“Tougher legislation is required if we are to affect any real change,”
according to Neil Boland.

Last Friday night Cairns members of the Environmental Institute of Australia and New Zealand gathered together to discuss key issues in the local region as well as across Queensland.

Neil, Company Director of NRA Environmental Consultants, admitted that legislation has come a long way since the early days of environmental management. But a, “prohibitive element” must become an integral part of any real progress in protecting biodiversity across the Cairns region and ultimately across the country.

Lyn Russell, CEO of Cairns Regional Council, agreed that the issues of environmental management and climate change must become mainstream conversation. “The time of these issues being ‘over in the corner’ has passed,” Lyn said.

The council has become proactive in their approach by implementing a strategy to reduce their carbon footprint to zero by 2020. Within the community they are also taking a harder approach to developments in ensuring that local biodiversity is not adversely affected.

Lyn encouraged EIANZ members and other environmental managers in the region to approach the council with concerns and hopes that the council and environmentalists can find common ground as, “The issue is just too important for there to be more adversity.”

Members and guests were inspired by their meeting at Dundees Restaurant and the Far North Queensland division of EIANZ are looking forward to hosting their next Climate Change Boot Camp in Cairns in July 2010.

People interested in finding out more about the institute or becoming a member can visit our website at www.eianz.org

THANK YOU TO ALL MEMBERS WHO ATTENDED THE EVENT