Save the Cassowary

THIS IS A SAMPLE LETTER

HAND WRITE or TYPE your own letter then PRINT and POST it to the below address or EMAIL it straight to Minister Burke at Tony.Burke.MP@aph.gov.au

YOUR NAME

YOUR ADDRESS

DATE

Dear Minister Burke,

I am writing to you to voice my concerns for the endangered Cassowary and the fragmentation of their habitat in Far North Queensland.

The greatest risk to the Cassowary survival is habitat destruction. Despite claims that the Daintree has been saved, there are still areas of critical Cassowary habitat at risk of development in the Daintree, Mission Beach and the greater Wet Tropics.

Estimates suggest there could be as few as 1000 Cassowaries left in Australia.

• The Southern Cassowary is known as a “keystone” species, playing a key role in seed dispersal of up to 150 plant species. If the Cassowary goes, so too will the diversity of the rainforest and a number of endangered and threatened species that depend on it.

• The cassowary is an extraordinary creature with a fascinating natural history. It is of vital importance to the local economy, attracting the interest of locals and tourists alike. It is also a key species in local Indigenous culture.

• At the heart of the Daintree, there remain 185 blocks zoned for development. At Mission Beach, more than 1000 blocks zoned for development are for sale. These must be protected and re-zoned not for development.

• 81% of the lowland native vegetation in the Daintree, essential cassowary habitat, has been cleared, with the rest left highly fragmented. 40% of the remaining Cassowary habitat at Mission Beach is unprotected.

• 63 cassowaries have died over the last 15 years in Mission Beach alone, victims of vehicle collisions. This appalling statistic demonstrates that without enough suitable habitat, the birds stray into human communities – with disastrous results.

• In 2008, Minister Garrett halted an inappropriate development proposal at Mission Beach as it would have been ‘clearly unacceptable’ for the cassowary under the EPBC Act. Today, this block is threatened again with development.

• Working to reduce fragmentation of the rainforest is believed to build resilience to climate change and natural disasters such as cyclones.

Please commit $60 million for prime habitat land purchase and conservation incentives in the Daintree and at Mission Beach to save the Cassowary and their rainforest homes before it’s too late.

Yours Sincerely,

Your Signature Here