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Save the iconic forest at the north end of Steve Irwin Way.(aka Friends of Steve Irwin Way Forest)The road was redesigned to avoid most of the forest and the rest of the 744ha of Beerwah State Forest has been gazetted National Park status. The current proposal will clear at least 12ha and damage iconic remnant forest that contains koalas, ancient trees and already endangered animals. This forest contains koala habitat, lowland subtropical rainforest (a nationally recognised critically endangered ecosystem),centuries old habitat trees and unique wetlands. This forest is home to koalas, glossy black cockatoos, giant barred frogs, Richmond birdwing butterflies, Coxen fig parrots, Wallum froglets and other vulnerable declining frog and butterfly species. If this project proceeds we will destroy forever an iconic Sunshine Coast natural treasure and put these ecosystems and species on a downward spiral to extinction.3,671 of 4,000 SignaturesCreated by Stella Wiggins
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"Stop the Rubbish Tip! Save Arthurs Seat"This is an action by Peninsula Preservation Group Inc. We want Australians to know about an environmental disaster planned for one of the most naturally beautiful areas in Australia and the threats to fauna and flora and destruction of a prime tourist area for people from all over the world. This tip would be allowed to accept putrid household rubbish, chemicals and asbestos. Our science experts advise that the proposed tip liner will leak highly toxic waste into Sheepwash Creek which runs into the Bay, the water table and aquifer upon which residents, farms and businesses rely. As well a tip in this very bushy area presents an extreme fire risk. At present it has not been used for years and has filled up with rainwater and is a beautiful blue lake. There are native animals and birds using the site as a habitat. The site is in a highly protected area and the Mornington Peninsula Shire was supposed to oversee the conversion of the site to a lake, lagoons, wetlands, walking tracks and picnic areas for the residents of the Peninsula. Please make sure the Council we elected, do what they are supposed to do.This beautiful pristine area of the Mornington Peninsula is covered in State Park, vineyards, farms, orchards and is popular with tourists and local families to relax and enjoy the natural environment. The noise, odours and pollution that a tip will produce will utterly spoil this area. This issue needs addressing as soon as possible and your contribution of signing will help the cause. Visit our website for more information www.savearthursseat.com13,078 of 15,000 SignaturesCreated by Lee Burton
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Stop culling the WA sharks!Experts do not agree that plans to cull sharks will reduce shark attacks. “[W]ill culling sharks actually reduce the risk of an attack? The answer is no.…Pre-emptively killing sharks is a response based on emotion rather than of scientific data”, wrote Ryan Kempster, Shark biologist at University of Western Australia, and Shaun Collin, Winthrop Professor at the School of Animal Biology and the Oceans Institute at University of Western Australia1. The Department of the Environment lists nine shark species inhabiting Australian waters as critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable and culling plans would not only drastically affect their populations but the surrounding marine ecosystems. In Western Australia, the White Shark (or the Great White Shark) is listed as “rare or likely to become extinct”2 and in 2002, the Australian Government came up with a Recovery Plan to promote the conservation of this species. But now the White Shark it is at great risk because the Western Australian Department of Fisheries has listed the white shark as the main cause of fatal shark attacks WA. Please sign the petition and tell the WA government that to stop plan to cull sharks. Sources: 1 Ryan Kempster and Shaun Collin, “How to prevent shark attacks”, The Conversation, https://theconversation.com/how-to-prevent-shark-attacks-20890, 29/11/13 2 The Australian Government Department of Environment, “Carcharodoncarcharias — Great White Shark”, Biodiversity Species Profile and Threats Database http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=64470, 16/07/13 3 The Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, Recovery plan for the White Shark, http://www.environment.gov.au/resource/recovery-plan-white-shark-carcharodon-carcharias, 201310,808 of 15,000 SignaturesCreated by Cara Ling
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STOP THE UNLAWFUL VIOLENT KILLING OF PROTECTED NATIVE KANGAROOSArticle showing my dedicated work with Kangaroos in Canberra Times http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/canberra-city-of-animal-lovers-20120714-222rk.html. Click on link to view final poll results: http://wildlifecarersgroup.wordpress.com/2012/09/01/canberra-times-final-kangaroo-killing-poll-results-closed-25512/?preview=true&preview_id=748&preview_nonce=0370f2d679 . An abuse of rate/taxpayers money that cost over $200,000, and an abuse of the government and government department's positions, ignoring expert advice outside the government. Please check out http://wildlifecarersgroup.wordpress.com/?sn=l, http://wildlifecarersgroup.wordpress.com/2012/06/07/protected-native-violent-kangaroo-killing-in-the-act-7-june-2012/. Native grasses are not threatened by the kangaroos, but by human activity, including toxic sprays. ANIMAL WELFARE - Click on the links below, to view kangaroo cruelty and horror. Kangaroos