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Sulphur-crested cockatoo: its call has been described as ‘an extremely loud, raucous screech’
Lincoln Fowler/Tourism Australia

A unique environment

The Australian continent is a land like no other. Its animals, plants and landscapes have evolved over millennia, and there are about a million different natural species in Australia. More than 80 per cent of the country’s flowering plants, mammals, reptiles and frogs are unique to Australia, along with most of the fish and almost half the birds.

Australia’s marine environment is home to 4000 fish species, over 500 coral species, 50 types of marine mammals and a wide range of seabirds. About 80 per cent of marine species found in southern Australian waters occur nowhere else in the world.

Australia has more than 140 species of marsupials, including koalas, wombats and the Tasmanian devil, now found only in the Tasmanian wilderness. Australia hosts another unique animal group, the monotremes—egg-laying mammals, often referred to as ‘living fossils’. The most distinctive is the platypus, a river-dwelling animal with a duck’s bill, a furry body and webbed feet.

More than 750 species of birds have been recorded in Australia, 350 of which are found nowhere else in the world. Among them are the kookaburra, the rainbow lorikeet and fairy penguins.

There are 55 different species of macropods—the kangaroo family—native to Australia. Macropods vary greatly in size and weight, ranging from half a kilogram to 90 kilograms.

Did you know?

The harvest and export of Australian native wildlife products are strictly controlled, and Australia has the toughest wildlife trade laws in the world.

Kangaroo harvesting contributes to the sustainability of the Australian environment. There is a code of practice for the humane shooting of kangaroos, and all commercial shooters must have a licence.

Seven of Australia’s most common kangaroo species are commercially harvested under strict controls; none of these species is endangered. The red kangaroo, eastern grey kangaroo and western grey kangaroo make up over 90 per cent of the commercial harvest; their combined population size fluctuates with seasonal conditions but can reach 50 million.

Environmental challenges

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The Twelve Apostles, Great Ocean Road, Victoria

Australia is the driest inhabited continent on earth. While rich in biodiversity, Australia’s soils and seas are among the most nutrient-poor and unproductive in the world. Only 6 per cent of the Australian landmass is arable, so large volumes of water are required from both surface and groundwater supplies. Extraction from groundwater supplies for dry-land agriculture has resulted in a rising water table and salinity.

Australian soils are highly dependent upon vegetation cover to generate nutrients and for stability. Land clearing, water extraction and poor soil conservation are all causes of a decline in the quality of Australia’s soils.

At least 18 introduced mammals have established feral populations in Australia, with cats and foxes responsible for the decline and extinction of several native animals.

Introduced plants also cause substantial damage to native vegetation and habitats.

The pressure caused by human activity continues to take its toll on marine environments. Pollution is the most serious problem; the vast majority of marine pollution is caused by land-based activities, including soil erosion, fertiliser use, intensive animal production, sewage and other urban industrial discharges.

In fact
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Lord Howe Island, 700 kilometres north-east of Sydney, is one of Australia’s World Heritage-listed properties

Conserving the natural heritage

The Australian Government is committed to achieving the conservation, sustainable use and repair of environmental heritage. The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 strengthens the protection of Australia’s environment and the conservation of its rich and unique biodiversity.

The Natural Heritage Trust works with communities and provides funding for environmental activities around the country. The Trust’s main objectives are biodiversity conservation, sustainable use of natural resources, and community capacity building.

The Natural Heritage Trust is the biggest financial donor to environmental action. It has committed $2.7 billion to local communities to deliver more sustainable and productive land management, healthier waterways, cleaner beaches, less air pollution, and protection for threatened species. At April 2004, $1.4 billion had been committed to natural capital investment through almost 12 000 projects around Australia involving more than 400 000 Australians.

Australia’s national parks and protected areas

Over 10 per cent of continental Australia is protected, amounting to more than 77 million hectares. There are 547 national parks and 6000 conservation areas; all are protected by federal and state legislation. Additional protected territory includes Norfolk Island, Lord Howe Island, Christmas Island, Macquarie Island and Antarctic Special Protection Areas. More than four million people visit Australia’s national parks every year.

