National Forum

WRAP UP DAY 3

Mr Tom Perrigo

Hon Dr Judy Edwards MLA, Minister for the Environment and Heritage, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, as CEO of the host organization it is my duty and my privilege to thank all concerned for this forum "Taking Care of the Bush - Nature Conservation on Private Land". Thank you!

And Minister, may I say how delighted I am to see the Environment and Heritage portfolios together. I have a personal interest in conserving and interpreting our cultural landscapes and look forward to working with you to achieve this goal.

Firstly, thank you to all our sponsors: the Natural Heritage Trust, Environment Australia, Land & Water Australia, WA Ministry for Planning, the WA Lotteries Commission, Department of Conservation and Land Management, WA Landcare Trust and Paruna & Karakamia Sanctuaries and others, including Barry Wilson for your wines. Without sponsors, forums like this simply could not be held. Thank you again and I am very confident your investment will be returned many times over!

Next, thank you to all the speakers, chairs and facilitators: from Keith who seemed to get the most hours, to Colma who rescued me in my workshop and Dr Colin Walker (one of my 25 Board members), thank you. Your experience, enthusiasm and wisdom made this forum an amazing success.

To all the landowners who have kindly allowed us to visit them and their properties, Midge Richardson, Mark Angelone, Griselda Hitchcock, Martin Copley, Mike and Jenny MacIntosh, and the Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale with whom we have an important partnership. All of you are very special and deserve special congratulations.

Part of our corporate performance measurement is looking at increasing people's knowledge, awareness, understanding and commitment to conservation. So, to those landowners who have voluntarily conserved their land with covenants - well done! You are indeed committed to conservation.

Particular acknowledgement and special thanks needs to go to the 'team'. We in the Trust are a team and I am privileged to be part of that group. Firstly, thanks to the Finance and Administration team at the Trust - Kym, Toni, Zoe, Alice, Janice and Sophie; also to the Covenanting team: Diana and Anna-Marie; and to the 'main group': Mark Rounds (Environment Australia); Kim Ramsay for the 'nuts and bolts' (Chief Co-ordinator); Mark Agar (Photographer); Kim Smith (general support); Paul Smith (website); Stewart Jackson (trouble shooter); Karl Haynes (IT); Lesley Thomas (Manager of the Trust's Covenanting Program); and Robert Mitchell (Manager of Membership and Volunteer Services). All of you and indeed all the members of the Trust's team are simply fantastic!

Finally to all of you as participants, I know we all have a lot to do. The first is as stated in the very opening of the forum. If we all leave with just one more good idea, we were successful. I'm leaving with around fifteen! I certainly have to help the Mallee Fowl Association urgently - Alan and Suzanne, don't give up, we'll get there.

It is important for me to say a few other things. An evaluation form will go up on the website so please do fill it out and return to us. There will be a space for comment on each section and I would encourage you to contribute. This is very important.

I would especially encourage landowners to tell us their problems and give us a road map to help solve them. If we can get a network of landowners talking it will be fantastic.

To plan and organise an event like this is hard and it requires money but I think we all realise how important this is. We can keep the process alive on the web but we need to meet once a year. Again, some questions will be on the web - where, how, and when should we do it - so please let us know.

We are going to keep 'this' going, whether it is in WA again, or elsewhere next time!

In closing, thank you and remember: there are far more members of conservation organizations than all the political parties put together. It's time to turn this brown country green!

Thomas E Perrigo
Chief Executive Officer
The National Trust of Australia (WA)