By Thomson, Kelvin, MP

Mr KELVIN THOMSON (Wills) (4.22 pm)- At the time of Steve Irwin's death in 2005 he was one of the most recognised and respected Australian faces here in Australia and even more so right around the world. Former Prime Minister John Howard, to his credit, arranged a $6 million federal government grant to purchase 135,000 hectares in northern Cape York, preserve it as part of the national reserve system and name it the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve as a tribute to the life and conservation work of Australia's crocodile hunter. According to the federal Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, a stunning array of wildlife roams the property, including the endangered Northern Quoll and the great Palm Cockatoo. Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve is home to six highly vulnerable plant species. The nearby Wenlock River is the richest in freshwater fish diversity of any Australian river, including Spear-tooth sharks, sawfish and the Estuarine Crocodile. Of the 32 ecosystems found on the reserve, 21 are threatened. Many of these are found nowhere else in the world but in Cape York. The department of the environment says that preserving them is of global importance.

You would assume, then, given this history, that nothing could possibly go wrong. Regrettably, this is not the case. A mining company named Cape Alumina has lodged a request to strip mine over 12,000 hectares in the western part of Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve for bauxite. The result, according to Steve Irwin's widow, Terri Irwin, will be a total loss of original biodiversity, including all vegetation and wildlife. She says regenerated trees will lack the hollows that are crucial for nesting birds, possums and goannas. She also says that removing the bauxite would dramatically change the natural water flows to the unique and fragile rainforest springs on the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve and damage the Wenlock River system.

I want to join with my parliamentary colleague Senator Mark Furner, I want to join with the nine scientists who have submitted a detailed report on the area and I want to join with the over 217,000 people who have signed the petition to save Steve's place in saying there should be no strip mining in Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve. In the south we have made a lot of mistakes. We have wrecked areas in the Murray-Darling Basin like the Macquarie marshes and the Coorong. I do not think they will ever be the same again. Can't we at least learn from these sad stories and resolve to do better with Cape York Peninsula, starting with the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve? I urge the Queensland and federal governments to reject the strip mining proposal. Do it for Steve, do it for those rare fish, birds and plants, and above all do it for all those children and young people who want this area to be as beautiful in 10 years, 20 years, 100 years as it is today.

By John Stanisic

ARTICLE EXCERPT: Its biodiversity credentials are impressive. Its name honours a globally recognised icon for Australian wildlife. Why is this reserve under threat?

The Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve (SIWR) was set up in 2006/2007 as part of the Australian federal government's National Reserve System. The name honours the memory of the late Crocodile Hunter and Wildlife Warrior.

However, even with its unique environmental and educational values, is currently set to face the full force of the mining juggernaut in its insatiable quest for ever more natural resources to exploit.

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By Kathleen Donaghey

From lemurs to elephants and a rhinoceros who likes his tummy rubbed, Kathleen Donaghey went where the wild things are to mark a milestone birthday.

They say life begins at 40 and that may well be the case for Australia Zoo, one of Australia's most popular tourist attractions.

Four decades after Bob Irwin opened the Beerwah Reptile Park on 1.6 modest hectares, the zoo now sprawls across 28.3ha of old farm land, with about 404ha being primed for the future.

Plans are afoot for an African exhibit of giraffe, rhinos and zebra, a 300-room resort and an African savannah of roaming animals.

As the zoo continues its 40th anniversary celebrations, The Sunday Mail was offered exclusive behind-the-scenes access to its lively animals.

We rubbed shoulders with Madagascar Ring-tailed Lemurs, the so-called blondes of the primate world, who might not be that bright but love a good time.

We met DJ, the Southern White Rhino, who is not yet on display but loves a good rub on the belly so much so that he sometimes rolls over for more.

The animals of which there are more than a thousand were in spectacular form. The nimble Red Pandas, not related to panda bears but who share their love of bamboo, waved their luxurious red tails.

Fat Burmese Pythons snaked lazily across the lawn. Sumatran Tigers, vivid and handsome, were playful under the shade of thick bamboo groves.

Echo and Foxtrot, two lanky Cheetahs, stared intensely with their African eyes before posing regally for photos.

Three dusty Asian Elephants Siam, Sabu and Bimbo, ex-circus performers lumbered to attention, coaxed by the promise of a banana treat.

About 600 staff are employed at Australia Zoo, each visible for their khaki uniforms and Steve Irwin-like effervescence.

Every day zoo keepers shovel animal manure from enclosures and feed the hungry with hundreds of kilos of fruit, vegetables and meat.

They spend hours enriching their charges with invigorating games and exercise.

Then there are the staff who satisfy those other eager animals, the thousands of visitors who travel from across the country and world to the Sunshine Coast.

It was in 1970, a world of flares, sideburns and vinyl, when the modest park was opened, with an admission fee of 5O cents for adults and 15 cents for children.

