AVAILABLE NOW: Plant Germplasm Conservation in Australia

On Friday 4 September Professor Lesley Hughes, Professorial Fellow, Dept. of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University; and the Australian Representative on the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Biodiversity and Climate Change launched Plant Germplasm Conservation in Australia, at the Native Seed Forum at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne. The following has been taken from Professor Hughes' Speech in launching the book:


"we need many tools in our arsenal to deal with the inevitable impacts, many of them negative, that climate change will bring. This book is one of those tools, and an incredibly important one.

One of the important features of the book is its emphasis on the role of germplasm conservation, in all its forms, for conservation practice, both now and in the future. Ex-situ conservation will never take the place of good in-situ conservation practice, but aims to complement and enhance it, with the ultimate objective being to support the survival and continued evolution of species in self-sustaining populations in the wild.

We won’t be able to save everything, but tools like these will give us a much better shot".

Plant Germplasm Conservation in Australia
Edited by C.A. Offord and P.F. Meagher
Published by Australian Network for Plant Conservation Inc. (ANPC) in partnership with Australian Seed Conservation and Research (AuSCaR)

Available now from ANPC for AUD $39.95 (plus postage and handling)
Ph: 02 6250 9509 or email anpc@anpc.asn.au

PUBLIC CONSULTATION: NSW State Plan and Native Vegetation Act

Review of the NSW State Plan

The NSW Government is reviewing the State Plan. For more information and to have your say visit the Community Forum Page.
Submissions open until Wednesday 16 September.

Review of the Native Vegetation Act 2003

The Minister for Climate Change and the Environment is seeking written submissions on the review of the Native Vegetation Act to determine whether the policy objectives of the Act remain valid and whether the terms of the Act remain appropriate for securing those objectives.

To provide comments download the Discussion Paper or email inquiries to NVact.review@environment.nsw.gov.au Written submissions can be sent to: Mr Tom Grosskopf Director Landscapes and Ecosystems Conservation Branch Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water PO Box A290 SYDNEY SOUTH, NSW 1232
Submissions close 23 September 2009

INTERNATIONAL: Draft GSPC targets for 2010 - 2020

At its last meeting, the Conference of Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity requested that a revised and updated Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) be developed going beyond 2010, taking into account current and emerging environmental challenges on plant diversity, within the broader context of and consistent with the new CBD Strategic Plan. In May 2009, the CBD Secretariat, together with the Global Partnership for Plant Conservation (GPPC) organized a GSPC Liaison Group Meeting, which was hosted in Dublin by the National Botanic Gardens of Ireland. At this meeting a first draft of a revised GSPC, including an update of the current targets for the period 2010-2020, was developed.

The revised GSPC is now available on the CBD website for peer review, and can be accessed at: www.cbd.int/gspc/gspcreview. Comments are invited until 1st October 2009.

CONGRESS: Biennial BGANZ Congress, Plan(e)t Priorities: Regional Realties, Mackay, 8 - 11 October 2009

The BGANZ (Botanic Gardens Australia and New Zealand) Congress hosted by Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens aims to recognize the role and responsibilities of Botanic Gardens as a resource for the future preservation of species, and to support the global effort to retain significant and regionally important plant materials. A series of guest speakers, workshops, keynote presentations and discussion groups will explore these issues.The Congress is expected to attract 200 people from across Australia, New Zealand and further afield. Registrations close 30 September.

CALL FOR ARTICLES: Australasian Plant Conservation

Australasian Plant Conservation is a forum for information exchange for all those involved in plant conservation. Each edition contains a range of articles on plant conservation issues which reflect the interests of the range of ANPC's membership. Regular features include lists of the latest relevant publications, websites, conferences, field work and workshops. It is currently received by more than 700 individuals and organisations within Australia and worldwide.


The ANPC is currently seeking articles for the next edition of the bulletin Australasian Plant Conservation with the theme of Local Government and Plant Conservation. If you know of or are involved with any Local Government projects where the main objective is native plant conservation (eg. threatened species/ecosystems, revegetation/rehabilitation,remnant vegetation management) - please consider promoting these projects through the ANPC. The deadline for articles is 27 November and author guidelines can be found at: http://www.anbg.gov.au/anpc/pdffiles/APCGuideContrib.pdf

To view previous issues:
http://www.anbg.gov.au/anpc/australasian_plant_conservation.html#previous%20issues

Contact the ANPC Project Manager for more information (02) 6250 9523 or anpc@anpc.asn.au