Land guardian deal in Cape York
Cooktown Local News
Wednesday 11/6/2008
TRADITIONAL owners last week took over the management of almost 200,000ha of protected area in the heart of Cape York, stretching from Lockhart River on the east coast to Coen and Weipa on the west coast. State and Federal government officials travelled to the region last Wednesday for the official signing of the Kaanju Ngaachi Wenlock and Pascoe Rivers Indigenous Protected Area agreement - Australia's 25th IPA and the Cape's first.
Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett said indigenous people would be employed to care for their country "according to international conservation guidelines". He said up to $660,000 had been earmarked in the next year under the Caring for Country program to help traditional owners manage the extraordinary piece of land", and create three ranger jobs, with further support from the Queensland Government's Wild Rangers program and from Bush Heritage Australia, delivered by the Chuulangun Aboriginal Corporation.
"Three degrees of climate devastation". Canberra Times, Saturday 14/6/2008
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According to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Australia's per capita greenhouse emissions are the developed world's highest, at around 26 tonnes of carbon dioxide a person.