are killed in an extremely inhumane manner. Legally kangaroos killed are required to be killed by a single shot to the brain. there are instances where kangaroos are not killed in this manner. As a result, the kangaroo is shot agonisingly in the jaw, neck or the body, flees in response and will suffer a prolonged and painful death. These joeys are killed often by shooters smashing them into the ground, against tow bars of cars or with a metal pipe or other blunt instrument. Alternatively, when not caught, an out of pouch joey will be left to fend for itself and will generally die of predation, starvation or dehydration.This is not to mention the stress suffered by kangaroos from hearing shots being fired and from being chased down by shooters. Please click on or copy and paste this link into your browser to view more information on Kangaroo abuse and sign as well: http://www.change.org/petitions/chief-minister-environment-minister-greens-party-prime-minister-stop-the-unlawful-violent-killing-of-protected-native-kangaroos ‘....anyone who intentionally tortures a dog or cat is a threat to public safety, and should be dealt with severely," DeSteph said in a statement....DeSteph told ABC News he plans to send the legislation to other state lawmakers and work with national animal welfare groups to get the law introduced across the country. There have been studies that show a connection between animal cruelty and many other crimes, from drug and firearm offenses to battery and sexual assault, according to the Humane Society....’The same applies to Kangaroos and all other animals, the entire animal kingdom, not just cats and dogs.The Government’s proposed Animal Welfare Bill should be citing the same as above to immediately stop the Kangaroo killings to arrest and lock up the Government officials responsible for the Kangaroo killings since 2004-2019.The Animal Welfare Bill cannot be in compliance with the Government,the Government has to be in compliance with it The kangaroo management plan is conjunctional, incompetent, and not based on any scientific facts. The only objects that are causing the destruction of grasslands, woodlands, threatened species and ecosystems are tams staff and their shooters, the cattle they put into all the nature reserves after killing all the kangaroos in 2011 because the grass was too long, and the government that fails to listen to the experts, to end this unlawful violent, unnecessary killing that will drive our protected native Kangaroos to extinction. Click on this link for more information: http://wildlifecarersgroup.wordpress.com/2011/08/04/wildlife-carers-group-wcg-visit-to-callum-brae-nature-reserve-etc-full-5-day-work-experience-student-wes-placement-report-trained-by-wcg-founding-president-nora-preston-4-8-july-2011/?sn=l We require the government department TAMS/TCCS (have changed their name or relevant Dept)authority who deal with applications to kill protected native species, and applications for the native wildlife rehabilitation licence to be removed from TAMS/TCCS or relevant Dept and handed over to Wildlife Carers Group. We require that the Eastern Grey Kangaroos, along with other persecuted macropods and native wildlife to be placed on the Critically Endangered list, AUSTRALIA WIDE. We require changes in the legislations/Acts and policies in the ACT, and Australia wide, to ensure that all protected native wildlife are protected and not be allowed to be killed. Wildlife Carers Group Wildlife Rehabilitation Licence to include FULL TERM REHABILITATION OF SICK INJURED ORPHANED NATIVE EASTERN GREY KANGAROOS, AND ALL OTHER ENDANGERED NATIVE WILDLIFE THAT ARE CURRENTLY OMITTED FROM THE LICENCE. The unlawful entry and stealing of my wildlife from my property by tams, the rspca and the police occurred as a result of me taking the Conservator of Flora and Fauna to court for the unlawful violent killing of the kangaroos/animal cruelty in 2012, to stop the unlawful violent killing and to have the Acts and policies that govern these policies changed. This action against me was more abuse of taxpayers money and vexatious by the government. To see the full reports please click on these links: http://wildlifecarersgroup.wordpress.com/2012/09/01/rspca-selling-stolen-wildlife-belonging-to-wildlife-carers-group-act-greens-party-offer-the-act-rspca-1million-rspca-animal-cruelty-continues-super-trawler-petitions-1912/ Full story on unlawful entry and theft of wildlife, click on these links: http://wildlifecarersgroup.wordpress.com/2012/08/28/unlawful-entry-and-seizure-of-wildlife-letters-sent-to-canberra-tmes-but-not-published-28812/, and follow the other links about tams, the rspca, the chief minister that follow these reports. http://wildlifecarersgroup.wordpress.com/?sn=l http://wildlifecarersgroup.wordpress.com/2012/12/21/wildlife-carers-group-visit-to-antarctica-melbourne-aquarium-competition-ongoing-animal-cruelty-by-rspcamore-211212/?preview=true&preview_id=868&preview_nonce=c1ce95b73f.1,386 of 2,000 SignaturesCreated by Lady NORA PRESTON