There are 194 marine protected areas, which cover almost 65 million hectares. They include the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, fish habitat reserves, fish sanctuaries and conservation areas. The Australian Government is responsible for 31 areas and the remaining areas are managed by the states and territories.

Title to Uluru – Kata Tjuta, Kakadu and Booderee national parks rests with Indigenous land owners. They lease these areas to the Director of Parks Australia to be managed as national parks. Management boards with Aboriginal majorities determine policy and provide direction for nature conservation and visitor management programs at these parks.

Kakadu is located 120 kilometres east of Darwin and covers almost two million hectares. The rich natural resources of Kakadu have sustained human habitation for at least 25 000 years. Uluru – Kata Tjuta National Park covers 132 566 hectares in the centre of Australia and is owned by the Anangu Aboriginal people. Booderee National Park is located in New South Wales and measures 6400 hectares. The traditional owners continue to use the region’s resources as a natural classroom for younger people and for collecting food and medicine.

World Heritage properties

There are currently 16 Australian properties on the World Heritage List. The Great Barrier Reef, the Tasmanian Wilderness, the Wet Tropics of Queensland and Shark Bay meet all four World Heritage criteria for natural heritage. Kakadu National Park, Uluru – Kata Tjuta National Park, Purnululu National Park, Willandra Lakes region and the Tasmanian Wilderness are listed for both their natural and cultural value.

The Australian Fossil Mammal Sites, Lord Howe Island Group, Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves of Australia, Fraser Island, Macquarie Island, Heard and McDonald Islands, and the Greater Blue Mountains Area are listed under the World Heritage criteria for natural heritage.

The Royal Exhibition Building and the surrounding Carlton Gardens in Melbourne are the latest to achieve World Heritage listing, for their cultural value, in 2004.

The Great Barrier Reef stretches over 2000 kilometres and covers an area of almost 35 million hectares on the north-east continental shelf of Australia. It runs from north of Fraser Island to the tip of Cape York and provides habitats for many forms of marine life. It is a major breeding ground for humpback whales.

Located on the state’s north-east coast, the Wet Tropics of Queensland cover 894 000 hectares of rainforest wilderness and are centred on the Daintree River valley. The rainforest contains an almost complete record of the major stages in the evolution of plant life on Earth and provides the sole habitat for many rare plants and animals. It contains the widest range of animal species in Australia.

The Tasmanian Wilderness covers about 20 per cent (1.38 million hectares) of Tasmania. It is one of only three temperate wilderness areas remaining in the Southern Hemisphere. It contains rocks of every geological period and is a major centre for plant diversity. Its Huon pines—some 2000 years old—are among the most ancient trees in the world. It is a stronghold for several animals now extinct on mainland Australia. The wilderness contains the most southerly site yet found bearing evidence of human occupation during the last ice age.

Shark Bay lies on the westernmost point of the Australian coast and covers an area of 2.3 million hectares. Three major climatic regions meet at Shark Bay and it contains an extraordinary number of marine and land habitats. It is an important reserve for many endangered animals and contains diverse and abundant examples of stromatolites—the oldest form of life on Earth.

Did you know?

In 1994 the Wollemi Pine was found in a remote valley of the Blue Mountains of New South Wales. It is believed to be representative of trees that existed at the time of the dinosaurs, making it a species that has been around for 65 million years.

Climate change

Australia recognises that climate change is a global challenge with adverse long-term implications. Australia is party to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Government has decided not to ratify the Kyoto Protocol to that Convention and is working toward a fair and effective global framework that includes all major greenhouse gas emitters.

Nevertheless, Australia is on track to meet the target in the Kyoto Protocol for the period 2008–12. Over $1.7 billion has been committed to addressing climate change domestically. This includes developing new technologies and building on existing approaches that encourage energy efficiency, along with product re-use and recycling. These domestic measures have contributed to Australia’s projected emissions being 17 per cent lower in 2010 than otherwise.

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Last update May 2005