27-03-2003

Visits to private conservation reserves in Tasmania, South Australia, Queensland and Western Australia will be the highlights of an Australian tour by Spanish conservationist Deli Saavedra.

Mr Saavedra is visiting a number of reserves in Australia as part of a visiting fellowship from Land & Water Australia. He is being hosted in Australia by the Australian Bush Heritage Fund, Birds Australia and the Australian Wildlife Conservancy.

Deli said he was hoping to learn from the experience of Australian conservation managers who are protecting a large number and variety of unique habitats on private lands, such as those at the Carnarvon Station Reserve in Central Queensland.

'Private conservation of nature is quite new in many countries and a lot of knowledge is acquired through exchange of experiences,' Deli said.

'Queensland is impressive. The largest national park in Spain is only four times the size of the Bush Heritage Carnarvon Station Reserve alone' he said.

'The Foundation I work for has learnt from the experience of well-established organisations including the English National Trust and the French Conservatoire du Littoral.

'The challenges facing these organisations, whether in Europe or Australia, are common and we can help each other to find answers to problems we face.'

In Spain Deli works for the 'Fundació Territori i Paisatge' (Territory and Landscape Foundation) based in Barcelona which was created by the Caixa Catalunya savings bank to acquire and protect lands worthy of conservation. The Foundation owns 14 properties covering more than 6000 hectares, has a further 9000 hectares of public lands under management, and buys timber and hunting rights to protect certain threatened species.

The Carnarvon Station Reserve is one of 14 owned by the Australian Bush Heritage Fund which now manages about 130,000 hectares of land. The reserve covers 17 regional ecosystems, six of which are threatened or endangered.

'It's great to learn and share knowledge with someone who has such a different experience, yet some much in common with our commitment to protecting world's biodiversity' said Reserve Manager Mick Blackman, speaking from the remote Carnarvon Station Reserve homestead.

Land & Water Australia Chair Ms Roberta Brazil said a number of scholarships were offered each year to facilitate international exchange between scientists working in natural resource management. Deli is one of four researchers whose travel to Australia is being supported this year. Five Australian researchers have also been supported to travel internationally.

'This program helps our researchers to keep in touch with the best science and best practices in the world, and to spread the word internationally about Australia's leading work in managing natural resources' she said.

Land & Water Australia is a Federal Government Rural Research and Development Corporation which strategically invests in research and development activities aimed at the productive and sustainable management of natural resources.

The Australian Bush Heritage Fund is a national, independent not-for-profit organisation that acquires and manages land and water of outstanding conservation significance. It selects vegetation communities which are under threat, and poorly represented in public reserves.

ENDS

Mr Saavedra is available for media interviews in Brisbane on Saturday 5 April 2003. Phone 07 4654 9178 up to Friday 4 April (morning). He will also be available in Perth on April 7.

Media enquiries: Media Officer, Land & Water Australia 02 6263 6000