By 1980, it was already popular and renamed the Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park.

At its helm were Bob and his exuberant son Steve, who in 1987 rescued and brought in freshwater and saltwater crocodiles.

Today, the zoo continues to grow and its tentacles will soon reach as far as Las Vegas, in the US, where a $300 million Australia Zoo of native animals is planned.

Its conservation efforts are also global, with money raised from ticket sales and other zoo specials directed towards a variety of projects.

As they say at the zoo, khaki is more than a colour, it's an attitude.

Nearly four years after Steve Irwin died his dream for the world's biggest conservation facility lives on.

By Rebecca Woolington

The Crocodile Hunter's family brings a wider conservation message to the next generation.

Several hundred elementary-aged children went gaga over a University of Oregon visit from a famous family with local roots.

Cameras flashed, children sprang from their chairs, jumped up and down - and some even gasped - as the Irwin clan, Terri, Bindi and Robert, rolled out across the Erb Memorial Union ballroom stage to greet more than 700 community members, who came to hear the family talk about ways children can participate in conservation efforts.

Eugene native Terri Irwin, wife of the late "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin, is best known for her appearances on her husband's famed Animal Planet show of the same title. Steve Irwin died in September 2006 after being pierced in the chest by a stingray barb while filming near Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

But his family is living out his legacy.

"I think it's amazing how much the Irwin family does for nature," said 7-year-old Ashin Long, a McCornack Elementary School student. "They know a lot about things that can help the Earth."

Thursday's "Kid Empowerment" event kicked off the 28th annual Public Interest Environmental Law Conference, which runs through the weekend and brings together lawyers and activists. Terri Irwin was scheduled to give the opening keynote address.

Irwin, who became known as the "Crocodile Huntress," owns the Australia Zoo in Queensland, Australia, and with her husband began the Wildlife Warriors Worldwide, a nonprofit wildlife conservation organization that now operates independently.

But it's not only Steve and Terri Irwin who have lived in the spotlight. Bindi and Robert have secured their own claim to fame - which their mother proudly outlined to the crowd. Among the many notable accomplishments on 11-year-old Bindi's resume? A Daytime Emmy Award for her television show, "Bindi the Jungle Girl." She's the youngest person to ever win the award, her mother said.

Irwin talked about Robert's advanced intellect, noting that the 6-year-old, who has a shaggy blonde 'do like his father, is already in the third grade.

The Irwin children remained calm, cool and collected before the large crowd. Robert even opened the event with his own rendition of the Australian National Anthem.

Some law conference organizers at first had concerns about how the Irwins' fame would sit with the more academic conference crowd. But ultimately, organizers said the Irwins could appeal to a more general audience that the conference typically doesn't reach. The result? All the available tickets to the free event were snapped up several days in advance.

The Irwins, clad in safari style khaki shirts, played several video clips for the crowd, including one about water conservation and a clip from a "60 Minutes" news program about their family's fight to protect the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve in Australia. The reserve, created to commemorate Steve Irwin, has been threatened by strip mining - and Bindi has set out to save it.

And so have some local children: McCornack students plan to write letters in support of the Irwin reserve.

Judy Davies' first- and second-grade split class from McCornack brought a white banner embellished with pictures of the Earth and with circles where each student wrote what he or she could do to help protect the planet. Goals included using less electricity and only buying necessary items. The students had the Irwins sign the banner at the end of the event.

Bindi, in her soft Australian accent, told the children how important it is for them to have their own opinions. She told them that they are the next voters - the next decision makers.

The Irwins, through both humor and serious dialogue, discussed the importance of their crocodile research, which they say is imperative to learning more about the scaly creatures. Turns out, they were preaching to the choir.

"It's been great to hear and see them in person with all that they do for the environment - all the research they do," said 9-year-old McCornack student Ely Cleland.

The event closed with a question-and-answer session that involved prizes.

Children's inquiries included why miners want the land at the Irwin reserve; if the Irwins are happy when they rescue crocodiles; what their favorite animals are; and what the Irwins would save in America, if given the chance. Prizes given out included a red panda stuffed animal, a Bindi beach towel and a pencil pouch filled with school supplies.

During the session, the children continuously jumped up and down in an attempt to be honored with the opportunity to ask a question. One toddler boy even rushed the stage - twice.

"Quick, call security," Irwin said with a laugh.

One girl asked if Bindi ever gets scared when she tackles a crocodile. Bindi's response? She's not scared; she just knows she must be safe.

"What's so amazing is when you jump on, they breathe out, and you can feel their breath in your hair," Bindi said. "It's the most amazing feeling in the world."

But if you asked the children at the event, seeing the Irwins in person might give crocodile-breath-in-the-hair a run for its money for the most amazing feeling.

"It was just all so good," Cleland said. "Really, it was touching."

