BIRDLIFE Australia are demanding that all political parties contesting the upcoming federal election show greater ambition to save Australia's native birds.
The organisation will hold an Act for Birds forum on Wednesday that will focus on the critically endangered eastern curlew.
BirdLife spokesperson Judith Hoyle said the curlew's presence was once a major draw-card for visitors to Moreton Bay's Ramsar wetlands but had all but disappeared due to large-scale development across its remaining habitat.
"I've been observing the decline of our precious eastern curlews for decades," Ms Hoyle said.
"Once the Toondah area was the perfect place to see hundreds of these glorious birds but now you are lucky to see more than a handful."
"Like many of our local shorebirds, Queensland's eastern curlews are being pushed to the edge of extinction."
Ms Hoyle said the government-endorsed plan to build a residential and marina development that extended over the Ramsar site was beyond shameful.
"Our leaders should not be putting commercial interests ahead of our unique and endangered species," Ms Hoyle said.
"Destructive coastal development in Ramsar wetlands is occurring not only here in our backyard of Toondah Harbour but across Australia in places like Western Port in Victoria.
"Our state and federal governments are allowing the mudflats that the curlews rely on to fuel up for their epic migration to the Arctic and back each year to be destroyed."
Ms Hoyle said seeing the eastern curlew rise into flight as it began its long journey toward Siberia was glorious.
"But this is something future generations of Queenslanders will miss out on seeing for themselves as their numbers continue to fall," she said.
Ms Hoyle said the forum was for people to share bird stories and stand together to demand the federal government provided strong, effective environment laws that protected native birds before it was too late.
Act for Birds campaign lead Sean Dooley said political parties were being asked to commit to developing national environment laws that protecting Australia's wildlife, an independent National Environment Commission, an independent National Environmental Protection Authority, funded recovery plans for threatened species and guaranteed community rights and participation in environmental decision making.
"The protection and survival of our unique native birdlife should be above politics," Mr Dooley said.
"All parties must get on board.
"It's time for the voices of Australia's bird lovers to be heard and it's time our politicians listened."
The forum on Wednesday, April 3 from 6.30pm to 8.30pm will be at the Fox Hotel, 71-73 Melbourne Street, South Brisbane.
Also read