habitat vol. 38 number 3: july 2010

1Australian Conservation Foundation HABITAT AUSTRALIA JULY 2010

VOLUME 38 NUMBER 3: JULY 2010

Brisbane

Melbourne

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Sydney

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Bendigo

Population and sustainability: the myths, the factsRadioactive politicsAn agenda for a sustainable Australia: what we need, what you can doPhoto essay: the human face of climate change

Hobart

Which is Australia’s most

sustainable city?

2 Australian Conservation FoundationHABITAT AUSTRALIA JULY 2010

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Vol 38 No 3 July 2010

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

Melbourne (Head Offi ce)Floor 1, 60 Leicester St, Carlton, Vic 3053Ph: (03) 9345 1111 or 1800 332 510 (free call)Fax: (03) 9345 1166

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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).

HABITAT AUSTRALIAAUSTRALIACONTENTS

Eco-Shopper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Innovative new green products.

Letters to the editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Letter from Don Henry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Dispatches from the fi eld . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Campaigners report on the status of ACF campaigns.

The human face of climate change . . . . . . . 8A photo essay capturing the faces of ordinary people living with the impacts of the climate crisis.

A national agenda for a sustainable Australia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13ACF’s new National Agenda for a Sustainable Australia spells out actions needed to transition to a cleaner economy and healthier environment.

The population myth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Habitat examines the misconceptions surrounding population and sustainability.

Announcing Australia’s most sustainable city . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16A ground breaking study ranks Australian cities according to a variety of sustainability indicators.

Radioactive politics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16The politics of radioactive is getting dirtier and hotter.

The road to a sustainable society is paved with good intentions . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Is there a disconnect between expressed concern and willingness to act by most Australians?

Ask The Economist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Taxing the environment or tax for the environment? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Did the environment see any wins from the Henry Review?

A healthy economy vs a healthy environment? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Do we save the economy or the environment? Or both?

Behind the scenes as people-power pumps water back into wetlands! . . . . . . . . 24A convoy of activists make their way to the Hattah Kulkyne National Park to watch the fi rst of 400 million litres of the water pumped back into the wetlands.

Green choice: washing machines. . . . . . . . 26CHOICE tests the environmental credentials of washing machines.

Cockburn Range, Australia all over . . . . . 28This magnifi cent Australian destination is a secret that’s hard to keep.

Ecotrust arrives in Australia. . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Are conservation and development at opposite ends of the spectrum?

Introducing… Denise Boyd! . . . . . . . . . . . . 31ACF Campaigns Director, Denise Boyd, shares with us her journey to environmental activism.

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.


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Compiled by Margaret Ambrose

Keep CupsDid you know that the average disposable coffee cup takes around 50 years

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PopulationAs I read through the

biodiversity article in April

Habitat I became increasingly

fl abbergasted that no mention

was made of population and

its contribution to the state of

the planet. What do you say to

sceptics who say what is the

point of making all the changes

to our lives and the way we do

things if nothing is being done

to address the problem of

over-population?

Virginia Simmonds, Kairi QLD

Habitat responds: ACF agrees

that rapid population growth

globally and in Australia

hinder our ability to achieve an

ecologically sustainable society.

This is why ACF has formally

nominated population growth

as a ‘key threatening process’

to Australia’s biodiversity

under federal environmental

law. We are also actively urging

the adoption of a national

population policy that would

aim to stabilise Australia’s

population by mid-century,

ensure our economy operates

within ecological limits, and

ensure Australia is playing a

leadership role internationally

on population, humanitarian

and environmental issues. Turn

to page 14 for more.

Just add waterI want to thank Habitat for the

story on water being returned

to Hattah Lakes. I think it is

wonderful that ACF supporters

were able to participate in an

activity that has made a real

difference to the environment.

ACF, please do more of this! A

lot of us are very eager to get

involved.

Teagan Wilson, Elsternwick VIC

Letter from the CEO

Dear Supporter

All of us who share a love

of Australia’s natural places

and a desire to protect them

for future generations have

been heartened, but also

disappointed, by recent

developments.

I was really moved by the

actions of ACF supporters

who banded together and,

with a donation from mecu limited, purchased and returned

400 million litres of water to Hattah Lakes near Mildura

in northern Victoria and sent a strong message that more

action is required to repair our stressed rivers. You may

have seen the media coverage. It was an outstanding

achievement by you all and I warmly thank you for your

efforts. Read the full story about the water buy-back on

page 24.

It’s a pity the decisions of our leaders do not always

mirror the aspirations of Australians. I’m talking, of

course, about the recent government decision to shelve

implementation of emissions trading until the end of 2012.

A decision like this is totally unacceptable. To put

comprehensive climate action in the too-hard basket until

2013 is bad for the environment, de-stabilising for business

and totally unacceptable to the millions of Australians who

want government leadership on climate change.

We need leadership from the government and opposition

on an issue that truly is the great moral and economic

challenge of our time, as well as other pressing issues. This

is why ACF has developed a new National Agenda for a

Sustainable Australia. It outlines exactly what we believe

needs to be achieved if we are to protect the Australian

landscape and way of life, in plain, easy-to-read terms.

You can read more about the National Agenda on page 13.

What we saw at Hattah Lakes just reinforces my belief

in the commitment and dedication of ACF supporters

and reminds me that if we work together we can achieve

great things.

Don Henry, CEO Australian Conservation Foundation

Got something to say?Write a letter or send in a photo to the editor of Habitat and

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Staying Alive: Women, Ecology and

Survival in India

Examining the position of women in

relation to nature, the author links the

violation of nature with the violation

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path of harmony, sustainability and

diversity is crucial to the survival and

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Spinifex Press, $34.95.

Photo of the issueHabitat reader and

budding amateur

photographer

Jessica from

Northcote, Victoria,

took this photo in

Wye River, Victoria.

Jessica believes

that capturing our

native animals

on camera can

help with their

preservation.

Letters to the editor


In early April, a Federal Senate inquiry into

the Wild Rivers Act visited Cairns. It is not

often such Inquires make it to the far north,

and with the legislation attracting national

media coverage, people were eager to

speak out on the issue.

At a packed hearing, presenters

included representatives from the

conservation sector, the Queensland

Government, Indigenous representatives

and organisations, as well as Indigenous

people from Cardwell, Gulf of Carpentaria

and, of course, Cape York Peninsula.

Interestingly, a number of Indigenous

people and groups spoke strongly in

favour of the legislation, stating that

economic development had not been

impeded by the laws. Indeed, they said

the legislation fi ts well with their future

aspirations to develop economically and

protect their traditional lands and waters.

Other Indigenous groups, however,

remain critical of the legislation and say the

issue causing most of the disagreement is

that of consent. Any decision, they insist,

be it conservation-related or development-

related, must have the consent of

Traditional Owners. ACF wholeheartedly

supports free, prior and informed consent

in relation to conservation on Indigenous

lands and stated this in our submission. We

are hopeful a solution that delivers river

protection and development opportunities

will be found.

The Senate inquiry came about after

Federal Opposition leader Tony Abbott

introduced his Wild Rivers (Environmental

Management) Bill 2010 into the House

of Representatives. It was defeated but

an identical Bill was introduced into the

Senate and was passed. The Committee

will deliver a fi nal report in June.

Dr Suzanne Jenkins, Northern Australian Program Manager

First there was the Chinese coal carrier

that crashed into the Great Barrier Reef,

gouging a three-kilometre scar into the

World Heritage-listed natural icon. Weeks

later, an oilrig exploded off the coast of

Louisiana, and the Gulf of Mexico oil spill

began. And all this not even a year after

Australia experienced one of its worst oil

spills: the three-month Montara oil leak

in the Timor Sea off Western Australia’s

northern coast. Disasters such as these

serve as an important reminder of what’s

at stake when we don’t look after our

oceans.

Less than fi ve per cent of Australian

waters are highly protected. Over the next

year, Australia has a unique opportunity

to deliver some good news for our oceans

by establishing marine sanctuaries right

around the country.

Ruchira Talukdar’s article in this issue

tells the story of the freshwater work we

have been doing over the last couple of

months.

ACF and ENGO partners in Victoria

and Tasmania are doing exciting work

fi nding solutions to the confl ict over our

forests. Our colleague, Dr Phil Pullinger

from Environment Tasmania, said recently:

“We’ve had 30 years of worsening trench

warfare in Tassie over forests and now is

the time and the opportunity to essentially

solve the forest confl ict – and solve it

properly”.

Finally, congratulations to NSW Premier

Kristina Keneally for passing legislation

that will increase protection for the

Riverina’s red gum forests on public land.

Dr Paul Sinclair, Healthy Ecosystems Program Manager


We’ve been busy on many fronts with the

development and launch of the inaugural

ACF Sustainable Cities Index, which came

out in June. The Index has 15 indicators

covering a broad range of environmental,

quality-of-life and resilience issues. By

providing a snapshot of comparative

performance in each of Australia’s 20

largest cities, we hope to generate plenty

of local debate about how our cities

can improve, in particular with greater

investment in public transport, improving

our energy and water effi ciency, and

enabling genuine community participation

in the decision making with all levels of

government.

