Joined-up thinking

Australia is embarking on an ambitious scheme described as a terrestrial version of the Great Barrier Reef, to establish a wildlife corridor along its 2,800-kilometre east coast to help protect the country's remarkable wildlife from potential climate change. The project aims to re-establish a network of habitats from the Australian Alps in the southern state of Victoria to the Atherton tablelands in northern Queensland. The concept is based on a proposal to link existing reserves and to protect and restore ecological links that will allow species to move freely and find new areas of sanctuary as any effects of climate change become apparent. There are no plans for compulsory acquisition and initiatives will be purely voluntary. Landowners who wish to participate would sign a voluntary conservation agreement that would travel with the land title so that the land is protected even if sold. The plans have been met with particular enthusiasm by Queensland's conservationists, as the state is home to Australia's riches and most extensive rainforest habitat. The Wildlife Protection Service of Queensland has advocated the Features In the face of climate uncertainty, Australia is planning a huge north-south corridor of nature reserves. Nigel Williams reports. use of continent-scale models that integrate conservation on protected areas with compatible land use across millions of hectares. Spanning such a distance, the planned protected area could provide an essential lifeline for many species including the rock wallaby, mountain pygmy possum and many species of alpine plants. The proposed corridor was announced by the environment minister for New South Wales, Bob Delus, with a pledge of A$7 million over the next three years — probably in the form of financial incentives to get private landowners involved. Linked: Under new plans, rainforest wildlife reserves in Queensland may eventually be linked directly to sites hundreds of kilometres away in Victoria. (Photograph: © Suzanne Long/Alamy.)