By Photo: Joe Alblas

Caption: Bindi Irwin, the 10-year-old daughter of famous crocodile hunter Steve Irwin, bonds in the sea at Strandfontein with a mechanical whale during the filming of the movie Free Willy: South Africa. Her father died after a stingray's tail pierced his heart in 2006 and Bindi carried on in his footsteps, launching her own wildlife series Bindi: The Jungle Girl. Bindi, who also had time to enjoy the country, said: ‘I love South Africa, and Cape Town's awesome. Last week I climbed Table Mountain and loved it.

By Matt Meloney

AUSTRALIA'S favourite environmental export, the Irwin family, paid a private visit to East Coast Natureworld last week.

Terri, Bindi, 10, and Bob Irwin, 4, visited the wildlife park to observe the State's first Devil Island enclosure during their annual trip to Tasmania. Owner and operator Bruce Englefield said his celebrity guests were so impressed that Ms Irwin made mention of potential plans to buy land in Tasmania to construct a similar facility.

‘‘She was effectively saying that, if she buys land, they might even provide a similar, larger facility,'' Mr Englefield said.

‘‘And Australia Zoo's Wildlife Warriors Worldwide programme has indicated that future help will be forthcoming, particularly in the research field.

‘‘We're at the stage now where we've shown it is possible to build extensive free-range enclosures with affordable infrastructure. Now we've got the make sure we can manage it, and we'll know that in the next six months.

‘‘On the mainland, it costs $20,000 a year to keep them (devils) in captive situations. In the same sort of enclosure in Tasmania, we can keep costs down - $2000 a devil a year would be a comfortable amount.''

Classified as a quarantine facility, Devil Island was officially opened two months ago to contain wild, disease-free devils in a simulated, natural environment. The concept was to develop an insurance population through a managed breeding programme.

Mr Englefield said there were a minimum of 21 female devils in wildlife parks State wide that had produced a minimum of 60 joeys this year. With the Department of Primary Industries and Water committed to providing the devils, and funds for monitoring their activities and the enclosure, it was up to a team of 10 Northern Tasmanians to provide money needed for its actual construction.

Earlier this year at the G'day USA Ball in Los Angeles, Ms Irwin donated $20,000 towards the cause from the auctioned sale of a dress she originally purchased for $91. Mr Englefield said that contribution provided a psychological boost for the Devil Islander team to pursue further fund-raising.

He said it was at the inaugural Launceston Ten when the group officially started to raise funds for the enclosure, and it had banked about $150,000 since.

The Devil Islanders will be appearing once again at the Launceston Ten today. But what else did Mr Englefield have to say of his celebrity guests?

‘‘Bob is like a mini-Steve, though a bit quieter. For a four-year-old he has a remarkable sense of humour,'' he said. ‘‘Bindi had an aura about her that you can't describe -like Steve had. There's something special about her.''

By Terry Dillman

When the Eugene native Terri Irwin, widow of famed "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin signed and agreement with the Oregon State University's Marine Mammal Institute (MMI) and its director, Bruce Mate, to fund two humpback whale research ventures, she enhanced a program already actively involved in whale research.

Located at Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC) in Newport, the Institute operates under the auspices of the College of Agricultural Sciences. It began in 1988 as one of the seven research programs within the Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station (COMES) to focus on marine mammal management issues, among them critical habitats, migrations, behaviour patterns, and interactions with human activities, such as fishing and shipping. OSU granted the program full institute status in 2006, with plans to boost faculty and broaden the research scope. Mate's pioneering studies of threatened and endangered whale species has propelled OSU's research efforts in that area to international recognition.

MMI staff, HMSC, and university officials are working collaboratively on plans to greatly expand the institute.

Meanwhile, faculty staff, and graduate students within it strive to enhance its stated mission of becoming internationally recognised as "the definitive source of knowledge about marine mammals." Information gleaned from the institute's research and studies is targeted for public use.

The Pinniped Ecology Applied Research Laboratory (PEARL) under Markus Horning's leadership, and the Catacean Conservation and Genetics Laboratory (CCGL), directed by Scott Baker (also MMI's associate director), were added in 2006, joining the Oregon Coast Marine Mammal standing Network, and Mate's Telemetry Group (WTG). The WTG has pioneered the development of satellite-monitored radio tags designed "to study the movements, critical habitats, and dive characteristics of free-ranging whales and dolphins around the world." Mate said they focus primarily on endangered whale species whose distribution movements, and critical habitats (feeding, breeding, and migration areas) "are unknown for much of the year".