As part of our ongoing work with

the Rapid Active and Affordable Transport

Alliance, and leading up to the Federal

Budget, we published a joint opinion

piece with the Heart Foundation in the

Canberra Times. In May, we launched a new Alternative

Technologies and Fuels Coalition, working

with NRMA Motoring Association,

Environment Business Australia and

others, to advocate for reducing our

dependence on imported fuels, while

at the same time achieving necessary

reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. In

particular we’re asking parties to commit

to: developing a national strategy to reduce

Australia’s demand for imported oil;

mandating fuel consumption and emission

standards to be compatible with the

European Union and Japan; legislating to

ensure all electric vehicles will be supplied

by clean renewable energy; and drastically

increasing investment in and service

quality of our public and active transport

systems. With such powerful allies we

hope to get some movement on these

issues over the coming months.

We have also been in discussions with

the motor vehicle manufacturing industry

to promote mandatory fuel consumption

standards for all new vehicles.

Active behind the scenes, ACF has

worked on a submission to the Prime

Minister’s Taskforce on Energy Effi ciency,

as well as engaging in a more organised

Just when we thought the campaign for

climate action couldn’t get tougher, Prime

Minister Rudd announced that a Labor

government would put their already

watered-down emissions trading scheme

on ice until 2012. Both major parties say

they remain committed to lacklustre targets

of between 5–25 per cent by 2020, but

neither can string together a coherent set of

policies to achieve even a pathetic fi ve

per cent cut.

However, media coverage of the

decision was deeply critical, and the poll

results showed that Australians are angry

at inaction by government and opposition.

Meanwhile, while the budget fi nally

delivered some money for helping our

pacifi c island neighbours cope with the

impacts of climate change, the opposition

swiftly cut it all away in their budget reply.

Despite these setbacks, ACF has been

working for many months now on a

fantastic project with the Australian

Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) on

climate action and jobs. For so long we’ve

been lectured to by the big polluting

industries that climate change will cost

jobs. In May we blew apart that myth,

releasing a report that shows that, in fact,

jobs grow in every region of Australia bar

one (far western NSW), even with strong

action on climate change. Check out the job

stats in your region at www.acfonline.org.au/jobs-map.

Tony Mohr, Climate ChangeCampaign Manager

push – working with industry associations

and community groups to support greater

effort on energy effi ciency.

Our Werribee Plains project fi nished in

March. We successfully negotiated with the

Victorian Government for a continuation

of the project through LeadWest, and

ACF’s formal role in this project is

now complete. We are in the process of

informing various bodies, including local

government associations across Australia

and professionals in the built environment,

about the project.

Monica Richter, Sustainable Australia Program Manager

Rising Tide wins Peter Rawlinson Award!Rising Tide, the Newcastle-based

activist group, has won this year’s

Peter Rawlinson Award after 12

months of tireless and fearless action

drawing attention to the looming

climate crisis.

Rising Tide is a small, committed

group of volunteers that has

consistently punched above its weight

since its inception six years ago.

In 2009, Rising Tide generated

national media coverage when its

activists abseiled down the front of

Parliament House on Federal Budget

day with a banner that read ‘Carbon

Budget Blowout’, convened a huge

summit for community climate

action groups, stopped work at a

notorious aluminium smelter for

several hours with a non-violent

protest, organised a peaceful sit-in at

Parliament House a week before the

Copenhagen climate talks and staged

a day-long blockade of the rail line

into the world’s biggest coal port at

Newcastle.

ACF’s annual Peter Rawlinson

Award acknowledges the outstanding

voluntary contribution of an

individual or group to conservation.


As the climate change debate grows increasingly scientifi c, it’s worthwhile taking a step back and meeting the real victims of the climate catastrophe. Swiss photographers and friends of the Climate Project, Mathias Braschler and Monika Fischer, travelled the world to capture the faces of ordinary people bravely living with the impacts of the climate crisis.

Tobikeinano, Kiribati: Karotu Tekita’s family lives in a sinking village.

Their hut, once 10 metres from the coast, is now on the water. “They’re

warning us to do whatever we can, but there’s nothing we can do. We’re

just now left here to the mess of the climate change,” says Karotu Tekita.

Tuktoyaktuk, North West Territories, Canada: Inuvialuit hunter Sandy

Adam, 55, says, “The ocean has taken part of our world, I know that”.

Hongse, Guangxi, China: Shop owners Yang Gengbao and Huang

Lianfeng, both 69, lost their house and their shop in a fl ood in July, 2009.

Lake Chad, Chad: “Before there was all water around where I am sitting

now. It was a big lake,” says Abakar Maydocou Mahamat,59, farmer and

former fi sherman.


1.

India: Farmers Rinchen Wangail, 38, his wife Phuntsok Amgmo, 37, and

their son Tsewang Tobjor, 1, in Rongjuk, Ladakh, lost their home in a fl ash

fl ood. Rinchen said: “I am scared that the situation will get worse. I think

we will have to face a worse situation in the future.”

Banglasdesh: Amena Khatun had to abandon her village to live in the

slums of Dhaka after river erosion destroyed her home. “The whole house

was washed away by the river,“ she says. “When we fi rst arrived in the

slum, I cried a lot.”

Paru Paru, Peru: Juliana Pacco Pacco, llama herder, recalls, “Over these

last years, our animals didn’t have much food to eat, and many illnesses

have appeared, the number of animals is decreasing. Now things are

very diffi cult”.

Kiribati: Taibo Tabokai, 15, is watching her home village of Tebunginako

in Abaiang Atoll, Kiribati, sink. “They called the village people to the

maneaba (our traditional meeting hall) and explained to us that there is no

hope for us because we will eventually loose everything here.”

Indigenous Knowledge for a Sustainable FutureShaping a sustainable future of Australia means understanding where we have come from and understanding Indigenousknowledges is crucial in the light of climate change and when considering issues of the sustainability of our current society.

A degree, postgraduate diploma or postgraduate certifi cate in Indigenous knowledges gives you a broader knowledgebase and a strong foundation from which to participate in policy formulation and decision making.

The course is available as a fully external program or come and study in Darwin.Intensive programs and fi eld trips in the Top End of the NT are scheduled regularly.

Units of study include: Yolngu Languages and Culture : Indigenous Engagement – Land and Water : Cultural Tourism :Communication and Negotiation : Indigenous Cultures and the Environment : Representing and Recording Country.

For more information contact the School of Australian Indigenous Knowledge Systems

Phone: (08) 8946 6482 Email: [email protected]

www.cdu.edu.au


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Australia: Sheep farmer in Booroorban, NSW, Ken Butcher, 57, says he

has had to reduce his stock because of the lack of water. He has put an ad

in the newspaper to sell his remaining sheep. “I don’t even know what a

normal year is or what an average year is. I’ve got to look at photographs

to remind me what it can be like.”

Peru: Farmers Gomercinda Sutta Illa, 54,

and her grandson Richar Guerra Sutta, 10,

are potato farmers and say that now that the

temperatures in the Peruvian Andes have

increased, the crops they depend on are no

longer reliable. “The life that we are living

does not have much future.”

Russia: Konusheva Luiza Arkadievna,

54, says her house is threatened by by

permafrost melt water. “My house cracks

and it is sinking.”

The human face of climate changeContinued

These portraits were taken in countries where the Climate

Project presenters work. A year ago, the Climate Project trained

people from across the Asia Pacifi c region including the Pacifi c

Islands, India, China and Pakistan in how to work with their

communities to address the impacts of climate crisis. They say

that they have been overwhelmed by their community’s desire

to create action on climate change.


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Engaging for change

Mali: Soumbou Bury, 25, is a member of a

nomadic tribe, the Peul from Ngnamerourè,

which is suffering from the consequences of

a lack of rain. “We the Peul people are really,

really tired at many levels.”

Italy: Marcello Plati, 33, a life guard, says the sand on Metaponto beach is

disappearing. “Should nothing be done to contain this coastal erosion we

will have great diffi culty managing this situation.”

Alaska: Margaret Aliurtuq Nickerson, 54, is

a Yup’ik Eskimo. As the weather gets warmer,

her hamlet will be destroyed the next few

years, by erosion.

Spain: Farmers in Valencia, Spain Miguel Angel Casares Camps, 46, and

Miguel Casares Cortina, 76, are experiencing more common heat waves.

“For us, today, climate change represents the stress that the plants have,

the impossibility to adapt to severe changes of temperatures especially

in the summer,” says Miguel.


Sick of Climate Change? So Are We …Adam MajcherAccording to Google News Archive, in 1990 there were 3,450

articles published mentioning the term climate change. In 2009,

there were 123,000.

Climate change has fi rmly cemented itself in the

vernacular, almost at times to the point of saturation. But how

much has changed?

Sheer coverage can at times move someone to believe there’s

progress, but the debate has had only a slight departure from the

status quo.

We’re now hovering at the halfway point between the

anticlimax that was Copenhagen (COP15) and incrementally

increasing hope of what Cancun (COP16) may deliver, and the

disappointment and despondence over the lack of momentum is

being felt in both Australia and around the globe.

It’s particularly understandable given the level of expectation

that built up before Copenhagen – especially given that that

expectation hung on our awareness of what the best science was

telling us. And the emerging science isn’t telling a happier tale.

But let’s also recognise the failure for what it was: a

political one.

In sharp contrast to the political impasse, the community

response to climate change has been nothing short of a

burgeoning revolution.

Since I started at the Climate Project – Australia in 2006, soon

after the release of An Inconvenient Truth, I’ve drawn considerable

strength watching the exponential growth of the climate

movement.

I’ve personally watched 330 Climate Project Presenters around

Australia, and another 120 in the Asia Pacifi c region, plant their

feet and take the issue to their communities, organisations and,

most importantly, to the Federal Government.

I’ve watched some of them have ‘eco-piphanies’, as being

active on climate change develops from an interest into a way of

life; and others who were already involved increase their efforts

manifoldly.

