Biodiversity Gets a $40 Million Boost in This State

The Queensland government in Australia announced on World Environment Day that it would allot a massive $40 million towards the protection of koalas and other native species. 

“Queensland is one of the most biodiverse places on the planet,” says Queensland’s environment minister, Meaghan Scanlon, explaining that, “this funding will help us do so much work for our much-loved koala population, but it also allows us to do some really important work for threatened species.” 

The allotment accounts for $24 million going directly toward the protection of koala populations alone. $14.7 million will go toward recovery plans for Indigenous land and other threatened native species. Queensland’s Conservation Council director Dave Copeman explained that the high number of threatened species in Australia is largely due to habitat destruction via clearing, logging, and development of the land. Stronger land protection laws are likely on the horizon for Queensland.