Parrot support 'scientific, not political'
Sunday Times.au|September 7, 2006
SCIENCE, not politics, was behind Environment Minister Ian Campbell's decision to place the orange-bellied parrot on Australia's critically endangered list, the minister said today. The parrot, which played a key role in Senator Campbell's controversial decision to reverse approval for a wind farm in Victoria, was reclassified this week as critically endangered.
SCIENCE, not politics, was behind Environment Minister Ian Campbell's decision to place the orange-bellied parrot on Australia's critically endangered list, the minister said today. The parrot, which played a key role in Senator Campbell's controversial decision to reverse approval for a wind farm in Victoria, was reclassified this week as critically endangered.
SCIENCE, not politics, was behind Environment Minister Ian Campbell's decision to place the orange-bellied parrot on Australia's critically endangered list, the minister said today.
The parrot, which played a key role in Senator Campbell's controversial decision to reverse approval for a wind farm in Victoria, was reclassified this week as critically endangered.
Only about 150 of the birds are left in the wild.
In April, Senator Campbell overturned Victorian government approval for a 52-turbine wind farm at Bald Hills in Gippsland, despite a departmental report suggesting the farm would have negligible impact on the species.
Senator Campbell agreed to reconsider his blocking of the $220-million project after the developer …
... more [truncated due to possible copyright]SCIENCE, not politics, was behind Environment Minister Ian Campbell's decision to place the orange-bellied parrot on Australia's critically endangered list, the minister said today.
The parrot, which played a key role in Senator Campbell's controversial decision to reverse approval for a wind farm in Victoria, was reclassified this week as critically endangered.
Only about 150 of the birds are left in the wild.
In April, Senator Campbell overturned Victorian government approval for a 52-turbine wind farm at Bald Hills in Gippsland, despite a departmental report suggesting the farm would have negligible impact on the species.
Senator Campbell agreed to reconsider his blocking of the $220-million project after the developer appealed against the decision in the Federal Court.
The Government is spending $3.2 million to protect the rare parrot's habitat in South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria.
Labor today asked Senator Campbell why he had not announced similar funding to protect the habitats of 16 other critically endangered species, including the yellow chat and Gilbert's potoroo.
Labor claims Senator Campbell is using the parrot as an excuse to block the wind farm to shore up the marginal federal seat which surrounds Bald Hills.
Senator Campbell said today he had listed the orange-bellied parrot on the critically endangered list based on expert scientific advice.
"The Threatened Species Scientific Committee advised me two days ago that the orange-bellied parrot should, in fact, be upgraded to critically endangered," he told question time.
"Most Australians know that the orange-bellied parrot has 50 breeding pairs left in the world."
The parrot was at least as endangered as the panda and Siberian tiger, he said.