Australia reduces nature protection

Australian governments have slashed the legal protection of nature reserves in favour of business growth, a global study reveals.

Dr Carly Cook of Monash University said governments across Australia had made more than 1,500 changes since 1997 which removed 13,000 sq km from conservation areas. The changes had weakened protection for about 400,000 sq km, she said.

“The losses we see in Australia reflect a shift towards the commercialisation and exploitation of conservation areas for human uses,” Cook said of the study’s findings. “We’ve seen governments across the country open up protected areas to commercial developments, such as hotels and marinas, and introduce a string of changes to permit forestry, livestock grazing, hunting and fishing. People think protected areas offer permanent protection for biodiversity but this isn’t the case.”