Whale of a tale

Since the first tagging of a humpback whale off Newfoundland in 1986, the WTG has tagged more than 460 whales from 11 different species. Those efforts have led to the discovery of previously unknown migration routes, seasonal distribution (summering and wintering areas), and descriptions of diving behaviour.
Among the species studied are the most endangered blues (considered on the brink of extinction), bowheads, and humpbacks.
OSU researches miniaturised the radio tags in 1997 for implanting as a dart into humpbacks, more popularly known as the "signing whales". Mate said by using the new tags on humpbacks in Hawaii, they "traced the first complete migration route between a whale's breeding and feeding areas."

Congratulations! What was the highlight of 2008 for you?

When we went to Alaska to do whale research on Humpback Whales. We're working with Oregon State University to prove to the international Whaling Commission that non-lethal research can be done on these magnificent creatures.

What does 2009 hold for you?

2009 is going to be a beaut, bonza year. I am very excited because I have a filming project in Africa, which is where we have a conservation program helping support Cheetahs. We are helping by providing tracking collars for the Cheetah's so they can be tracked and relocated if they ever get into a conflict with humans.

What was the biggest lesson you learned this year?

That my Daddy's important work must continue and I am inspired by all the support my family has received. I'm determined to never give up!
Steve Irwin Day, on November 15, was a huge success. We have many Wildlife Warrior friends who are helping to keep my daddy's dream alive.

Who's the Aussie star shining brightly for you right now?

The veronicas are my shining stars because they're lovely girls with great music as well as being ambassadors for Wildlife Warriors.

Have you made any New Year's resolutions?

To stop a small mining company from destroying my daddy's reserve in far north Queensland. It's 135,000 hectares; chock-a-block full of wildlife, including some species that are rare and vulnerable, like the Palm Cockatoo.

What's your favourite memory of 2008?

When we went to do crocodile and file snake research at the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve in August. I got to do school on the reserve for a month and my classroom was under a big tree overlooking the Wenlock River.

What's your message to the OK! Readers who voted for you?

I'd like to thanks everyone who voted for me so much, it means a lot. My daddy worked to change the world to make it a better place. If one man can make a difference, you can make a difference.

If you would like to help Bindi make her resolution come true, please go to www.savestevesplace.com and sign the petition to save Steve's Place.

By Sophie Elsworth

The new $5 million Australian Wildlife Hospital-next door to Australia Zoo- opened yesterday on Steve Irwin Day.

The State-of-the-art veterinary facility fulfils Steve’s dream to provide the ultimate in humanitarian aid for thousands of native animals injured by human activity.

Loss of habitat, road accidents, domestic pet attacks, fire and disease bring over 5000 animals to the hospital each year.

As around 70% of patients are victims of road accidents or domestic pet attacks, it’s not hard for Australian Wildlife Hospital manager Gail Gipp to see where the demand for medical attention comes from.

When the original hospital- a converted avocado packing shed- opened in 1994, Mrs Gipp and her staff imagined a slow increase in demand and many years in the temporary facility.

Instead, the hospital had “massive growth very quickly”, Mrs Gipp said.
“People just get in their car and drive here from the northern NSW and fly animals from places as far away as Gladstone and Mackay.

The facility now employs 28 staff, including seven veterinarians, and has a network of up to 70 volunteers.

It contains purpose-built operating rooms, an intensive care room, laboratory, hi-tech X-ray and CAT-scan rooms, patient admittance bays and nursery for koalas, echidnas and other orphaned wildlife.

The last five years have been very intense times for Mrs Gipp and her staff.

Some nights, she didn’t get any sleep at all, she said, but now the new hospital had opened, night nurses have been employed for the first time.

The wheels are set in motion for the new facility late one afternoon in 2005.

A customer delivered and injured, Noisy Mynah Bird for treatment at the old hospital, and asked if he could stay and see what went on.

“A few hours later (I had forgotten he was there, we were so busy), he said to me, ‘This is amazing, what do you want?’” Mrs Gipp said.
I told him I wanted a dollar from every rate-payer to keep the facility going.”

The next day, she was advised the customer was then- Federal Minister for revenue, Mal Brough, who had lodged a submission to the Federal Government for funding. The result was a $2.5 million federal contribution to the new hospital, which was matched by Wildlife Warriors World Wide.

Mrs Gipp’s determined quest to open the eyes of the public about animal welfare continues.

“It’s all about education, and I’ll never stop doing that”, she said.

“We love donations, but if someone said to me, ‘would you take a million dollars (for the hospital) or get 20 people to change their lives and do something positive for this planet?’ I’d take the 20 people any day.”

These changes can be as simple as driving with wildlife in mind and keeping domestic pets inside fences at night.

Four daily tours are offered at the hospital so the public can view operations, specialist medical treatment, rehabilitation, and nursery areas first hand.

They can also gain a better insight into how their daily activities can impact on native wildlife.

Tours of the hospital are offered daily at 9.30am, 11.30am, 1.30pm and 3.30pm.

For donations or more information, visit www.wildlifewarriors.org.au