PRESS RELEASE – Caldera Environment Centre
30/8/2011 From Mr. Paul (Hop.e) Hopkins
Plans to create a biosphere reserve for the Mt Warning caldera are gaining momentum, after receiving support from Tweed Shire Council.
The project, headed by the Caldera Environment Centre (CEC), received unanimous support from the Tweed’s councillors this month.
This month’s Council meeting (Tuesday 16th August 2011) resolved to endorse the centre’s nomination to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to designate the caldera as Australia’s 16th biosphere reserve.
CEC founder Paul ‘HopE’ Hopkins said the Border Ranges Biosphere Reserve would reconcile the conservation of biological and cultural diversity with economic and social development, by fostering sustainable development.
“Biosphere Reserves have three main functions – conservation, scientific education and monitoring, and sustainable development,” Mr Hopkins said.
“Creating a reserve for this area should stimulate eco-tourism, organic agriculture, education, arts and culture, and should boost Commonwealth funding.
“Our next task will be to convince other governments and win public support – a task made easier by the Council’s support.”
Mr Hopkins said the reserve project would unite several existing programs, such as the Federal Government’s Green Cauldron promotion, UNESCO’s World Heritage Gondwana Rainforest Reserves and the Border Ranges Rainforest Biodiversity Management Plan, which was introduced by all three tiers of government.
Similarly, the reserve would not over-ride existing land use planning instruments. Instead, it is a “symbol of voluntary cooperation to conserve and use resources for the well-being of everyone”.
This is achieved by dividing the biosphere reserve into three zones:
Core – Securely protected areas such as existing National Parks or reserves where biological diversity can be protected and researched. Nature-based recreation and education are encouraged.
Buffer – Public and private land adjoining the cores (often rural land). Encouraging land owners to voluntarily manage their land in sympathy with the core areas, potentially leading to cooperative management strategies for fire, weed and pest control and tourism opportunities.
Transition – Public and private land adjoining the buffer zones (usually residential and commercial land). A successful biosphere reserve is underpinned by voluntary engagement and participation by land users in the buffer and transition zones, often creating marketing opportunities.
“The Mt Warning caldera forms the nucleus of this proposal and should be the first step,” Mr Hopkins said.
“It should then be expanded to embrace the broader region defined in the Border Ranges Rainforest Biodiversity Management Plan, to create a coalition of councils and increase the potential for promotion and funding.”
Council’s Biodiversity Program Leader, Mark Kingston said, “The biosphere reserve would provide formal recognition of the international significance of the region’s biodiversity and landscape and help promote the Green Cauldron as a premier destination for nature-based tourism and green industry sectors”.
Mr. Paul (Hop.e) Hopkins
Coordinator
= = = = =
