New Biodiversity Partnership for Queensland Museum

Published Tuesday, 12 May, 2015 at 11:26 AM

Premier and Minister for the Arts
The Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk

Queensland’s unique biodiversity is the focus of a landmark $1.4 million partnership between Queensland Museum and BHP Billiton, announced today by Premier and Minister for the Arts Annastacia Palaszczuk.

“This new biodiversity partnership, the largest corporate partnership to date for the Museum, will communicate the importance and value of Queensland’s precious biodiversity,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“Queensland has five World Heritage listed sites, along with Australia’s greatest number of different species and the widest range of habitats, and understanding more about our environment is important to every Queenslander.”

The Premier said the partnership would deliver three key projects to share the story of Queensland’s vast biodiversity.

“We will see a fantastic new exhibition opening at Queensland Museum in 2016 chronicling our biodiversity,” she said.

“The Museum will also produce a range of hands-on learning resources, to be made available to Queensland schools, which compare and contrast characteristics, habitats, lifecycles and food webs.

“And there will be a new Biodiversity Youth Ambassador Program for Year Seven students, focused on encouraging science-based discovery and learning.” 

Queensland Museum Network CEO and Director, Professor Suzanne Miller, said Queensland was one of the world’s most diverse natural environments. 

“We are thrilled to be working with BHP Billiton, particularly on the Wild State gallery where we can showcase the incredible diversity of Queensland’s natural wonders with specimens from our State Collection,” Professor Miller said. 

BHP Billiton Coal President, Mike Henry, said both organisations shared a commitment to identifying opportunities and challenges for Queensland’s diverse natural environment, providing the ideal foundation for a partnership. 

“Environmental sustainability is at the core of BHP Billiton’s values so we are delighted to be able to partner with the Queensland Museum to bring biodiversity to life for Queenslanders,” Mr Henry said. 

“Working in close partnership with the Queensland Museum over the next five years, we look forward to better understanding our past and doing even more to protect our future,” he said.

 

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