Wilderness Society congratulates NSW Government on Wildlife Corridor

The Wilderness Society (Sydney) Inc
Media Release
26 February 2007         

The Wilderness Society today welcomed the NSW government's announcement of a wildlife corridor from "the Alps to Atherton". The Government announced on Saturday February 24 that it plans to work with the Federal and Queensland governments as well as private land holders to ensure a corridor of wildness runs up the escarpment along the entire east coast.

"To protect animals from climate change it is essential that we provide huge connected areas of intact nature," said Felicity Wade, NSW Campaign Manager of the Wilderness Society.

"When the climate changes animals need to be able to move across the landscape to new areas where the climatic conditions better suit them. This initiative from the NSW government is a bold and visionary approach to this challenge", said Wade.

The Society called on the NSW government to also commit to protecting the south east forest icons. "These last patches of unprotected old growth form an essential part of the corridor the Government is envisaging," said Wade. "The south east forest icons are a group of forest areas, less than 20,000 ha in total, whose protection would radically improve the design of the existing national park system on the south coast.
In many places the connections between parks are either very thin or non-existent. The south east icons specifically act to improve these links and so increase the chance of animals being able to manage the effects of climate change.

"It is also essential that these rich old growth forests are protected as they provide the best places for animals to live and so form an essential part of any attempt to provide a future for our animals as climate change kicks in", concluded Wade.