Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities

Outcome 1 Biodiversity and Ecosystems

The conservation and protection of Australia’s terrestrial and marine biodiversity and ecosystems through supporting research, developing information, supporting natural resource management and establishing and managing Commonwealth protected areas.

Main responsibilities for this outcome

Invasive species policy, listing of key threatening processes and threat abatement planning. Developing and implementing marine bioregional plans. International terrestrial and marine conservation and management initiatives. Sustainable fisheries assessments. Fisheries Adjustment Assistance Package	Wildlife, Heritage and Marine Division
Promoting the science and information base of the department in the areas of environment research, information and reporting. Administering the National Environmental Research Program. National Plan for Environmental Information initiative.	Sustainability Policy and Analysis Division
Administering the Caring for our Country initiative. National biodiversity and native vegetation policies. Implementing Australia’s strategy for the National Reserve System 2009–2030. Implementing Australia’s Biodiversity Conservation Strategy 2010–2030. Implementing programs for the protection of the Great Barrier Reef. Administering the Biodiversity Fund. Implementing the Clean Energy Future Plan as part of the Land Sector Package. Secretariat for the Land Sector Carbon and Biodiversity Board. Administering the Regional Natural Resource Management Planning for Climate Change Fund (Stream 1). Administering Indigenous Carbon Farming Fund. National Wildlife Corridors Plan. Implementing the Tasmanian Forests Intergovernmental Agreement. Initial establishment of the World Indigenous Network.	Biodiversity Conservation Division
Establishing and managing Commonwealth marine reserves. Managing the Australian Biological Resources Study. Developing Australian Government policy on management of Australia’s genetic resources.	Parks Australia
Progressing the government’s anti-whaling agenda.	Policy and Communications Division

Objectives

Wildlife, Heritage and Marine Division

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  Support efforts to prevent and abate threats to biodiversity.
  
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  Contribute to effective environmental biosecurity for the nation.
  
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  Assess individual Australian fisheries against the Guidelines for the Ecologically Sustainable Management of Fisheries, 2nd Edition.
  
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  Ensure that Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) requirements are taken into account in whole-of-government fisheries policy initiatives.
  
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  Through the maintenance of marine bioregional plans, support strategic, consistent and informed decision-making under Commonwealth environment legislation in relation to Commonwealth marine areas and provide a framework for strategic intervention and investment to address priority conservation values and pressures in the Commonwealth marine environment.
  

Sustainability Policy and Analysis Division

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  The National Environmental Research Program (NERP) delivers public-focused environmental research designed to engage with end users and support evidence-based decision making by environmental managers and policy makers.
  

Parks Australia

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  Conserve Australia’s biodiversity within the Commonwealth reserve estate.
  
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  Establish a national network of Commonwealth marine reserves representative of Australia’s 41 provincial marine bioregions and develop and implement management arrangements for the Commonwealth marine estate.
  
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  Support biodiversity conservation by building Australia’s taxonomic knowledge and capacity through the Australian Biological Resources Study.
  
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  Establish and manage a regulatory framework that maximises social, economic and environmental returns from investment of biodiscovery in Australia.
  

Biodiversity Conservation Division

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  Through the Caring for our Country initiative, promote an environment that is healthy, better protected, well managed and resilient and provides essential ecosystem services in a changing climate.
  
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  Through the Land Sector Package (an element of the Clean Energy Future plan) assist the transition to a lower carbon economy while improving the resilience of Australia’s landscapes to the impacts of climate change.
  
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  Contribute to the conservation of Australia’s biodiversity at the landscape scale,
  in particular, by facilitating the linking of landscapes through the establishment of wildlife corridors.
  
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  Contribute to the conservation of Australia’s biodiversity through the National Reserve System and Indigenous Protected Areas.
  
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  Promote the development of Indigenous capacity in managing land and sea country through the establishment of the World Indigenous Network.
  
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  Through the Tasmanian Forests Intergovernmental Agreement 2013, support the protection and ongoing management of additional areas of native forest with important conservation values.
  

