Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists

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The Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists (in short, the Wentworth Group) is a group of Australian scientists concerned with the environment, that in November 2002 released a statement, Blueprint for a Living Continent. This calls for significant environmental reform to alleviate the mis-use of Australia's resources, significantly its water.

The Wentworth Group proposes three main changes that the Federal and State governments can implement immediately:

Cease broadscale clearing of remnant native vegetation;
Clarify "property rights" to water; and
Purchase from current rights holders what they believe is urgently needed environmental flows of water for the Murray River and its tributaries.

The blueprint was widely publicised in the media and was considered by the highest levels of government.

The Wentworth Group consists of:

Prof Peter Cullen - Former Director, Co-operative Research Centre for Freshwater Ecology, University of Canberra
Prof Tim Flannery - Zoologist and author (The Future Eaters) (The Weather Makers)
Assoc Prof Ronnie Harding - Institute of Environmental Studies, University of New South Wales
Prof Hugh Possingham - Director, Ecology Centre, University of Queensland
Rob Purves - President of WWF Australia
Dr Denis Saunders - Conservation biologist and former CSIRO chief research scientist
Prof Bruce Thom - Emeritus Professor, University of Sydney - former Chair Australian State of the Environment Committee
Dr John Williams - Former Chief of CSIRO Land and Water
Prof Mike Young - Director Policy and Economic Research Unit, CSIRO Land and Water
Peter Cosier - Director and Member of the Wentworth Group.
Leith Boully - Former Chair of the Community Advisory Committee of the Murray-Darling Basin Commission