At a conservative estimate, there are now over 120 groups

spread across the country that are active on climate change

and a host of organisations moving to make the issue a principal

focus.

Further affi rmation lies in the fact that every Federal

Government initiative promoting or supporting personal action

on climate change in Australia, from solar PV to insulation,

has been oversubscribed to the point at which it cannot be

administered properly.

Personally, I fi nd great solace in periodically revisiting one

question: if civilisation went back 200 years, what would we do

differently if we knew what we know today?

Considering this projects me to a place of infi nite possibilities

– possibilities that are not only achievable, but that lead

to a world with the foundations to better maintain social,

environmental and economic equilibrium.

We, as individuals, have a real need to take back the

conversation that’s been hijacked by special interests. To leave

behind the ‘why didn’t we?’ and with unswerving conviction

replace it with the ‘how do we?’. Not only to re-motivate

ourselves, but to awaken those who have been allowed to sleep

in on the issue for too long.

If we continue to wait, we will place ourselves precariously

close to a point of no return – not a cataclysmic, end-of-theworld

scenario, but a point at which we’re unable to reclaim a front-foot

position because we’re forced to focus instead on adapting to the

consequences we’ve bequeathed to ourselves.

If you need me, I’ll be on the phone to my Federal Member for

Parliament, ensuring they know I’ll hold them to account.

Adam Majcher is ACF’s Climate Project Coordinator.

The human face of climate change

Continued

Chad: Three of the children of Fatama Djapraul Mousa, 25, have died due

to poor water quality, and she is pictured with her surviving children Ruca,

7 months, Koundoum, 7, and Omer, 3. “It is very diffi cult for me. To lose

children… And now my little daughter here has become sick too.”

Alaska: Grant Kashatok, 46 and a school principal, says “Climate change

deniers – they are the ostriches hiding their heads in the ground.”

The human face of climate changeContinued


Do you support the need for Australia

to shift away from a pollution-dependent

economy to a clean economy? Do you

believe we must take serious action to turn

around the decline of our rivers, wetlands,

forests and oceans? Do you want our

political leaders to be talking about the

opportunities to build healthier local

communities by investing in energy- and

water-effi cient cities and towns with better,

cleaner transport systems?

ACF has a plan of action with 23

practical, achievable steps to turn these

hopes into reality. The plan is summarised

in ACF’s new National Agenda for a Sustainable Australia, updated for 2010.

It spells out a series of specifi c and

measurable actions a federal government

would take if it were serious about

reducing pollution and leading the

transition to a cleaner economy and

healthier environment.

ACF has mailed the plan to all federal

Members of Parliament. However, to lift

our hopes and plans into mainstream

political debate we need your help. We

need the combined voices and letters and

emails and other local actions, small and

large, of thousands of ACF supporters.

What you can do1. Talk about the plan of action with

your family, friends, work colleagues.

Share the hopes you have for a truly

sustainable future by talking about the

practical steps toward achieving it. Invite

people to local events where climate and

environmental action solutions are being

discussed. If you run into some headwinds,

help dispel myths using ACF’s fact sheets

and myth-buster resources.

2. Help lift the ACF plan of action into

your local community conversation.

Send an email or letter to your local paper

using information from our National

Agenda and fact sheets to help draw

attention to issues that are relevant to your

community. Keep writing (enlisting a few

local friends to join you if need be) until

you see your letters or stories appear.

3. Help broaden community and

business support for the plan of action.

Phone, email or mail relevant parts of the

plan of action to local businesses, chambers

of commerce and community organisations

asking them to publicly support the plan

of action.

The tools you’ll need

• The plan of action outlined in ACF’s

National Agenda for a Sustainable Australia: www.acfonline.org.au/nationalagenda

• Region-by-region fact sheets outlining

the clean economy job opportunities

resulting from strong climate change

action: www.acfonline.org.au/jobs-map

• City-by-city sustainability assessment

fact sheets for Australia’s 20 largest

cities outlining each city’s strengths and

where things need to be improved:

www.acfonline.org.au/citiesindex• To help you make the case for restoring

and protecting our vital ecosystems,

we also have fact sheets on restoring

the Murray-Darling river systems and

wetlands to health, creating a world-

class network of marine sanctuaries

around our coastline and protecting the

unique and pristine Kimberley region

as part of Australia’s National Heritage.

Check them out at www.acfonline.org.au/policy-briefs

• Finally, to help you dispel common

myths about action on climate change

and the environment, ACF has some

short myth-busting fact sheets in a

question-and-answer format – ideal to

follow up and inform conversations

with family, friends and work

colleagues. (See www.acfonline.org.au/myths-busted)

Don’t forget that the majority of

Australians still want serious action on

climate change and strong action for a

healthy environment. Recent polls show

72 per cent of Australians still support

unilateral action on climate change and

78 per cent of people remain concerned

about environment issues. The question

for most people is not about whether to

act, it is about how to act. Our challenge

is to answer those questions with a plan of

action explaining the serious, not cosmetic,

steps that are needed to turn things around.

Graham Tupper is ACF’s National Liaison Manager

A national agenda for a sustainable AustraliaA Federal Election year is a big opportunity to make your hopes and views known. You’re eager to voice your opinions, and you know what the Australia you want looks like, but do you know what decisions need to be made to get us there? Well, ACF has a plan…

Graham Tupper


Tourists are not a common sight in

Jakaypuram, a company town centred

around a cement plant in rural Rajasthan.

The town itself is prosperous and tidy, an

island of organisation in the vast chaos of

northern India. I found myself there as a

guest of the company, Lakshmi Cement,

which is a partner in a rural health-

care project jointly organised with the

Population Foundation of India.

For about a week, aside from being the

object of the focused curiosity of the entire

town, I travelled with the doctor and his

team of four as they made their rounds of

the surrounding villages.

These villages presented a stark contrast

to Jakaypuram. They struggle with the

daily realty of rural poverty: poor health

and education, few or no government

services, never enough land and other

resources to go around, and the ever-

present strictures of the caste system.

Each of these can be traced, in part, back

to overpopulation, and in a vicious circle,

each in turn is also a driver of increased

population.

In most of these villages, the

government is nearly absent, and the only

health care available is the weekly visit of

the doctor from Jakaypuram. With great

energy and good cheer, he and his team

attended to basic care, with a focus on

maternal and child health, and provided

reproductive health education and services.

By all accounts, they were achieving

impressive results in improving health

while reducing reproduction rates – a

goal with which everybody I met in

India agreed.

I’ll never forget an exchange between

the doctor and a desperately poor mother

in one of these villages. The woman had

just given birth several days earlier but the

newborn died within a few days. Already

she was at work in the fi elds again – a

matter of survival, not choice. Though she

suffered from anaemia and inadequate

nutrition herself, she had four other young

children, all girls, to support. Still, she

resisted the doctor’s suggestion that she

take steps to cease having children.

The population mythACF’s Director of Strategic Ideas, Charles Berger, examines the misconceptions surrounding population and sustainability.

Charles Berger

She said she would continue trying no

matter what until the family had a boy,

because only a boy would offer them some

hope of economic security.

In northern India, the myth of the

superiority of male children fi nds

expression in many ways: greater

educational and economic opportunities

for men, selective abortion, skewed

gender ratios in the population, and the

dowry system. Each of these tends to

encourage larger families as well. It is easy

to understand why families prefer male

children in the cultural and social context,

and yet it is equally clear that the myth of

male superiority has a devastating effect on

women and on the whole community

in Rajasthan.

The contrast between northern and

southern India is stark. In the populous

and rapidly growing north, natural

resources, infrastructure and government

services are not keeping up. In some

areas, the water table has dropped by

up to 200 metres as a result of over-

extraction of water by rapidly growing

rural communities. Much of northern India

remains stubbornly mired in poverty. In the

south, the myth of the superiority of male

children is far less prevalent, the dowry

system is not as strong, and population

growth has stabilised in many areas. It is

no coincidence that the high-tech industries

and scientifi c innovation that many see as

India’s future are fl ourishing in the south.

What does all of this have to do with

Australia? In some ways, we are worlds

apart. People I met in India could barely

fathom living in a country twice as large

geographically as India but populated by

only 21 million people.

But just as India’s demographics are

powerfully shaped by cultural practice

and myth – such as the preference for male

children – so, too, does Australia have its

own population myths, which continue to

shape our own rapid population growth

trajectory.

One long-standing myth is that our

economic success depends upon

population growth. In fact, the opposite

is often true, as the case of India

demonstrates. In India, the most

economically successful regions are those

that have stabilised their population, not

those that continue to grow rapidly. And

among OECD nations in the decade up to

2007, no fewer than 13 countries had lower

population growth than Australia, but more

successful economies on a per-capita basis.

Another, more recent, myth is that

Australia won’t be able to care for its old

folks without importing labour and growing

its population. Yet, as one of the world’s

wealthiest nations, surely Australia should

be able to fi nd the resources to look after

those who can’t fully look after themselves.

Caring for the elderly is easy if we prioritise

compassion over growth in material wealth,

and conversely impossible if we insist on

economic growth above all else.

And, indeed, nations such as Norway

and the Netherlands are already coping

just fi ne with populations that are ageing

more dramatically than Australia’s.

They are working out the models for

successful and sustainable aged care in the

community, from which we could learn a

great deal.

A third myth is that we have the

capacity to manage population growth so

that it doesn’t result in increased pressure

on the environment. The great diffi culty

with this argument is that it is optimistic to

a reckless degree.

