- Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists
The Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists (in short, the Wentworth Group) is a group of
Australia nscientist s concerned with the environment, that in November2002 released a statement, "Blueprint for a Living Continent". This calls for significant environmental reform to alleviate the mis-use of Australia's resources, significantly its water.The name of the group comes from the venue of their principal meetings prior to release of the blueprint.
Programme
The Wentworth Group proposes five key changes that the Federal and State governments can implement immediately:
* Clarify water property rights and the obligations associated with those rights to give farmers some certainty and to enable water to be recovered for the environment;
* Restore environmental flows to stressed rivers, such as the River Murray and its tributaries;
* Immediately end broadscale landclearing of remnant native vegetation and assist rural communities with adjustment.
* Pay farmers for environmental services (clean water, fresh air, healthy soils). Where we expect farmers to maintain land in a certain way that is above their duty of care, we should pay them to provide those services on behalf of the rest of Australia; and
* Incorporate into the cost of food, fibre and water the hidden subsidies currently borne by the environment.The blueprint was widely publicised in the media and was considered by the highest levels of government.
Members
The Wentworth Group consists of:
*Prof Peter Cullen - Commissioner, National Water Commission; Former Director, Co-operative Research Centre for Freshwater Ecology,University of Canberra
*ProfTim Flannery - 2007 Australian of the Year; Zoologist and author ("The Future Eaters ") ("The Weather Makers")
*Assoc ProfRonnie Harding - Chair, NSW Council on Environmental Education; Former Director, Institute of Environmental Studies,University of New South Wales
*ProfHugh Possingham - Director, The Ecology Centre,University of Queensland
*Rob Purves - Chair, Environment Business Australia; Chair, Purves Environmental Fund
*DrDenis Saunders - President of WWF Australia; FormerCSIRO Chief research scientist
*ProfBruce Thom - Emeritus Professor,University of Sydney - Former ChairAustralian State of the Environment Committee and the NSW Coastal Council
*Dr John Williams - Commissioner, NSW Natural Resources Commission, Former Chief ofCSIRO Land and Water
*Prof Mike Young - Professor of Water Economics & Management, Adelaide University; Chief Research Scientist,CSIRO Land and Water
*Peter Cosier - Director and Member of the Wentworth Group.
*Leith Boully - Former Chair of the Community Advisory Committee of theMurray-Darling Basin Commission External links
* [http://www.wentworthgroup.org'Wentworth Group]
* [http://www.purvesenvirofund.org.au Purves Environmental Fund]
* [http://www.wentworthgroup.org/docs/blueprint_for_a_living_contintent.pdf "Blueprint for a Living Continent"] - a report from the Wentworth Group of Concerned ScientistsNovember 2002 (PDF, 135 kB)
* [http://www.wentworthgroup.org/docs/blueprint_national_water_plan.pdf "Blueprint for a National Water Plan"] - a report from the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists31 July 2003 (PDF, 1.2 MB)
* [http://www.wentworthgroup.org/docs/new_model_report_to_carr.pdf "A New Model for Landscape Conservation in New South Wales"] - Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists Report to Premier Bob CarrFebruary 2003 (PDF, 56 kB)
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