PRESS OFFICE TRANSCRIPT j9 NOVEMBER 1978-0
INTERVIEW WITH ROBIN WILLIAMS,
ABC SCIENCE UNIT, FOLLLOWING
LAUNCHING OF " AUSTRALIAN ENDANGERED
SPECIES"
Question Your presence here ( inaudible) for the launching of
a book on Australian Endangered Species obviously indicates
that you think the subject is an extremely important one.
Could you tell us why?
Prime Minister-
Yes, I do think it is an important one. Too often people
have been careless of their natural heritage, their flora and
fauna, and they've gone in, they've settled areas, bush has
been knocked down, crops have been planted and grasses sown
and there has been no real concern for the consequences. Now
I believe that we'vegot to a stage where we understand and
do need to assess the total land use of this nation. This
is our responsibility to make sure that it's used to the
best advantage taking into account economic matters-as well
as matters of conservation.
Question So you do think it's a political question?
Prime Minister
Well, governments have to make decisions. Governments have
to decide to set aside adequate parks. Governments need to
have adequate conservation policies need a Wildlife Service
and so there is a very real role in the governments. But
Government would find it very dif ficult if there wasn'It a very
widespread interest and concern amongst the general community.
At the same time a great many knowledgable and dedicated
amateurs can greatly assist in the preservation of Australian
wildlife. Question You gave a list of some of the initiatives that the Federal
Government has taken, will be taking. What really do you
think is left that is in the future going to be taken to
( inaudible).
Prime Minister
I think probably to learn more about species. A great deal
is known-of some. There are others that might be extinct,
are believed to be extinct or haven't been seen for a very
long while but maybe there'd be a lucky person who will be
able to prove that a particular species still exists.
-2-
Prime Minister ( continued)
The Australian continent is so large and some of the
species possibly who inhabit such a small part
of the continent; some are hard to see or find in any
case and great distances need to be covered. That will
be probably be a very long while before we know all there
is to be known, if that ever occurs, about Australia's
wildlife. So collecting documentation, the accumulation of
knowledge because without knowledge you can't have the
appropriate conservation rules and prcedures. Thnere might be a particula:
aspect of the environment which is quite essential to the
survival of a species. Unless you know what that aspect
is, you can't make sure that the environment won't be
damaged in a way and might further endanger the species.
This isn't something the collection of knowledge isn't
something that can be covered in six months or a year. This
is a continuing scientific search and so far as I am concerned
the more energy and initiative that can be put into it
the better.
Question The International Conference in Russia suggested that arid
zones such as those Australia has ( inaudible), should go into
farming of indigenous species and European ones.
Prime Minister
I think that is a somewhat dubious suggestion. I believe
that you need wilderness areas or areas set aside as national
parks where indigenous species can and will be preserved
and in many of these areas there is nothing much to farm.
If people understand Australia and ( inaudible) of this
nation; you can count one casuality it is the wildlife
alone that survives in some areas. You get areas in the back
parts of the country where you can run ( inaudible)
what native species would want farmed, or want to farm and even
if you adopted that practice you would have the real problem
of when ( inaudible)
What was farmed under farming conditions and what has been
raided from national parks and wilderness areas and there
have been many problems of a kind that I don't think I'd really
want to see Australia get involved in. I don't think it's
the best way to make sure we have adequate preservation of
Australian wildlife. There is one thing that does concern me
and it concerns, I know, wildlife authorities in the Northern
Territory and that's the deprivations made by buffalo, feril cats
and wild pig which, not being native to Australia, and the
damage they can do to a natural environment thus damaging
native Australian fauna and that I think is a serious question,
especially since buffalo, pig and cats tend to ( inaudible)
up pretty rapidly. They can do enormous damage. That poses
a real problem which I don't think I think we understand it,
I don't know that we know how to control it though.
Question: Finally, what do you think of the book, " Australian Endangered
Species". ./ 3
3
Prime Minister
I think it's a very good book. I think it's been extremely
well-produced. I would like to compliment the publishers.
Obviously an enormous amount of hard work and care and
effort has been put into it. As far as I am concerned the
book is entertaining but it is also educational and if it
would help to inspire more Australians to a real concern
for Australian fauna then I would believe Professor
Ovington would happy. I think he has every right to be proud
of the book. 000---