ACF recently examined in detail

four regions in Australia where human

populations are growing much more

rapidly than the Australian average: the

Swan River plain, the Fleurieu Peninsula,

the Western Port region in Victoria, and

Southeast Queensland. In each case, our

best efforts at sustainable management of

growth are not keeping pace, and pressure

on already threatened ecosystems is

increasing.

And so while the notion of sustainable

management of rapid population growth

is a comforting idea, in practice we have

not succeeded in putting it into effect.

Even our best efforts at sound planning

often are overwhelmed by rapid growth.


For example, the Melbourne 2030 plan

envisioned fi rm boundaries to urban

expansion, but this planning framework

has been put aside in the face of a

burgeoning urban population.

A better approach is that suggested in

1991 by the National Population Council,

a nonpartisan independent government

body. It believes that: “Solutions should

not be assumed for population-related

problems through other policies, unless

the institutional and other mechanisms

required to effectively implement those

solutions are in place”.

This suggests, for example, that until

Australia has reversed the decline in our

ecosystems and our greenhouse pollution

levels, we should be very cautious about

policies that would increase our population.

ACF has acted on these fi ndings by

fi ling a formal nomination of population

growth as a ‘key threatening process’

to Australia’s biodiversity under the

Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. In addition,

ACF has been strongly advocating a

national population policy that would

stabilise Australia’s population by mid-

century at around 27–30 million people.

Such a policy can be achieved without

compromising Australia’s humanitarian

and family reunion commitments. In fact,

Australia could increase our intake of

refugees but still stabilise the population,

provided we are willing to reduce the

skilled migration program, which has

ballooned in size in recent years.

A stable population is an important part

of a sustainable future, whether you live

in northern India or Australia. Together

with efforts to reduce the impact of our

consumption-intensive lifestyle, stabilising

the population will give Australia the

best chance of meeting our long-term

ecological goals.

Charles Berger is ACF’s Director of Strategic Ideas.

PopulationACF is calling for a national population

policy that:

• stabilises Australia at an ecologically

sustainable level by 2050,

• reduces Australia’s high migration

levels by reducing business

migration categories, while

maintaining or strengthening

humanitarian migration,

• sets clear long-term sustainability

limits, and ensures that population

and consumption patterns will not

exceed those limits

• commits Australia to stronger

support for assisting other

countries to achieve stable

population, in particular through

investments in child and maternal

health, education, reproductive

health services, and economic

empowerment of women.

In India, poor health and education, few or no government services, and a shortage of land and other resources can be traced, in part, back to overpopulation. PHOTO: AAP Images


Six months in the making, the inaugural

ACF Sustainable Cities Index covers a

broad range of environmental, social and

economic issues and provides a snapshot

of the performance of each of Australia’s 20

largest cities.

Cities were ranked in order of

comparative performance from 1 (most

sustainable) to 20 (least sustainable)

based on 15 different indicators covering

environment, quality of life and resilience

factors.

In 2010, Darwin has emerged as

Australia’s most sustainable city, scoring

highly on biodiversity, household

repayments and employment, despite

coming second-last on ecological footprint

and health indicators. Darwin was

followed closely by the Sunshine Coast and

Brisbane. In contrast, Newcastle, Geelong

and fi nally Perth came out as Australia’s

least sustainable cities in 2010.

Unfortunately, no city did well across

all 15 indicators; and while each has its

own unique strengths and weaknesses,

no Australian city can yet be held up as

a real champion in sustainable urban

development. For instance: Darwin is

almost eight times less sustainable than the

ideal city (one that would rank fi rst on all

15 indicators), while Perth is only 1.5 times

less sustainable than Darwin.

Where to from here?Given that cities are responsible for

generating 75 per cent of our employment

and 80 per cent of our GDP, they are the

key to Australia’s long-term economic

prosperity and will form the basis for

whether we can create a healthier and more

sustainable future for all Australians.

Toward this, all of our cities would

benefi t immediately from increased and

better-targeted investment to provide:

• Effi cient, affordable and healthy

transport choices: reducing our oil

dependence and vulnerability;

• Improved energy and water effi ciency

for both households and workplaces:

protecting Australians from future

price rises.

A groundbreaking new index reveals that wasteful consumption of resources, substantial population growth, poor planning decisions and lack of infrastructure investment has come at a cost to our economy, society and the environment. So how does your city rate?

Matthew Trigg

ACF hopes that the

ACF Sustainable Cities Index will assist our

car-dependent cities,

which today fuel

asthma, obesity and

biodiversity loss, to

be transformed into

cleaner, more effi cient

places with great

public and active

transport, improved

amenity, and happier,

healthier residents.

For more

information visit:

www.acfonline.org.au/citiesindex

PHOTO: David Silva, Tourism NT

BrisbaneEcological Footprint Green BuildingDensity Transport Climate Change

3rd

Sunshine CoastAir QualityGreen BuildingHealth Transport Household Repayments

2nd

DarwinAir Quality Ecological Footprint Green Building Water Biodiversity Health Density Subjective Wellbeing Transport Employment Climate Change Public Participation Education Household Repayments Food Production

1st

Sustainable CitiesACF is calling for:

• A well-designed and well-

funded 10-year Smart Energy

Use Program to cut energy

waste that builds on the

2009 COAG National Energy

Effi ciency Strategy;

• Implement world’s best

practice energy and water

effi ciency standards for all new

buildings and homes by 2020;

• Work with state, territory

and local governments to

provide incentives and

remove impediments for rapid

progress to green precincts and

healthy carbon-neutral cities.

www.acfonline.org.au/nationalagenda


TownsvilleAir QualityGreen BuildingBiodiversity Education Food Production

4th

HobartAir QualityBiodiversityTransport Climate ChangeHousehold Repayments

6th

Gold Coast – TweedEcological Footprint WaterDensity Climate Change Public Participation

8th

BendigoAir QualityEcological FootprintDensity Public Participation Household Repayments

10th

SydneyEcological FootprintGreen BuildingHealth Density Public Participation

12th

AdelaideAir QualityGreen BuildingHealth Transport Education

14thEqual

14thEqual

Albury-WodongaEcological Footprint WaterDensity Climate Change Education

15th

NewcastleAir QualityDensityTransport Climate ChangeFood Production

17th

PerthGreen BuildingWater EmploymentPublic Participation Education

19th

Canberra-QueanbeyanEcological Footprint Green BuildingDensity Climate ChangeHousehold Repayments

5th

MelbourneEcological FootprintBiodiversitySubjective Wellbeing EducationPublic Participation

7th

CairnsWaterDensity TransportEmploymentEducation

9th

ToowoombaWaterBiodiversityEmployment Climate Change Education

11th

LauncestonAir QualityEmploymentClimate Change Education Household Repayments

13th

BallaratBiodiversitySubjective Wellbeing Employment Household RepaymentsFood Production

WollongongAir QualityEcological Footprint Health Transport Public Participation

16th

GeelongEcological FootprintGreen BuildingHealth Public Participation Education

18th

For the complete picture visit:www.acfonline.org.au/citiesindex


Radioactive politicsLike the stuff itself, the politics of radioactive waste is getting hotter and dirtier. Dave Sweeney takes a look at a controversial Federal Government plan for a dump in the Northern Territory.

Dave Sweeney

Territory laws that might delay or frustrate

the opening of a waste dump.

The only site in Australia under active

consideration as a national radioactive

waste dump is Muckaty in the Northern

Territory. The Howard government fi rst

nominated Muckaty, 120 kilometres

north of Tennant Creek, as one of four

possible sites for a nuclear waste dump in

September 2007.

It was a controversial choice then and

remains so now. The Federal Government

secured a ‘voluntary nomination’ from the

Northern Land Council and one Aboriginal

family group. The terms of the agreement

have never been made public.

While some members of the Muckaty

Land Trust support a national waste dump

in return for cash benefi ts and access to

improved services, many do not.

The secretive process by which

Muckaty was chosen is out of step with

growing international support for genuine

community consultation and consent in

decisions about nuclear facilities, articulated

in this way by the UK Committee on

Before the 2007 Federal Election, Labor

promised a new approach to radioactive

waste, characterised by international best

practice, full community consultation and

consent. It would restore transparency,

accountability, procedural fairness and

legal redress and adopt a ”consensual

process of site selection” with ”agreed

scientifi c grounds for determining

suitability” and “community consultation

and support”.

And it was scathing of the Howard

government’s legal framework – the

Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act.

In February this year the stridently

pro-nuclear Resources Minister, Martin

Ferguson, broke two years of silence to

introduce Labor’s ‘new’ approach – and

sadly the result was not worth the wait.

Instead of the promised repeal of

the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act, it has been cynically

repackaged as the National Radioactive Waste Management Act in a move described

by veteran journalist Paul Toohey as “one

of the most plainly insincere examples of

legislative sleight of hand ever seen in this

country”.

Labor’s recycled law fails to restore

procedural fairness and appeal rights,

suspends the application of key Indigenous

and environmental protections and

overrides all Commonwealth, State and

New!

Available at Coles, Bi-Lo, Woolworths and selected independents. For more information see www.awareenvironmental.com.au

ABOVE: Sign of the times: community opposition to the dump plan is being expressed in many different ways. LEFT: Drawing a line in the sand as outrage at the proposed nuclear waste dump grows.PHOTOS: Dave Sweeney


Radioactive Waste Management in 2007:

“There is growing recognition that it is ethically unacceptable to impose a radioactive waste facility on an unwilling community”.

Imposing radioactive waste on the lands

of Indigenous people in the 21st Century is

not responsible management – rather it is

shameful political expedience.

