Proceedings of the 2001 Southern Queensland Biodiversity Recovery Conference

What biodiversity conservation progress has been made, both positive and negative, since the 2000 biodiversity recovery conference?

On the one hand we are continuing to lose our biodiversity to a range of threats including land clearing, weed invasion, feral animal predation and inappropriate fire regimes. On the other hand, new initiatives such as the Regional Vegetation Management Plan (RVMP) process, the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality (NAPSWQ) and Natural Heritage Trust Stage Two (NHT2) offer considerable opportunities for achieving biodiversity outcomes. The South East Queensland Regional Nature Conservation Strategy provides an excellent framework for assisting the delivery of these outcomes; built as it is on a growing foundation of biodiversity conservation initiatives by Local Governments, community groups and landholders.

How do we maximise the ability of the RVMPs, NAPSWQ plans, NHT2 and other key processes and initiatives to deliver biodiversity conservation outcomes? How do we make sure the science is right? What gaps still exist? Who will fill these gaps, and how and when?

These were the questions asked by the 2001 Southern Queensland Biodiversity Recovery Conference, which brought together over 100 key biodiversity decision-makers at local, regional, State and National level.