Grant ... Australia Zoo, owned by Steve Irwin`s widow Terri, received a $6.3m grant approved by former PM John Howard which breached funding guidelines.
Irwin zoo given $6m grant approved by John Howard
Grant breached funding guidelines
Terri Irwin bought waterfront digs two months later
JOHN Howard approved a $6.3 million grant to buy a Cape York property as a memorial to naturalist Steve Irwin, although the funding breached government guidelines.
Australia Zoo, which is owned by Irwin`s widow, Terri, should have contributed at least one-third of the cost of the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve under the guidelines.
However, the zoo was not asked by Canberra to contribute anything, The Australian reports.
Irwin was killed by a stingray in September 2006.
In April last year, the zoo applied for funding for the 135,000ha property.
In the same month the application was made, the zoo spent $1.7million buying properties for its expansion at Beerwah on Queensland`s Sunshine Coast.
In September last year, two months after the zoo received the $6.3 million federal grant, Ms Irwin spent $1.3 million on a waterfront property in Minyama on the Sunshine Coast.
The Minyama holding adjoins a property she and her husband paid $3.2 million for in 2004.
In June last year, the federal director of National Parks, Peter Cochrane, told the Howard government`s environment minister at the time, Malcolm Turnbull, that funds were not available under the National Reserve Systems Program to buy the Cape York property.
Mr Cochrane told Mr Turnbull the proposal did not match funding guidelines for the program because it requested "funding for the full amount rather than a two-thirds/one-third split up".
The zoo would be contributing only $123,000 towards the deal. And although the property had high environmental values, it was in a "low-to-medium priority bio-region for program funding".
Mr Turnbull wrote to Mr Howard, suggesting a "one-off" grant of $6.3 million in additional funding to the program be made due to the "special nature" of the proposal.
Mr Turnbull said funding under the reserve program for the property could not be provided without displacing approved acquisitions.
Mr Howard responded by giving approval for a "fitting memorial to Mr Irwin`s life and passionate contribution to the conservation of Australian wildlife".
Mr Howard told Mr Turnbull to find the funds from existing departmental programs.
Grant ... Australia Zoo, owned by Steve Irwin`s widow Terri, received a $6.3m grant approved by former PM John Howard which breached funding guidelines.
No wonder Howard couldn't give the Pensioners a raise He was too busy feeding Tourist attractions. Terri and gang should be made to return it and Rudd put it to better use ie Pensioners.
Posted by: Rolling her eyes. of Vic 4:08am today
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