Traditional Owners opposed to a

dump at Muckaty are taking legal action,

travelling widely to address forums and

exploring international avenues as part of

their efforts to build awareness and halt the

plan – and their supporters are growing.

The Northern Territory Government,

Unions NT, the ACTU, medical and public

health bodies, Indigenous rights groups

and environmentalists are all actively

LEFT: Hands up for a future free of radioactive waste: part of the crowd at an Easter protest in Tennant Creek against the Federal Governments dump planPHOTO: Dave Sweeney

RIGHT: Sign of the times: community opposition to the dump plan is being expressed in many different ways. PHOTO: Dave Sweeney

contesting Labor’s ‘out of sight – out of

mind’ approach to waste.

Radioactive waste remains a direct

environmental and human hazard for

extremely long periods of time and we

need to get the policy architecture right.

The ethical, democratic and effective way

to choose nuclear waste storage sites is

based on robust science, voluntary consent,

transparency and democratic dialogue. All

these features are missing from Minister

Ferguson’s politically expedient agenda.

Radioactive waste is a reality and a

serious issue. Its management should be

based on the principles of reduction at

source, transport minimisation and above-

ground dry storage – not a combination of

broken promises, carrot, stick and secrecy.

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As our political leaders position

themselves for the 2010 election it is time for

the Rudd Government to honour its 2007

election commitment on radioactive waste.

It is time for politicians to stop playing

political football with a human and

environmental threat that will last far

beyond their limited tenure.

Dave Sweeney is ACF’s Nuclear Free Campaigner.

Nuclear-free AustraliaACF is calling for:

• An end to plans for a national

radioactive waste dump at Muckaty

in the NT

• Responsible radioactive waste

management based on waste and

transport minimisation

• An approach based on independent

review, best science and informed

community consent



Is the failure of national politicians to exercise leadership on climate change out of step with public opinion or does it in fact refl ect a disconnect between our expressed concern and willingness to act?

Danny Vadasz

Recently, the Lowy Institute released

their annual Lowy Poll examining various

aspects of foreign-policy-related public

opinion, including attitudes to action on

climate change. It shows that 72 per cent

of the population believe that Australia

should take unilateral action on climate

change, but only 46 per cent support action

that involves signifi cant costs. Another 40

per cent believe in gradual, low-cost action.

The poll used hypothetical increases in

energy charges as a proxy for determining

how willing people were to put their

money where their mouth is. It found that

only 19 per cent were prepared to pay a

premium of $20 or more per month as their

contribution to climate change abatement,

while another 15 per cent were prepared to

pay $11–20.

Of greater concern was the fi nding that

since the previous survey, taken in 2008,

the proportion of people not prepared to

pay anything had risen from 21 to 33

per cent.

Does this mean that Australians are

hypocrites, happy to demand climate

action but not prepared to pay for it? Not

necessarily. The responses could simply

mean that people believe mitigation efforts

should be otherwise funded, possibly

by reprioritising existing government

spending or even perhaps through a super-

profi t mining tax.

Nevertheless, there is an accumulation

of sound evidence to show that people are

generally inclined to secretly trade off their

public statements against private self-

interest. It’s the sort of disconnect between

good intention and practice that sees us

wanting to lose weight without giving up

chocolate cake.

It is very diffi cult to pinpoint how much

people really care about anything, given

that expressing concern doesn’t neatly

translate into consequent action.

But why should that surprise us?

Behavioural cues are anything but

consistent. A recent survey by the

Australian Food and Grocery Council

found nearly a quarter of households

purchases toilet paper made from recycled

paper but an insignifi cant number

purchases sustainable tuna. The survey

further points out that while 80 per cent

of consumers claim to be environmentally

aware in their shopping choices, only 13

per cent buy sustainable products. Clearly,

we have trouble being the people we

want to be.

So are we really prepared to personally

wear some of the collective pain required

to mitigate climate change? The Lowy

Poll suggests that almost 60 per cent of

Australians are happy to make some level

of individual sacrifi ce but how does this

stack up against reality?

You may be surprised to learn that

over one million Australian households

currently subscribe to some percentage

of Green Power from their energy utility

and that they are paying a premium of

$100–$300 per year for the privilege. This

is an impressive level of commitment

but it represents less than 12 per cent of

households, compared with the 34 per cent

who say they are willing to pay a Green

Power tariff.

This certainly compares favourably with

the number of Australians who have made

a commitment at the high end of personal

consumption, such as purchasing the iconic

hybrid motor car, the Toyota Prius. By

contrast to Green Energy subscription, total

Prius sales at August 2009 had reached an

unimpressive 13,300. (Total Australian car

sales for 2009 were 937,328 and that was a

‘bad’ year.)

Rough as they are, these examples

provide useful bookends for what we can

expect of public support for voluntary cost

related behavioural initiatives. But personal

cost is by no means the only barrier to

transitioning to sustainable living.

Transformation through behaviour changeUntil now, the onus for energy effi ciency

has been directed at consumers (rather than

at the production end) through campaigns

You’ve made your home as sustainable as you can manage - but are you prepared to let go of your plasma TV? PHOTO: Murray Fredericks for Caroline Pidcock Architects


encouraging frugality and prudence.

Programs run by State Government, local

councils and NGOs like ACF encourage us

to modify our energy lifestyle by switching

off appliances at the socket, installing long-

life light bulbs, choosing energy effi cient

appliances and walking further. They

emphasise individual responsibility and

promote the virtues of personal restraint.

Take-up rates vary according to the

inconvenience and cost of the proposition.

In general, social marketing attempts to

create new standards of social ‘normality’

by effecting change to routine behaviour.

However, there are shortcomings to this

approach.

Firstly, it is diffi cult to create an

engagement path beyond easy lifestyle

adjustments. That is, once you’ve changed

your light bulbs, signed a petition and

commuted by public transport the easy

boxes are ticked but the stretch to high-

cost/inconvenient actions – such as giving

up fossil-fuel-based transport or making

an appointment to see your local MP –

remains a bridge too far for most people.

Secondly, it’s much harder to deal with

the invisible hand of socially constructed

behaviour. This relates to unconscious

behaviour embedded as community

normality – the sort of unthinking

patterned behaviour that leads us to take

daily showers whether we need them

or not.

A good demonstration of how

technology, for instance, can infl uence

socially constructed behaviour comes from

data on domestic power consumption.

Research shows that shoppers are greatly

infl uenced by energy effi ciency ratings

when making white goods purchasing

decisions.

Coupled with the signifi cant

improvements in appliance effi ciencies

over the last fi ve years, this should

translate into signifi cant reductions in

average household consumption rates.

However, these savings have failed to

materialise. Unfortunately, over the

same period, household aspirations

have expanded to include previously

unavailable goods such as domestic

air-conditioning systems and fl at-screen

televisions (particularly plasma). This

has overwhelmed energy savings from

appliance improvements.

Moreover, these energy-hungry

appliances are still in the early days of

market penetration, meaning that for some

time they will continue to drive increase

in average household consumption,

irrespective of star ratings on washing

machines. (Plasma accounts for 25 per cent

of TVs sold in Australia.)

A more dramatic example of

unconscious consumption is the growth

in the average size of housing stock.

According to BIS Shrapnel, Australia now

lays claim to the largest new homes in

the world. Since 2000, the average size of

new Australian homes has grown 12 per

cent, from 226sqm to 252sqm, despite the

continued decline in average household

occupancy rates. Amenities once unheard

of in a standard house – ensuite bathrooms,

walk-in robes, entertainment rooms,

twin garages – have become common

features, with all their attendant energy

requirements for lighting, heating

and cooling.

In other words, overt commitment to

behaviour change can be undermined

and overwhelmed by constantly changing

socially constructed behaviour norms.

In recognition of this there is an

emerging refocus on strategies that set

high resource consumption behaviour

in a societal/cultural context, examining

the relationship between affl uence,

materialistic values, wellbeing, community

engagement and ecologically damaging

behaviours.

This lends itself to a different model

of behaviour change, one that frames

individual responsibility within the

supportive context of community. Using

our weight-loss metaphor, it’s moving

the problem from a private space into a

community context, such as that provided

by highly successful, participatory

programs like Weight Watchers.

We need to create such safe, inclusive

and collective places around climate

change. There is an opportunity to engage

with concerned communities by reframing

the nature of individual involvement. To

date, concerned citizens have had limited

opportunity to participate in climate

change mitigation other than to reform

their own (implied) selfi sh behaviour

through lifestyle changes.

While personal responsibility remains

the lynchpin to social change, there is a

potential to encourage collective effort

around community enterprise. Examples of

this, both constructed and spontaneous, are

emerging in townships around Australia

and the world.

The second part of this article, in the

next issue of Habitat, looks at potential

models for using communities to generate

their own momentum for change while

we wait for leadership from above.

BELOW: Eighty per cent of consumers claim to be environmentally aware in their shopping choices, only thirteen per cent buy sustainable products? PHOTO: iStockphoto


The final report of the Henry Tax Review was released by the

government in May, along with a detailed government response.

Did the environment see any wins from the Henry Review?

In short, the Henry Review produced some useful

recommendations for the environment, pleasingly in support of

many areas for which ACF has long been campaigning. However,

the government missed an opportunity to improve both the

environment and economy by largely failing to act on these

recommendations.

The Henry Review strongly recommended that polluters pay

for their pollution and that we unwind some of the largest tax

breaks for big polluters.