Key achievements

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  During 2012–13 there was solid progress under the National Environmental Research Program (NERP), with research across 127 projects, funded mainly through five multi-institutional research hubs. During the year, 603 researchers supported through NERP produced 172 research articles, papers and notes printed in peer-reviewed research journals, books or other publications (86 per cent are now publicly available). Staff from the research institutions, the department and the broader portfolio are working closely to ensure that research addresses the priority information needs of the portfolio. Research highlights for 2012–13 include:
  
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    NERP Environmental Decisions Hub researchers worked with departmental policy officers to deliver an EPBC Act offsets calculator—the first of its kind operating in
    the world.
    
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    Researchers in the Tropical Ecosystems Hub continued to evaluate the impacts of pesticides on seagrass and the impacts of management zones on inshore reefs and fish populations.
    
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    The NERP Marine Biodiversity Hub worked with the department, the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Agency and the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association to develop a consistent approach to monitoring the oil and gas industry, particularly for biological data.
    
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    The NERP Landscapes and Policy Hub used satellite data to identify areas likely to serve as refuges for protected animals against drought, climate change and fire. This information can be used for prioritising the protection of conservation assets.
    
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    The NERP Northern Australia Hub, Parks Australia, Traditional Owners, scientists and environment groups worked together to improve the planning of threatened species management within Kakadu National Park and identify and prioritise actions to feed into the next park plan of management.
    
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  The Australian Biological Resources Study funded 38 research grants and taxonomic training positions (PhD, masters and honours scholarships) and 27 student bursaries in 2012–13 under the National Taxonomy Research Grant Program.
  
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  In 2012–13 the department completed an extensive consultative process to establish Australia’s network of marine reserves and to develop the statutory framework to ensure that the reserves are managed effectively and efficiently. Proclaimed on
  17 November 2012 under the EPBC Act, the new marine reserves have added more than 2.3 million square kilometres to the former national system of Commonwealth marine reserves, expanding the overall size of the Commonwealth marine reserve estate to some 3.1 million square kilometres. The number of marine reserves has increased from 27 (including the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park) to 60, covering more than one-third of Commonwealth waters. This is the largest system of marine reserves in the world. These new marine reserves will be managed as regional networks to protect Australia’s marine biodiversity and habitats.
  
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  In November 2012 the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population
  and Communities announced details of the Fisheries Adjustment Assistance Package to support the establishment of the new Commonwealth marine reserves network. The assistance package will help mitigate the impacts of the reserves through the provision of assistance to commercial fishers and fisheries.
  
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  In 2012–13 management plans for each network of marine reserves and the Coral Sea were developed. The management plans include the management arrangements for former Commonwealth marine reserves that were subsumed into the new networks of marine reserves through the proclamation process. The management plans provide a framework for efficient and consistent management of activities within the marine reserves.
  
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  Final marine bioregional plans for the South-west, North-west, North and Temperate East marine regions were released on 27 August 2012. Marine bioregional plans bring together available information on marine conservation values and the pressures affecting these values. They also identify a range of strategies and actions to address regional conservation priorities. These plans are now supporting strategic, consistent and informed decision making by government and other stakeholders under the EPBC Act.
  

Figure 1: Location and extent of the former Commonwealth marine reserves



Figure 2: Location and extent of the new Commonwealth marine reserves



Source: Commonwealth of Australia, 2013 (colour maps available on department’s website).

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  In 2012–13 the department issued 58 permits under the access and benefit-sharing provisions of the EPBC Act (EPBC Regulations 2000, Part 8A). The department also developed a model for implementing the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization (Nagoya Protocol) in Australia, bringing together key stakeholders, including industry and regional partners in the first Oceania Biodiscovery Forum.
  
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  The second phase of Caring for our Country was announced on 8 May 2012. The Australian Government committed over $2 billion to continue Caring for our Country from 2013–14 to 2017–18. From July 2013 Caring for our Country investment funding will be delivered through Sustainable Environment (over $1.5 billion) and Sustainable Agriculture (over $600 million) streams, which will be administered separately by the environment and agriculture portfolios respectively.
  
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  As a result of Caring for our Country investments during 2012–13 eight new Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs) were declared, increasing the National Reserve System by almost 10 million hectares. Australia now has over 10 000 terrestrial protected areas covering more than 127 million hectares, or 16.5 per cent of our land mass.
  
