[Greens-Media] Government inaction sends Swift Parrot closer to extinction

[Hollo, Tim (Sen C. Milne)]

Government inaction sends Swift Parrot closer to extinction

The Swift Parrot's decline towards extinction is not being slowed by
Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett who won't intervene to save
it, according to Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown.

"Prime Minister Rudd now must exercise his powers under the Regional
Forest Agreement to save critical habitat destined for logging," Senator
Brown said.

Senator Brown said the decline was underscored by Minister Garrett's
refusal, on ABC Radio National this morning, to do anything except write
a letter to the Tasmanian Government noting that the species was in
decline.

"This abrogation of his responsibility is in light of this week's
scientific report that shows the Swift Parrot population has crashed
below 1,000 breeding pairs, and that hundreds of hectares of critical
habitat in Wielangta and south-east Tasmania is scheduled for
obliteration this summer."

"Seventy-two years after the last Thylacine died in the Hobart Zoo as a
result of Government inaction - the Swift Parrot is being hounded to
extinction by government deliberation."
Senator Brown said it was now up to Prime Minister Rudd to use his
powers to enforce the RFA.

"Prime Minister Rudd has a personal responsibility under clause 68 of
the RFA to protect rare and threatened fauna, but so far this has not
occurred."

Tim Hollo
Media Adviser
Senator Christine Milne
ph: (02) 6277 3588
mob: 0437 587 562

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