This includes strong support for a price on carbon as well as

restructuring the Fringe Benefi ts Tax concessions for company cars

that encourage excessive driving. The FBT recommendation in

particular was strongly welcomed by ACF, which has long worked

to reform this subsidy that costs Australian tax payers nearly

$2 billion annually.

Other positive recommendations include congestion charging

(based on the full cost of using our roads) and ensuring our forests

and natural resources refl ect full environmental values in their

pricing.

The major response by the government has been the Resources

Super Profi ts Tax (RSPT). Because mining involves the depletion

of non-renewable public resources, it is only fair that the

public shares fully in the profi ts generated by the miners. It is

critical, however, that the additional revenue generated is used

to strengthen the development of sustainable industries and

investment in sustainable infrastructure, and clearly demonstrates

a net environmental benefi t.

The current proposal, however, has the potential to have poor

outcomes for the environment, with major concerns surrounding

marginal mining projects, which are likely to become more

profi table, and that revenue from the tax is going to support more

mining exploration.

With billions of dollars in subsidies that continue to encourage

the use of fossil fuels, we still have a long way to go before the tax

system is truly working to support a healthy environment.

ACF continues to call for reforms to support sustainability

consistent with a range of Henry Tax Review recommendations.

Taxing the environment or tax for the environment?At the conclusion of an extensive review of the Australian tax system, Australians have been presented with limited progress towards a tax system that can begin to support a healthy environment.

Simon O’Connor

Additional informationRead ACF’s work on the tax review at

http://www.acfonline.org.au/henryreview

For more details on ACF’s position on the RSPT, see

http://www.acfonline.org.au/articles/news.asp?news_id=2896

Ask theeconomistSimon O’Connor

Got a question for the Economist? Simply email hime at [email protected]

Despite all our intelligence, it seems we still can’t recognise any true value in the environment that keeps us all alive and, as a result, we are losing all of the most truly valuable things we have: forests, rivers, animals and birds. How do we ever turn this around?

G. Ariel, South Yarra VIC

There is no doubt that economics focuses on the price of

everything and the value of nothing, resulting in the destruction

of our environment for short-term economic gain.

A fundamental problem with mainstream economics is poor

valuation. Finding the market price of selling the timber from our

forests is easy but respecting the worth of a healthy forest is the

challenge: the habitat and clean water it provides, the carbon it

sequesters, the protection of genetic resources, and the beauty and

awe that an old forest provides for all to enjoy.

Increasingly, some economists are trying to put these integral

values back ’on the balance sheet’ so that decisions take into

account the environment and all its values.

For example, a recent ACF report looked at the true value of

a healthy wetland in the Murray Darling Basin, taking as a case

study the Hattah Lakes in Victoria.

Not only does a healthy wetland provide the basis of a local

tourism industry, including jobs for rangers and local hotels, it

also provides critical environmental services for free: storing

water in times of fl ood, it reduces the need for dams; fi ltering

water, it reduces the need for costly water treatment plants;

and providing habitat for birds, bats and animals, it helps

neighbouring farmers with pollination and insect eating.

All up, the Hattah Lakes alone provide $14.5 million in

valuable services each year!

But to really change this poor use of economics, we need the

inclusion of these environmental values as mandatory for all

decision-making processes. And then we need our policy makers

to realise that beyond dollars and cents, there are values that

should always be respected above short-term economic benefi t.

Simon O’Connor is ACF’s Economic Advisor


Economic securityACF is calling for:

• Government to promote a clean,

renewable energy future.


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Investing in a betterworld

To many, it just makes common sense:

any transition to a greener economy

will require a rapid deployment of all

the available skills and workers across

Australia.

Yet, frustratingly, the public discussion

about improving our environment

too frequently focuses on an either/

or proposition: which do we save, the

economy or the environment?

ACF recently released a report with the

Australian Council of Trade Unions that

fi nally should put this debate to bed.

The report, Creating Jobs – Cutting

Pollution: the roadmap for a cleaner,

stronger economy, demonstrates that

Australia has an opportunity to create 3.7

million new jobs by 2030 by taking strong

action to reduce our greenhouse pollution.

The report investigates at a regional

level the impact on jobs, from reducing

Australia’s emissions through to a price on

carbon, plus measures including energy

effi ciency, renewable energy investment

and cleaner transport. And the results

are conclusive: compared to taking weak

action, job growth is strong in all regions of

Australia, with a total of 770,000 additional

new jobs.

Not only can jobs grow in all regions,

but the jobs are not just ‘green collar’ jobs:

new jobs also are needed in traditional

industries such as agriculture, mining,

manufacturing and the services sector.

It makes sense, really. In the construction

of wind farms, for example, the skills we

need are not purely ‘green’, but rather

there is a signifi cant requirement for steel

workers, concreters, crane operators and

electrical contractors. These are skills we

have in abundance in Australia, and that

we need to start directing rapidly towards

cutting our greenhouse pollution.

This report, based on extensive

economic modelling, challenges Australia’s

leaders to show us that they have a serious

plan to shift us to a cleaner economy with

new industries and better jobs.

The public discussion about improving our environment often lapses into rhetoric about saving jobs or saving the environment – but a new report should fi nally end this debate.

Simon O’Connor

How many jobs are in your area?

Find out at www.acfonline.org.au/uploads/res/index.html

Read the report at www.acfonline.org.au/articles/news.asp?news_id=2855


It was an early – yet pleasurable

– start to the day, with a breakfast at

chef Stefano’s café in Mildura. Stefano

Di Pieri, a passionate advocate for the

Murray River and a supporter of the Just

Add Water campaign, played generous

host to ACF’s Just Add Water team,

supporters and project partners including

mecu, Observant, Parks Victoria, Mallee

Catchment Management Authority,

Department of Sustainability, and

Environment Victoria. After fi lling our

stomachs, it was time to visit the Hattah

Lakes and witness for ourselves the water

fl owing into the wetlands.

In the month-and-a-half lead-up to this day,

the Just Add Water team had witnessed

the most extraordinary outpouring of

support from ACF supporters. People

from all over Australia, and even overseas,

had contributed to the campaign. Within

a month, the Just Add Water website had

collected three times the expected amount

of donations, and the campaign had been

able to purchase 400 million litres of water

for Hattah Lakes – twice the initial estimate

of 200 million litres.

And it didn’t stop there. A fl ood of

encouraging emails, thousands of petitions

addressed to Minister Penny Wong asking

for strong action for the Murray-Darling,

and sweeping press, radio and television

coverage had proven beyond any doubt

how much the Murray-Darling mattered

A ground-breaking campaign. The coming together of Australians across the country. A national media blitz. It all culminated in a convoy of supporters, campaigners and journalists making their way to the Hattah Kulkyne National Park in Victoria on the morning of May 4 to watch the fi rst of 400 million litres of water pumped back into the wetlands. Ruchira Talukdar was there.

Ruchira Talukdar

to all Australians.

At the park, watching the water fl ow

down the creek towards the Hattah Lakes

was an incredible experience. It will take

a total of three months for all the water to

be delivered to the Hattah Lakes (‘til the

end of July). You can actually watch the

water fl ooding Hattah Lakes at www.justaddwater.org.au.

It was a victory for people power

– together we have done our bit for

endangered wetlands in the Murray-

Darling. But it is now time for our

governments to act in the interest of all

Australians and permanently restore

the river system to health by setting

the balance right between the needs of

irrigation and the environment.

For that, we need to ensure that the

new Murray-Darling Basin plan (a draft of

which is due out in mid-2010) addresses

the over-extraction of water for irrigation

and returns wetlands to health by

providing them with enough water. To fi nd

out more and to see how you can become

involved, visit www.acfonline.org.au/water.

1


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Murray-Darling Basin ACF is calling for:

• A scientifi cally robust Murray-

Darling Basin Plan by 2011 that

addresses the over-extraction of

water from the river-system and

protects and restores wetlands

to health

• Complementary actions to protect

and restore the Murray-Darling

and its wetlands, including a

network of fresh-water protected

areas.

For more information: www.acfonline.org.au/nationalagenda

1. Hattah Lakes dying for a drink.

2. Restored to life! ACF Supporters deliver much-needed water to the region.

3. Dr Paul Sinclair, the ACF campaigner behind Just Add Water.

ALL PHOTOS: Elke Kerr

2

3


GREEN CHOICE: A HABITAT &

Washing machines

CHOICE washing machine tests show

that front loading washing machines

almost invariably use less water and

less detergent than top loaders. And

if you wash in cold water, they’ll save

on energy too. In this issue of Habitat,

CHOICE tests the environmental

credentials of washing machines.

All washing machines are required to

carry labels that show their energy and

water rating. The energy use is given as a

series of stars plus a number that tells you

the overall kilowatt hours (kWh/per year) it

uses to wash seven full loads per week. The

water label shows the litres of water used

per wash and an equivalent star rating for

water use.

The stars are a quick-take on energy and

water: the more stars, the more energy- and

water-effi cient the machine. However, you

can only compare star ratings between

machines of the same capacity. A bigger

machine may well have more stars than a

smaller one (because there are energy and

water savings inherent in a larger load), but

it’ll probably use more power and water

overall in a year. So decide on the size you

need for your household, then compare star

ratings among machines of that size.

But be aware that a fi ve-star energy

rating isn’t a guarantee of fi ve-star

performance in other areas – check CHOICE

performance test results for that.