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Save, Protect and Rezone Tootgarook Swamp on the Mornington Peninsula.*****UPDATE 2017***** The Tootgarook Swamp, also sometimes called Boneo swamp is a groundwater dependent wetland (fen) found on the Nepean Peninsula in Victoria. It is the largest example left of a Shallow freshwater marsh in the entire Port Phillip bay and Western Port Bay region, at ~650 hectares (According to the Tootgarook Wetland Ramsar Nomination Feasibility Study 2015 BMT WBM for the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council) it is worthy of international Ramsar protection. Much of the Tootgarook swamp is inappropriately zoned as residential, and industrial with a large portion of it outside the green wedge. This key area of biodiversity at the urban Growth Boundary is the area most under threat is inappropriately zoned to the north and has been identified in a report (Purnell, C and Herman, K., 2016. Tootgarook Swamp Bird Monitoring Program – Year 2 Annual Report. Unpublished report prepared for the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council by BirdLife Australia) as Core range and nationally significant, critical habitat for the Australasian Bittern (EN, EPBC) and a range other EPBC and FFG listed species. The largest accumulations of waterbirds was observed across this particular area of the Tootgarook Swamp. The swamp contains fifteen state, federal, and international protected species of fauna, along with another seven-species listed as vulnerable. The majority of species threatened with extinction in Victoria are wetland dependent. Tootgarook Swamp has so far recorded 159 bird species, 13 reptilian species, 9 amphibious frog species and 12 mammals, including 5 bats, no full survey of the entire swamp has ever been done to show its true value, and much of the current data has been collected during drought time. Though recently the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council has made steps to undertake the larger bird and fauna surveys and has undertaken the Tootgarook Wetlands strategy thanks to your support something that we have been heavily involved in and we are continuing to gather data from bird surveys it is one facet that has been yielding results The swamp is also home to at least nine bioregional endangered plant communities. (Update) Though a local ecologist believes up to 24 bioregional endangered plant communities exist within the swamp and updated on ground flora surveys need to be commenced. There had been approximately 80 hectares is marked with (update) no present development proposals we have been successful at VCAT (most recent Nov 2016) with other stakeholders in showing the value of the Tootgarook Swamp. Instead of coming up continually against inappropriate development rezoning is needed. Though within this area the biggest threat the most significant risk to this area, similar to Roe8 in Western Australia is a freeway reservation for the Southern Peninsula section of what is known as Peninsula Link it cuts though the most sensitive area of the entire wetland. Did you know there are only 4% of total wetlands left in Victoria that are greater than 100 hectares , and of the original wetlands in the state we have already lost over 37% in the last 200 years. Of the 100% of shallow fresh water marshes in Victoria, 60% has been destroyed. It has high cultural significance for the Bunurong / Boonerwrung people of the Kulin nation, it’s name purportedly meaning land of the growling frog. High scientific value also exists as pointed out by Sir Frederick Chapman in 1919, Australia’s first nationally appointed palaeontologist and world authority in the field of ostracods (a type of small crustacean), and close companion and co-worker with Sir Douglas Mawson. Sir Chapman personally visited and studied within Tootgarook Swamp where he catalogued numerous fossils and ostropod species not seen anywhere else but in Tasmania showing a link of a land bridge between the two states. The Tootgarook swamp is described by Geologist A. Shugg as “The swamp is a natural groundwater discharge area lying close to sea level” and that “The swamp forms a window to the aquifer through which ground water discharges”. Climate change wise the Tootgarook Swamp is a peat regenerating wetland, the most threatened form of wetland type internationally, as a peat regenerating wetland it is a major carbon storehouse (Blue Carbon), exceeding that of forests. You might wonder, will the loss of a few wetlands like Tootgarook Swamp really make much difference? Well, biodiversity is a complex fragile structure. It may be helpful to think of the ecosystem as a woven carpet, if you pull on a loose thread it might only affect the thread and those closest to it, or it might unravel the whole carpet. Wetlands are threads keeping the ecosystem carpet together and as we pull out more wetland threads the ecosystem begins to unravel causing lots of problems. So help us keep this unique wetland for our biodiversity and future generations, View our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQ6effLtymA&feature=player_detailpage or for even more information and photos check out our website http://www.savetootgarookswamp.org A short film was also made by Anthony Kelly for the Peninsular Short Film Festival. While it did not succeed in being selected for the festival, we think it is a beautiful depiction of the swamp and its wildlife. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNuM-YVZgGY&feature=share Mornington Peninsula Shire has also had some short films made in relation to it Bird monitoring program with Birdlife Australia. Birdlife Video 2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SCsjhaCZPc Birdlife Video 2016 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZJNIYzv9G8 Or even join our Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/SaveTootgarookSwampInc?ref=hl3,840 of 4,000 SignaturesCreated by Cameron Brown
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Save the Penguins of Lipson Island!Lipson Island may be more important as a bird rookery than we know. While Centrex's public environment report predicted the colony to be in decline, that was misinformation based on a flawed assumption. It was reported elsewhere as "stable" although the species is generally believed to be in decline statewide. Better sites for future grain export exist, away from sensitive receptors like Lipson Island.1,053 of 2,000 SignaturesCreated by Dan Monceaux
