Recent national reports, including the State of the Environment Report 2001 (www.ea.gov.au/soe), have highlighted the global value of Australia’s biodiversity. The reports alert us to the threats to biodiversity, the immense cost of the growing environmental repair bill and the losses to primary production.

Bush Heritage’s approach of buying intact native vegetation for the diversity of life it contains, remains, in my mind, as the simplest and most cost-effective solution to the greatest threat to Australia’s biodiversity - loss of habitat. Bush Heritage is determined to make a difference and the purchase of Carnarvon Station Reserve highlights the effectiveness of our work.

We have never cast our net wider in seeking suitable properties to acquire. Every state and the Northern Territory are coming under scrutiny. The buoyancy of the cattle market and rapid turnover of properties for sale has not assisted our efforts but several opportunities are before us. I value your support in our continuing attempts to acquire large, ecologically-viable areas of the highest priority for conservation, which we can still protect.

There has been significant interest in Bush Heritage’s collaboration with other organisations involved in biodiversity protection on private land. In particular, Birds Australia, the Australian Wildlife Conservancy and various state-based groups such as Victoria’s Trust for Nature have been identified. We do work together with these and many other organisations, agencies and individuals both here and overseas.

Our united voice can achieve more for conservation. For example, with other groups we have recently presented a paper - Building a Stronger Social Coalition - to the Federal Government recommending further tax incentives for conservation. Bush Heritage was one of a coalition which prepared and supported the second national forum on Nature Conservation on Private Land, held in Adelaide in August.

On a practical level we frequently exchange information about land and water of conservation significance and discuss which organisation is in the best position to act. Inquiries from people interested in giving, buying or selling conservation land are passed between us and we match the property’s size, location and long-term needs to our organisations’ particular strengths. It is an informal but effective alliance.

I look forward to reporting on exciting developments over the next few months.

Doug Humann

Cabbage Gum (Euc. papuana) at Goonderoo Reserve in central Queensland.