Why CHOICE doesn’t have an energy effi ciency scoreAccording to 2005 data from the Australian

Bureau of Statistics, 70 per cent of

Australians use cold water in their washing

machines, and CHOICE’s own 2008

survey similarly found that 55 per cent of

subscribers use a cold-wash program in

their homes. A major effect of washing in

cold water is that the machine uses a lot less

energy — it doesn’t have to heat the water

(or your hot water system doesn’t have to

do it for them). So CHOICE tests using cold

wash programs, and energy effi ciency is no

longer scored.

Energy and water saving tips• Wash in cold water. CHOICE tests found

little difference in wash performance

between washing in warm or cold,

especially if you’re washing non-whites.

But if you wash in cold water, you’ll

regularly need to do a hot wash every

so often to clean your machine. If you

do use a hot or warm wash, choose a

cold rinse.

• Try to always wash a full load – it takes

as much energy and water to wash a

full load as half unless the machine

has special sensors or half-load setting

options.

• Presoak heavily soiled items so you don’t

have to wash them twice.

• Unplug your machine when it’s not

being used – some machines have a

‘standby’ mode which means they’re still

using energy even when not in use.

• If your machine has energy- and water-

saving features, use them. These might

include a ‘fast-wash’ program for lightly

soiled clothes or water-saving programs

that also save energy.

• Front loaders generally use less water

than top loaders.

• If you recycle your water through a grey-

water system and use it on your garden,

make sure you use a garden safe laundry

detergent. Check the CHOICE website

for the best options.

Connecting to solar hot waterWith the recent increase in the use of solar

hot water, more consumers want to use this

cheaper hot water for washing. However,

fi nding front loaders with a dual hot and

cold water connection can be diffi cult.

According to manufacturers, there are

several reasons why dual connections in

front loaders are limited:

• The majority of the population prefers to

wash in cold water. Washing machines

only heat up a small amount of water

to the set temperature as needed, so it’s

more energy-effi cient than drawing hot

water from an electric hot water heater.

Solar and heat pump hot water heaters

are exceptions, and drawing from a gas

hot water heater is about the same as the

machine heating the water itself.

• Most front loaders use small volumes of

hot water for the main wash (generally

about 15L-20L in total); for a dual

connection, only 7L-10L of hot water

(60°C) may be used to get a warm 40°C

wash. So depending on how long the

pipes are from the hot water source, you

may end up with cold water in your

machine anyway. You can check this

by running the hot water tap in your

laundry and measure how much cold

water fl ows before you get hot water.

• Many stains are set by hot water, so a

cold fi ll and slow heat-up to optimum

wash temperatures helps the stain

removal process. But if a dual connection

washer is designed well, it should fi ll

with cold fi rst then add the hot water.

• Hot water entering the machine must

be no hotter than 60°C, so a tempering

valve may be needed for solar hot water

heaters if there isn’t a temperature

controller already fi tted.

• Using hot water for rinsing can cause

more creasing, so it’s not generally

recommended.

• Washing in cold water is an energy

effi cient way of washing, but using

solar hot water in your washing

machine for warm to hot washes can

save a signifi cant amount of electricity

and carbon emissions, as well as time

savings due to shorter wash times. So

hopefully we’ll soon be seeing more

dual-connection front loaders that can

effectively use solar hot water.

What to look forWhen buying a machine you’ll come across

plenty of whiz-bang features and electronics

to dazzle you, but what’ll matter most when

you get the machine home are a few basics:

Capacity: With capacity claims varying

from 5–10+ kg loads, any size of household

should be able to fi nd a machine that

suits them.

Time savers: Generally, top loaders have

shorter wash cycles than front loaders. If

you prefer a front loader, look for one with

a ‘fast-wash’ cycle – but even so there’s

considerable variation. It’s worth also

factoring in drying times: because front

loaders tend to have higher spin speeds and

thus extract more water, drying times can

be shorter. This is money-saving as well as

convenient if you use a clothes dryer.

Noise: Manufacturers like to tell you their

washing machines purr like a pussy cat.

Don’t be fooled: some machines are loud.

If your laundry’s close to your living areas


CHOICE COLLABORATION

Brand / model(in rank order within groups)

Type Rinse performance score (%)

Water effi ciency score (%)

Spin effi ciency score (%)

Water used (L, normal cycle)

Noise (dB)

Auto-sensing water level

Extra rinse

Tap connection(H= Hot, C=Cold)

Capacity (kg)

Running cost ($/10 years)

Up to 5.5KG

Fisher & Paykel

MW512

Top/

agitator

90 52 69 132 69 – – H & C, C 5.5 582

Simpson Ezi Sensor

SWF8556 (A)

Front 74 81 60 51 63 NS – C only 5.5 365

6KG to 7KG

Miele Honeycomb Care

W3725

Front 65 85 79 50 64 Yes Yes C only 6.5 369

Asko Quattro W6342 Front 57 83 74 53 69 Yes Yes C only 6 291

Fisher & Paykel

Aquasmart WL70T60C

Top/

impeller

58 81 67 66 57 Yes – H & C 7 364

Bosch Maxx 1100rpm

WAE22460AU

Front 68 82 72 64 66 Yes Yes C only 7 342

7.5KG or larger

Electrolux Time

Manager EWF1083

Front 71 83 71 68 62 NS Yes C only 8 427

LG WD12020D

Direct Drive

Front 49 87 81 50 67 Yes Yes H & C 7.5 307

Whirlpool WFS1285AW Front 55 83 75 73 65 Yes Yes H & C, C 8.5 452

Ariston Aqualtis

AQXXD 149H

Front 46 86 78 58 65 Yes Yes H & C 8.5 370

Samsung WF8802RPF Front 55 83 71 67 64 NS Yes C only 8.0 386

Indesit SIXL106 Front 56 85 67 56 68 NS – H & C 7.5 958

Haier HWM1480KFL Front 39 87 72 53 67 NS Yes C only 8.0 319

Summary table of washing machine effi ciency

this can be a big deal, so check the table

for comparative noise ratings. As a general

guide, front loaders have on average a

louder spin cycle than top loaders, owing

to their faster spin speed. That’s only part

of the story though; they also tend to have a

higher pitch. So, while front loaders tend to

be gentler on your clothes, they might not

be so gentle on your household if their noise

bothers you.

Selectable spin speed: You can change

the spin speed on some programs. A higher

spin speed will result in dryer clothes

others use the traditional mesh trap in

the wash drum that you have to clean

manually. It’s mostly top loaders that have

lint fi lters – front loaders tend not to need

them because they’re gentler on clothes.

Information in this article has been

provided by CHOICE. It focuses on the

environmental performance of a number of

current washing machine models, and does

not cover the full test results, performance

testing, specifi cations, features and prices.

(particularly great if you use a dryer), or you

might want a lower speed for delicates or

easily creased fabrics.

Auto-sensing water level: This can

help you save water, energy and time by

automatically adjusting the water level

according to the load and or fabric type.

Some machines also adjust the washing

action.

Extra rinse: Useful if you’re sensitive

to detergents.

Lint fi lter: Many machines now have

self-cleaning lint fi lter systems, while

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.

For membership enquiries, please call CHOICE on 1800 069 552 or visit www.choice.com.au.

Table Notes: (A) Discontinued but may still be in some stores. NS = Not Stated.Noise: A diffdrence of 3dB is noticeable to the human ear.Running costs: An estimate of cost over 10 years for water & electricity if you wash a full load 5 times per week using a normal cold water program, based on 17 cents per kWh for electricity and $1 per 1000L water.


Just off the Gibb River Road in Western

Australia’s Kimberley, Cockburn Range

rises dramatically above the plain,

bounded by the King and Pentecost Rivers.

Our starting point for a week of walking

was Emma Gorge, where we were met

by a helicopter. But there was no time for

heli-fi shing or other temptations. Our R44

helicopter was ready to ferry us to the

drop-off point about 15 kilometres north.

Our mission, and there was no way not

to accept it after a breathtaking fl ight over

the rugged escarpment with its 600-metre-

high cliffs, was to walk back to Emma

Gorge while exploring the gorges and

creeks along the way.

A major attraction, we soon realised,

was the Aboriginal rock art. And while

many fi ne examples of rock art are

increasingly being closed to the public,

often for fear of damage, the inaccessibility

of the art in the Cockburn Range makes

intervention less likely –at least for now.

On our second day we climbed from the

boab-lined creek bed for about three hours

to fi nd some great examples just below

the overhang of the escarpment. Protected

from wind and rain, they could have been

there for hundreds or even thousands of

years, and we marvelled at the hands,

Cockburn Range: Australia all overMany people have never heard of Cockburn Range, but mention the dramatic vista on posters for the fi lm Australia and they begin to understand that this magnifi cent Australian destination is a secret that’s hard to keep.

Georgina Wilson

fi gures, feet and water monitor in red,

white and yellow ochre.

On most days energetic members of

the group who were prepared to climb the

steep scree slopes and hop across boulders

found rock art if they explored far enough.

Others chose to relax after reaching camp,

enjoying a swim in the creek or pool. Even

if we only covered a few kilometres a day,

it was usually slow going, crossing and

re-crossing the creek to fi nd a way forward,

wading or swimming some gorges, rock-

hopping, and steep climbs to and from the

spinifex-covered plateau above.

We camped beside creeks or pools. At

sunset, bats often fl ew overhead; one day

we checked out a bat cave, fi rst wading

and then swimming to reach it.

But overall, visible wildlife was limited.

Rock wallabies appeared plentiful, going

by the number of droppings, but we saw

very few. Distant dingoes disturbed sleep

on one night, and meeting a few cattle

should have come as no surprise.

Birds were plentiful, and in the evenings

we would watch them come to drink and

cool off at our campsite at the top of a

waterfall.

