Mr Simon Corbell MLA
Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Water
ACT Legislative Assembly
GPO Box 1020
CANBERRA ACT 2601

 

Dear Simon,

 

Meeting about ACT Government implementation of recommendations from the Native Grassland Investigation

 

I would like to thank you for your time last Thursday (will need to change) in meeting with Naarilla Hirsch and me from Friends of Grasslands (FOG) to discuss our requests concerning the “Report on ACT Lowland Native Grassland Investigation” by the Commissioner for Sustainability and Environment (CSE).  We appreciate both your time and your interest in this matter.

 

We would like to confirm our understanding of the actions agreed at that meeting to be undertaken by you and FOG.  Our understanding is that you will:

• Write to Mike Kelly and Lindsay Tanner again about the issue of no MoUs with the Commonwealth for ACT natural temperate grassland (NTG) sites, drawing to their attention that the EPBC Act does not provide made adequate provide provision for management of threatened community sites and that the aim of an MoU signed between the ACT Government and Commonwealth agencies and other land managers would provide for certain management standards and monitoring procedures to be agreed upon;
• Also write to the Canberra Airport Group concerning an MoU between the ACT Government and the Group about the NTG grassland sites and endangered species on the airport;
• Check on the status of the long stay caravan park proposed for Jerrabomberra;
• See if FOG could be provided with a copy of the annual site operational plans being developed for NTG category 1 and 2 sites;
• If possible, keep FOG advised about the progress of the inter-agency land managers group being set up to enhance management of NTG sites in the ACT;
• Ask NRMC to contact FOG about the grassland forum it is coordinating;
• Ask NRMC to advise FOG about its progress in establishing a central register of information and expertise on lowland native grassland;
• Visit a couple of grassland sites with FOG in the first quarter of 2010 – we will contact you separately about this matter in the near future;
• Provide FOG with a copy of your letter to the Canberra Airport Group concerning the northern access road; and
• Talk to Sharon Lane to find out the source of the $50,000 funding for grassland research to be undertaken by the University of Canberra and woodland research to be undertaken by the ANU.

FOG undertakes to:

• Contact your office to obtain a copy of the Government’s tabled response to the CSE’s interim recommendations;
• Assist with the grassland forum being coordinated by NHMC; and
• Organise a visit for you with us of a couple of the grassland sites, with the visit to happen in the first quarter of 2010.

Once again, thank you for your time, and we look forward to further discussion of grassland issues during your visit to some sites next year.

 

Sincerely yours

 

 

 

 

Geoff Robertson

President

 

29 December 2009