Sustaining Australia's Land - Time for Action
Professor Michael Archer announced a major initiative to establish two new Australian Museum (AM) research centres during the Horizons of Science Forum; The Centre for Research into the Evolution of Australia's Terrestrial Ecosystems (CREATE) and the Future of Australia's Terrestrial Ecosystems (FATE) Project. This exciting announcement was part of Professor Archer's presentation at the forum held at the University of Technology Wednesday, 24 February.
CREATE will provide a focus for studies into the evolution of Australia's Ecosystems, concentrating on the last 100 million years. The main emphasis will be on the lessons that can be learned from the past and how these can provide an understanding of the present and the key to our future. As such it will have strong links to FATE.
A focus for studies into the future of Australia's terrestrial ecosystems will be provided by FATE. The main emphasis will be on land management practices and on working with land managers, government agencies and organisations, local communities and interested individuals to find sustainable solutions that utilise our natural environment. A cornerstone for this Centre is that lessons can be learned from the past which provide an understanding of the present and our future.
The overall presentation 'Sustaining Australia's Land - Time for Action' addresses the ways in which Australia might work towards a sustainable future. A wide range of studies from various perspectives has clearly shown that many agricultural practices in Australia are unsustainable. These practices have contributed to the loss of significant parts of Australia's biodiversity. In New South Wales, 77 out of 130 mammal species (59%) are recorded as threatened.
Professor Archer commented that: "The studies of our past have shown that our present land management practices and strategies to conserve our living mammals on a long-term basis are inadequate and have resulted in the creation of 'environmental leper colonies'. Ways must be found to keep our unique mammals for future generations, while creating a future which is sustainable, on both economic and environmental terms, for all Australians, particularly those in rural industry and living outside major cities."
He continued: "We must use our rapidly expanding treasure-trove of knowledge about the long-term history of Australia's unique animals derived from rich fossil deposits spanning the last 100 million years of Australia's past. We need to learn from the past to protect the future."
- Ends -
Speech - Sustaining Australia's Land - Time for Action
Professor Michael Archer biography