The Advertiser
By: Jonana Vaughan
Every climate change policy must be re-examined and "business as usual'' must be changed to ensure life in South Australia is sustainable in the future, conservationists warn.
In its first blueprint report, released today, The Conservation Council of SA warns the human race is approaching a crisis.
It says if we fail to prevent further environmental degradation and misuse of resources, the results will ultimately destroy the foundation of our livelihoods.
The report - prepared after "rigorous'' consultation with environmental and industry groups - lists 64 "bold and challenging'' recommendations on biodiversity, coast and marine, water planning and development, energy and waste, that the council says decision-makers must act upon. Among the recommendations are:
- Developing a stormwater strategy to meet stormwater harvesting targets, protect seagrass beds and assist in flood mitigation.
- Increasing the price of water to discourage waste and misuse.
- Halting large scale solutions to water crisis such as the desalination plant.
- Maintaining the current urban growth boundary and increasing residential development with more high-rise development.
- Reducing carbon emissions by 40 per cent to 50 per cent by 2020, and 90 per cent by 2050.
- Creating a license for recreational fishing.
Conservation Council chief executive Julie Pettet said if the recommendations to the blueprint were not taken seriously, life would not be sustainable.
"We will just see more and more collapse, we will see sea levels rise, we will see a collapse in the way society functions at the moment and that's very serious,'' she said.
"This is not a joke. It's very real and it will have an impact on every person including you and I.
"It will just get to the stage where life in South Australia will actually become unsustainable for society.''
Environment and Conservation Minister Jay Weatherill welcomed the blueprint, saying many of the recommendations were consistent with State Government priorities.
"The blueprint flags a number of important initiatives that the State Government is pursuing,'' he said.