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  Following extensive consultation, the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities launched Australia’s first biodiversity conservation investment prospectus: One Land – Many Stories: Prospectus of Investment 2013–14 on 10 December 2012. The prospectus outlined, in a single document the places (target areas) and national priorities (investment themes) to guide the development of project proposals in the 2013–14 rounds of funding through biodiversity investment programs within the Land Sector Package and Caring for our Country.
  
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  Under the Working on Country program, over 690 Indigenous rangers were contracted to manage significant environmental outcomes. The program contributes to Closing the Gap targets by providing meaningful employment opportunities that enable Indigenous people to manage their country and maintain culture. This work brings economic, social and health benefits to Indigenous people and delivers environmental services to the Australian community.
  
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  Between July 2008 and December 2012 the Reef Rescue program provided financial assistance to more than 3400 land managers over 8 million hectares. More than 2300 farmers undertook projects to improve fertiliser, pesticide and soil management on over 1 million hectares of land. Additionally, almost 1100 pastoralists improved groundcover management on over 7 million hectares of land.
  
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  At the World Indigenous Network conference held in Darwin in May 2013, around 1200 Indigenous people from around the world gathered to discuss land and sea management issues. An international network has been established, hosted on an interim basis by the Equator Initiative, an initiative that brings together the United Nations, governments, civil society, businesses and grassroots organisations to recognise and advance local sustainable development solutions for people, nature and resilient communities. Work is underway to establish a domestic network of Indigenous land and sea managers.
  
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  In November 2012 the forestry industry, unions and environment groups reached agreement on wood supply and conservation: the Tasmanian Forest Agreement. That agreement has now become law through the Tasmanian Forests Agreement Act 2013. The agreement and its supporting legislation guarantees 137 000 cubic metres per annum in wood supply and provides for the protection of over 500 000 hectares of Tasmania’s iconic old-growth forests. Together the Australian and Tasmanian governments indicated that they will provide over $390 million through the Tasmanian Forests Intergovernmental Agreement 2013 to support the forest industry’s transition to a more sustainable long-term future.
  
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  The Indigenous Carbon Farming Fund supports Indigenous Australians to participate in the Carbon Farming Initiative. Under the Indigenous Carbon Farming Fund Capacity Building and Business Support stream over $4.2 million (GST exclusive) was granted over three years with $1.3 million (GST exclusive) spent in 2012–13. Forty-four projects were contracted across Australia to assist Indigenous Australians to access carbon farming specialists, business development expertise and legal advice for their participation in carbon farming projects.
  
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  The National Wildlife Corridors Plan was released on 4 November 2012. The plan lays the foundation for a collaborative, whole-of-landscape approach to conserving Australia’s native plants, animals and other organisms. An independent committee was established under the Land Sector Carbon and Biodiversity Board to oversee the implementation of the plan and the development of a nomination, assessment and declaration process for national wildlife corridors.
  
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  Australia’s Native Vegetation Framework was released in December 2012 by the Council of Australian Governments Standing Council on Environment and Water. This national framework guides the ecologically sustainable management of Australia’s native vegetation. Its development was the result of a cooperative effort between all Australian governments.
  
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  In December 2012 the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities made the threat abatement plan to reduce the impacts on northern Australia’s biodiversity by the five listed invasive grasses. Three statutory reviews were completed of threat abatement plans for: beak and feather disease affecting endangered psittacine species; the impacts of tramp ants on biodiversity in Australia and its territories; and infection in amphibians with chytrid fungus resulting in chytridiomycosis. In supporting actions under threat abatement plans, a range of research and other projects were funded including field efficacy trials for a new feral cat bait.
  
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  All fisheries assessments were completed within agreed time frames for all Commonwealth-managed and state-managed fisheries requiring approvals under the EPBC Act.
  
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  In February 2013 the department completed its latest assessment of the Commonwealth Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery against the requirements of the EPBC Act. By area, this is one of Australia’s largest fisheries, covering nearly half of the Australian Fishing Zone and catching over 300 species. The department’s assessment considered the impact of the fishery on target species, by-product species and the ecosystem and imposed conditions to ensure that interactions with protected species are minimised.