MEDIA RELEASE

BLACK-THROATED FINCH HOAX COMMENTS UNTRUE

BIMBLEBOX NATURE RESERVE – GALILEE BASIN

BirdLife Southern Queensland Convenor Grahame Rogers is concerned about recent misinformation being circulated in the media about sightings of the endangered Black-throated Finch in the Galilee Basin.

“Allegations that aviary-bred Black-throated Finches were released so that sightings could be reported are not only untrue but a mischievous comment”, Mr Rogers said. “It is hard to imagine how this could be done. The members of the team are in no doubt that they saw birds from wild populations. ”

A seventeen-strong contingent of experienced members of BirdLife Australia visited the coal exploration area of the Galilee basin in the last two weeks of April. Black-throated Finches were recorded in 5 separate locations, in most cases by 5 or 6 members of the team.

The records have been accepted by the Black-throated Finch Recovery Team, and submitted to the Atlas of Australian Birds. In four of the locations the Finch has been seen repeatedly over many years, and the landholders have noted their presence.

These sightings were all in a particular kind of regional ecosystem (10.5.5) which also occurs on the Bimblebox Nature Refuge, where the finch was recorded in May 2011. “Even if the Black-throated Finch is no longer present on Bimblebox itself, the Refuge is worth preserving because of its unique biodiversity”, said Mr Rogers. “The owners have spent much time restoring it since they purchased the property with Federal funds, removing many of the introduced weeds and grasses.”

“BirdLife Australia is not opposed to mining, but is opposed to mining in inappropriate places”, Mr Rogers said. “Adani claim they have enough coal to last a hundred years in the Carmichael mining lease in the Galilee Basin. The 8000 hectares of Bimblebox are a drop in the ocean of coal in the basin. It's time Clive Palmer looked somewhere else.”

BirdLife Australia is a well-respected national organisation that has been a strong advocate for research, protection and enjoyment of Australia’s rich but threatened heritage of many bird species over the last 112 years.