WWF-Australia Annual Report 2011

340,000ha
IPA declARED
Growing the national estate
WWF was instrumental in convincing the Australian Government to expand
our system of national parks and other protected areas. WWF has been working
closely with Traditional Owner groups to secure new Indigenous Protected Areas
(IPAs) in the Kimberley region, a biodiversity stronghold. In May, the Wanjina
Wunggurr community declared an IPA covering more than 340,000 hectares of
the Kimberley, which will give local people greater opportunities to manage their
land for future generations.
266 ha
bushland
protECted
33 Indigenous
rangers
tRAinED
Saving WA bushland
WWF has been working with private landholders in the Western Australian
wheatbelt and south of Perth to protect critical habitats. We are in the final stages of
negotiating the conservation of more than 3,000 hectares of critical bushland in the
Southwest Australia Ecoregion that contains threatened ecological communities and
habitat for threatened species like the Carnaby’s black cockatoo. On the southern
urban fringes of Perth, WWF has also contributed to the protection of 266 hectares
of bushland surrounding the Ramsar listed Peel-Yalgorup System wetlands, which
annually attract hundreds of migratory shorebirds.
Sharing our skills
WWF is introducing new technology and skills to support the conservation efforts
of Traditional Landowners in Western Australia. We delivered a series of motionsensor
camera workshops to 33 Indigenous rangers in the One Arm Point and
Bidyadanga regions of the Kimberley to help them monitor and manage native
animals, including the threatened bilby. WWF has also been using the cameras in
partnership with landholders in Southwest Australia.
Earth Hour a turn-on
The global Earth Hour campaign reached new heights this year, with a record 135
countries and hundreds of millions of people taking part around the world. In
Australia, more than 8.75 million people switched off their lights as awareness of
Earth Hour grew to 97 per cent across the country. Some 16.6 million Australians
have undertaken to participate in the future.
supportED
by 3 million
austRAlians
Tackling climate change
WWF joined forces with community advocacy groups to establish the ‘Say
Yes Australia’ campaign that called for a price on carbon to reduce Australia’s
greenhouse emissions. The campaign organised nationwide rallies and advertising
campaigns, brought together prominent Australians and won the support of
three million Australians. WWF also coordinated leading business people and
economists to endorse an open letter supporting a carbon price. Our efforts
culminated in the Multiparty Parliamentary Committee on Climate Change
agreeing to legislate for a carbon price by the end of 2011, clean energy funding for
renewable energy sources and a carbon reduction target by 2050.
Improving marine management
As part of the Australian Coral Triangle Alliance, WWF is establishing partnerships
between Australian universities and training institutes in Papua New Guinea and
the Solomon Islands to ensure a greater focus in their curricula on marine resource
management. This project is developing tailored tropical marine resource management
training courses and equipping local teachers to run them. WWF is also leading the
development of the Coral Triangle Climate Adaptation Marketplace, which will develop
and secure finance for new on-ground climate adaptation research.
WWF-Australia Annual Report 2011
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