Dear Koala Lovers,
I believe in the rule of law, and that is why the Australian Koala Foundation wants a Koala Protection Act.
In the year 2000, I held a legal summit with lawyers (both international and Australian), scientists, and conservation groups to discuss laws, one of which was the recently enacted EPBC Act 1999, which had just come into power.
I was arguing for a Koala Protection Act for around six years by that time, and at the end of two incredible days, I was encouraged (not convinced) that we should allow this poorly drafted legislation to be given a chance. Looking back, I realise now that I felt I did not have enough expertise in the field to argue more strongly, so I acquiesced. Great, great regret.
Even though I knew then that “land clearing does not trigger the Act,” it is considered a “threatening process,” but the only person that can trigger that Act is the Federal Minister, and the current one (my 16th) is Senator Murray Watt.
It is a big statement, but I am pretty confident that no Federal Minister since that time has triggered the mechanism, but rather have used their powers, both federally and in the State jurisdictions, to “call in projects” (which means allow them to be approved) or give them a “controlled action,” which says, “No worries, mate, we will allow you to proceed, and you provide us with what you want to do some time later,” which often, in my experience, allows much habitat to be cleared while industry “investigates.”
As we watch the international rule of law disintegrate with “might over right” being the order of the day, I felt, like so many, overwhelmed. I went to the movies and watched Nuremberg – the movie which is set just after WW2, when the Nazi leaders were just going to be hung, not tried. Not tried because there were no laws fit for purpose.
The movie shows the progression of how genocide and crimes against humanity came into force. I was proud of humanity; those men and women knew that history was on their side, and as I left the theatre, I had a spring in my step, even though I had witnessed ghastly scenes of cruelty. I know there will be a Koala Protection Act, and there will be Ecocide laws – and those that wish to harm both the environment and Creatures Great and Small will one day be called to account.
Because it was International Women’s Day last week, and because my team wrote this beautiful article about me, I wish to honour one of my heroes: Eleanor Roosevelt, a former First Lady who championed world peace just after WW1 via organisations that eventually became the United Nations. Many great current writers are saying that this organisation is struggling to control “might over right” right now. They say it is because the Charter needs to come into the 21st century, and I am confident great people are working on that right now.
But I also know that we, the everyday person, have to come alive and awake to what is happening around us. I believe over the last 30 years or so, we have been lulled into inaction, and our youth are not aware of what has come before.
I was just reading submissions to our local SE Queensland Regional Plan, and I remember doing that the first time in 1995.
New young conservationists are asking the same questions I asked back then – why is this plan for 10 years? Why have you reduced clearing approvals from 2 hectares to 800 metres? Why only in the South East corner of Queensland?
The answer is because it is a blueprint that will allow great destruction and, worse still, often allows prime koala habitat to be cut up into smaller and smaller blocks, which give the Koala no chance.
There will be a Koala Protection Act because we, the people, want it.
Thank you, as always, and I do hope your family and friends in war zones are safe.
Kind regards,Deborah