Green ants were less endearing, and

I itched for several days after brushing

through a wattle loaded with them.

Ticks were another hazard, and

leeches – ribbon-like beasties about two

centimetres long that inhabited some pools.

They seemed to take a great liking to some

members of our party but almost ignored

others. Not the tick’s fi rst choice of blood

bank? I’m happy with that!

Frogs were many, and ranged from the

size of a thumbnail upwards. But as they

jumped onto my sleeping bag at nights, I

wished I’d brought a tent rather than sleep

in the open. But the frogs did no harm, so

why worry?

Over six days we had no human

connections except a single red helicopter

overhead – perhaps the same one that had

dropped us off at the creek. And each day

brought more amazing scenery.

The fi nal campsite at the top of Emma

Gorge was particularly breathtaking –sheer

red cliffs rising above a creek that linked

enticing rock pools caressed by ferns,

sundews and fl owering wattles above a

waterfall plunging hundreds of metres to

the plain below.

Cockburn Range is not for the faint-

hearted, but for those on a mission to see

the Australia even Hollywood could not

have invented, it’s a must-see.

Breathtaking scenery and prehistoric rock art characterise Cockburn Range. PHOTOS: Courtesy Willis’s Walkabouts.


Georgina Wilson visited

Cockburn Range as part of

Kimberley Highlights No. 1,

run by Willis’s Walkabouts.

More details about this

and other tours on www.bushwalkingholidays.com

Habitat_half_p_GreatWalks_10.indd 1 6/3/10 9:01:10 AM


Ecotrust Australia, launched on 1 July, is modelled on the highly successful Ecotrust in Portland, Oregon and Ecotrust Canada, in Vancouver. Both these organisations have built reputations for innovation in fi nance and banking, community development and information and data services.

Long-time President of Ecotrust Canada, Ian Gill, is moving to Sydney to become Ecotrust Australia’s founding CEO. Gill is a former newspaper and television journalist who reported on the battle between loggers and conservationists in British Columbia in the early1990s, an experience that convinced him to leave journalism and start up Ecotrust Canada more than 15 years ago.

“The opportunity to give life to the Ecotrust approach in Australia is too good to pass up,” explains Gill. “I have long been aware that the issues in Canada, especially as they relate to Indigenous communities, conservation and resource development, have striking parallels in Australia, particularly up north. If we can help bring new perspectives, and new tools, to add value to what people are already working on here, well, that will be a plus.”

These similarities became especially clear to Gill in 2005, when he was a special guest at the landmark Kimberley Appropriate Economies Roundtable meeting in Fitzroy Crossing.

Hosted by ACF, the Kimberley Land Council and Environs Kimberley, the meeting left Gill sensing strong similarities between coastal British Columbia and northern Australia.

“They are very different ecosystems, obviously,” says Gill. “But [share] a very similar imbalance between the demands of extractive industries and the needs of local people.

“We found in BC that the solutions to these issues arise from a combination of local knowledge and releasing the innovations of local people. Global and national institutions are failing to meet the needs of local people. Also, we identifi ed a need for a model of development at

Ecotrust arrives in AustraliaConservation and development tend to be viewed as being at opposite ends of the spectrum – the perception being that one could only be achieved at the expense or detriment of the other. Now a new and innovative not-for-profi t organisation is challenging that view.

Justin McCaul

bioregionscale. We plan to do that here at Ecotrust Australia, too.”

“I am particularly pleased that ACF has played a central role in nurturing this new entity into life,” says ACF Executive Director Don Henry, who is a member of Ecotrust Australia’s inaugural Board. “We have long admired the work of Ecotrust in North America, and the chance to bring a new approach to development issues in Australia’s north is an important step for ACF and our partners.”

Underlining Ecotrust Australia’s intentions to work collaboratively with Indigenous people, the inaugural Chairperson will be Pat Dodson, a man widely respected as a leader and champion for Indigenous peoples’ rights and culture.

The initial geographic focus of Ecotrust Australia will be Northern Australia, although they hope to develop working relationships with other peak organisations working across the north.

The fi rst major undertaking of Ecotrust Australia will be to develop a cultural landscape atlas for Northern Australia that will assist Indigenous people in articulating a culture-based development vision for the North. This bioregional atlas builds directly out of Ecotrust’s experience helping Indigenous North Americans map their country to achieve better social, conservation and economic outcomes.

A new measure of successA big challenge for Ecotrust Australia will be to change the perception that economic development underpinned by conservation and Indigenous cultural values is too diffi cult.

“Worldwide, there is an emerging trend to tackle poverty and deliver environmental protection through the application of ‘social fi nance’. This has the potential to deliver greater impact than traditional sources of capital for Indigenous people, such as philanthropy, which is often too small to leverage additional capital, and government funds,which are often infl exible and short-term,” Ian Gill says.

“Ecotrust Australia will research existing social fi nance approaches in

Australia and, along with Indigenous partners and experienced investors, we are hopeful of creating new pathways for successful investment in the cultural and conservation economy,” he concludes.

Knowledge underpins sustainabilityA key lesson learned from Ecotrust

in North America is that knowledge

underpins the culture and conservation

economy.

And so the initial focus of Ecotrust

Australia will be to undertake a cultural

and landscape atlas of Northern Australia,

and to work with individual communities

to map their assets and their use and

occupancy of country.

It is hoped that the atlas will provide a

guide to future efforts to develop a pan-

northern, bioregional economy that focuses

fi rst on the needs of local people, and that

helps break the cycle of royalty-based

dependency that has brought few benefi ts

to northern Indigenous communities.

Link: http://www.ecotrust.ca

Justin McCaul is ACF’s Northern Australia

Communications and Liaison Coordinator

Northern AustraliaACF is calling for:

• Government to build a sustainable

future for Northern Australia.

• The implementations of the

recommendations of the

Northern Australia Land and

Water Taskforce, including the

establishment of a Council of

Northern Australia that helps

develop an integrated vision for

the sustainable development of

northern Australia.

• The doubling in investment in

land management and ecosystem

protection to increase culturally

sustainable job opportunities

for Indigenous and remote

communities.

Working with Indigenous partners.

PHOTO: Justin McCaul


What appealed to you about working

for ACF?

I had previously worked for international

organisations, both in environment and

animal welfare, so I was attracted by the

opportunity to work with a nationally-

focused group. ACF has a solid reputation

for really being at the forefront of

innovative environmental policy solutions

in an Australian context. I also wanted to

work with Don Henry, and I saw it as an

opportunity to learn from him and from

ACF’s proud 40 year history.

How did you become an

environmental activist?

I don’t think you wake up one morning and

decide to become an environmental activist

– I think it is something that emerges as you

become aware of your world.

I had environmental concerns as

a teenager, mainly around nuclear

disarmament issues. However, I put these

concerns aside and concentrated on my

university studies, which were in anatomy

and biological sciences. When I was

travelling after I had fi nished my degree,

I had a very good friend whose partner

was working on a boat for a conservation

group. That was my introduction to a

whole new way of looking at conservation –

looking through the prism of direct action.

I had always had a strong connection to

the marine environment and so I decided

to return home to the UK and do a post-

graduate course in Marine Environmental

Protection. When I came back to Australia

I did fundraising and voluntary campaign

work for Greenpeace, and that led to me

becoming a marine campaigner.

On one memorable occasion we were

in the Southern Ocean just off Kerguelen

Island when we found an illegal long-

line fi shing boat, which was deliberately

hiding its identity. We notifi ed the French

and Australian authorities and we

ended up chasing the boat thousands of

kilometres through some nasty weather to

Mauritius. By the time we got there it was

an international story and the Mauritian

government had no choice but to not allow

the boat to unload its catch. This shone a

ACF Campaigns Director, Denise Boyd, shares with us her journey to environmental activism, what a typical day is like for her, and her surprising talents unleashed in a choir.

spotlight on illegal fi shing in the Southern

Ocean and drove regulatory changes in

international fi sheries management.

Describe a typical day for you.

I usually have a round of meetings in the

morning and keep the afternoons clear

for other work activities. But you can only

plan to a certain extent – I’m constantly

reprioritising.

I spend most of my time in dialogue

– so it’s just as well I like talking! I meet

with people both inside and outside the

organisation and try to infl uence decision-

makers to do the right thing for our

environment.

What do you like doing outside work?

I’m a rookie gardener! I am trying to

overcome the curse of my father’s “black

fi ngers”, and I’m having really good

fun with it! I particularly love growing

my own fruit and vegetables. I also sing

in a community choir that performs

regularly in Melbourne. We’ve sung at the

Spiegeltent and we do competitions –

I love it.

What do you consider to be the

most important environmental issues

right now?

The dominant issue of the day, which we

desperately, desperately need to address,

is climate change. The challenge that we

have at ACF is to be able to translate to

the wider community what we know

about what we will effectively be giving

up if we don’t act on climate change now,

and what it is that we will be leaving to

the future generations. By not acting,

we are consciously making a decision to

change the environment, without fully

appreciating what that means.

I have a deep respect for the trust

members and supporters put in ACF

as an organisation. I really believe that it

is a privilege to have a job that is aligned

with your values, and that delivers benefi ts

to the broader community. Not many

people have that opportunity and I am

truly grateful.

Denise with former Prime Minister Bob Hawke this year on the anniversary of the decision to withdraw support for mining in Antarctica. PHOTO: ACF


Get close to nature at Lane Cove River Tourist Park.

Winner of the QANTAS Award for Excellence in Sustainable Tourism 2008

> 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 3: july 2010

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