5 Jun 2018
Following a tireless campaign by
BirdLife Australia, which gained support from around the world, the Australian
Government has decided to reject an application for phosphate mining on
Christmas Island, a crucial wildlife haven in the Indian Ocean.
It was one of the best Christmas
presents ever — and it’s only June!
Last week, the Federal
Environment Minister, Josh Frydenberg, decided to reject an application for the
expansion of phosphate mining on Christmas Island, a remote Australian
territory in the Indian Ocean. BirdLife Australia has been campaigning hard to
prevent the mining operation from destroying even more of the island’s pristine rainforests,
and our many supporters have played a crucial role.
Over 56,000 people from right
across Australia — and across the world — rallied to save the island and its
unique birds by adding their signatures to BirdLife Australia’s petition,
calling on the government to stop the mining from encroaching further into
Christmas Island’s tropical rainforests.
The petition was delivered to the
Minister earlier this year — and the government finally listened. The great
number of signatures showed that people really cared, and they played a crucial
role in convincing Mr Frydenberg to reach his decision, a rare ministerial
edict in favour of the environment.
He rejected the application for
expanded mining “because it is likely to have significant and unacceptable
impacts on matters protected under national environment law.”
Christmas Island’s pristine
rainforests support the world’s last remaining breeding colony of Abbott’s
Boobies Papasula abbotti, an Endangered species, and it’s also
where the world’s rarest frigatebirds, the Christmas Frigatebird Fregata andrewsi (Critically
Endangered), build their nests. Seven species of bush birds unique to
Christmas Island (four of which are threatened species), plus loads of other
marvellous wildlife, also inhabit the rainforest.
