowered campsites. And yes, well appointed cabins if mum and dad are a little past the camping thing.

Whether you’re camping out, walking our many trails or just sitting quietly by the Lane Cove River, you can enjoy an authentic, carbon-neutral bush experience. And the money you spend with us, all goes back into the park.

So bring your whole family and explore Lane Cove River Tourist Park, Sydney’s only eco tourist park. It’s what camping used to be like and it’s in your own backyard.

Park it in Sydney!

Plassey Rd, Macquarie Park 2113 Telephone: 1300 729 133 or 02 9888 9133

Email: [email protected]

Lane Cove River Tourist ParkSydney’s eco-friendly tourist park.

Habitat Vol. 38 Number 2: April 2010

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Transcript of Habitat Vol. 38 Number 2: April 2010