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Stop the Super TrawlerOne of the world’s biggest fishing trawlers with a history of over exploiting fish stocks, the FV Margiris, wants to trawl for small pelagic fish – some of the most critical species in our marine ecosystem. Small pelagic fishing around Tasmania already has a bad record. The surface schools of jack mackerel that were once common off southeast Tasmania have not returned after the collapse of that fishery over 20 years ago. The fish are a vital food source for important species like the critically endangered southern bluefin tuna, marine mammals, seabirds and game fish. Trawlers like this not only catch the target species, they also get tonnes of bycatch - unwanted marine life like dolphins, seals and seabirds, that gets thrown back dead. This fishing trawler is the opposite of the fishing activities we need to ensure healthy oceans and healthy communities – we need better valued seafood that doesn’t rely on government subsidies, sustainable employment for local fishermen, science based fisheries management, and no unwanted by-catch. Learn more at http://stopthetrawler.net Follow us on twitter @stopthetrawler97,292 of 100,000 SignaturesCreated by Rebecca Hubbard
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Save Butler Reserve. Byron BayThis green space is home to many species of birds and animals. During the recent closure of the reserve these birds and animals were often found distressed by the encroachment on their homeland. Butler Reserve has been used by all locals. Elderly people who were born in nearby homes and have lived there all their lives use it to walk safely often with their pets.. Until the council prevented access to the Reserve youngsters regularly played cricket , football and other games as it is the only safe space large enough for this use in the area. Thousands of people benefit ( local vendors, shop keepers ,musicians and tourists) from both the Monthly and weekly Farmer's markets. Butler Reserve provides a tranquil space during the very busy tourist times. Again before access was closed artists could be found painting or musicians playing and writing in solace. Experimental attempts at providing a carpark on this reserve have all failed. During the past it has been opened as a free carpark which led to overuse by van dwellers who while they attempted to treat the land with respect had no facilities provided by Council. Therefore rubbish and human waste became a problem. The Reserve was then transformed into a paid carpark and was immediately underused and remained so until this scheme was also abandoned by Council. It is clear that the carpark idea does not work and should not be implemented. Greenspace is a form of social capital that is evidently highly valued by all councils in other LGA's eg. Gold Coast. In fact it is also apparent that these public green spaces are highly valued in all country towns even those where available water is an issue. They reflect the underlying values of a town and their leaders. Increasing they are being seen a highly important for the wholistic health of people, mental, physical and spiritual. Please accept this as a sincere and worthwhile platform for abandoning any plans for a carpark on Butler Reserve.100 of 200 SignaturesCreated by Darryl Henniker
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Southside express bus to RBWH and QUTThis is a common route and as it takes 2 or 3 buses to get to these places from the Southside. Many people drive as it is too frustrating going through the city and this makes sense and reduces congestion on already overcrowded platforms11 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Leane Christie
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Keep Jervis Bay UnspoiltThis DA was originally approved in 2011 & was renewed in 2016 although no obvious physical work had been commenced on the site. The DA is for twin 3 story buildings & an underground car park. The site is less than 40 metres from the banks of Moona Moona Creek & is in it's immediate flood plain. The Council's Natural Resources & Floodplain Unit states that basement car parking is not recommended in flood prone land. The original flood report was prepared in 2011 & since then a new bridge has been constructed over the Creek & sea levels are rising due to climate change. Moona Moona Creek & it's mangroves are a critical hatchery for small fish & is essential for the health of Jervis Bay, the major attraction of the Shoalhaven.156 of 200 SignaturesCreated by William Mark Wareham
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Save Our WaterOur community of Woorabinda is reliant on good quality water for our needs and having a mining company take what the want will severely deplete the Dawson River water supply.3 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Wardingarri Lamalama
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Secondary access road re-opening for Mirador estateThere is currently only one road in and out of this estate, which traverses heavily forested areas on both sides of the road. Two entry/exit roads are mandatory under NSW planning laws. In a bushfire, there would be no escape for residents trapped in the estate. With the massive bushfires of 2020 which surrounded our area, this time bomb waiting to explode.67 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Rod Macdougall