Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities

Strategies

National Environmental Research Program

All hubs delivered significant research outputs to the department in 2012–13. The department and the hubs were active in knowledge brokering and communication to increase the uptake of research results in environmental decision making and policy development. The department and the broader environmental research community developed and implemented a further set of 16 emerging priority projects to improve responsiveness to emerging issues within the program.

Australian Biological Resources Study

Australia’s national focal point for taxonomy, the Australian Biological Resources Study, supports policy on taxonomy and systematics through the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Australian Government’s National Research Priorities. To make taxonomic information more widely available, it collaborates with other biodiversity information initiatives such as the Atlas of Living Australia, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and the Australian Barcode of Life Network.

Bush Blitz

Bush Blitz is a multimillion dollar national biodiversity discovery partnership between the Australian Government, global resources company BHP Billiton and the not-for-profit conservation research organisation Earthwatch Australia. Bush Blitz supports key Australian Biological Resources Study priorities including promoting and raising the profile of taxonomy, completing the national biodiversity picture, strengthening the taxonomy funding and relationship base, and increasing Australia’s taxonomic capacity.

Proclamation of new Commonwealth marine reserves

On 11 July 2012 the Director of National Parks published a notice in the government gazette inviting public comment on the proposal to declare new Commonwealth marine reserves. The 60-day comment period concluded on 10 September 2012. Approximately 80 000 submissions were received.

The Director of National Parks considered the comments received and provided a report to the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, who recommended to the Governor-General that the reserves be proclaimed under Australia’s national environmental law.

On 17 November 2012, 40 Commonwealth marine reserves were proclaimed and the names of four existing reserves were amended. Associated with declaration of the new reserves was revocation of seven reserves and one conservation zone, as the areas were included in the new marine reserves.

Develop a Fisheries Adjustment Assistance Package to support the establishment of the new Commonwealth marine reserves

The Fisheries Adjustment Assistance Package was established in 2012–13 to assist commercial fishers and fisheries directly affected by the introduction of the new Commonwealth marine reserves. In consultation with fisheries management agencies and the commercial fishing industry the department advanced progress on the development of the package. Delivery of the package will begin in the 2013–14 financial year ahead of commercial fishing exclusions from the new reserves taking effect. In line with the 2011 Fisheries Adjustment Policy, there will be further consultation with the commercial fishing industry as the government finalises the guidelines and delivery arrangements for the key elements of the package.

Develop and implement management arrangements for the Commonwealth marine networks

Following the proclamation of the new Commonwealth marine reserves, the Director of National Parks invited public comment on the preparation of management plans for the Coral Sea Commonwealth Marine Reserve and four new networks of Commonwealth marine reserves. This consultation period was followed by an invitation for comments on the draft management plans for the Coral Sea Commonwealth Marine Reserve and the four new networks of Commonwealth marine reserves. Public consultation on the preparation of a management plan for the South-east Commonwealth Marine Reserves Network was also undertaken in July and August 2012.

The management plans were prepared in accordance with section 368 of the EPBC Act. They aim to provide for:

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  the protection and conservation of biodiversity and other natural and cultural values of the marine reserves
  
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  ecologically sustainable use of natural resources.
  

Management plans provide certainty about the activities that will be allowed in the reserves. They aim to provide guidance for and consistency in management of the reserves within the networks and across all the reserve networks for up to 10 years.

During the two public comment periods the Director of National Parks received over 100 000 submissions regarding management plans for each of the South-west, North-west, North, Temperate East and South-east Networks and the Coral Sea Commonwealth Marine Reserve. The finalised management plans for the five marine reserve networks and the Coral Sea Commonwealth Marine Reserve took account of public comments. The plans were approved by the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities and tabled in parliament on

12 March 2013 alongside reports from the Director of National Parks outlining comments received and the director’s views on the comments.

The management plan for the South-East network came into effect on 1 July 2013. The management plans for the remaining networks and the Coral Sea Commonwealth Marine Reserve will come into effect on 1 July 2014. Detailed implementation arrangements for the management plans will be developed over the next 12 months.

Management of the former Commonwealth marine reserves

Under the EPBC Act, any activity in a marine reserve requires approval from the Director of National Parks during the period between proclamation of the reserves and the implementation of a management plan.

The former Commonwealth marine reserves are managed with ongoing research and environmental monitoring, community and stakeholder awareness and engagement, and vessel and aerial surveillance and compliance. Much of this work is implemented under partnership agreements and service arrangements with other Commonwealth agencies, including the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA), and Australian Customs and Border Protection Service, Border Protection Command (BPC) and state fisheries and conservation agencies in Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania and New South Wales. At July 2013 over 60 state agency officers are appointed as wardens under the EPBC Act.

AFMA provides vessel monitoring system information for Commonwealth fishing vessels in marine reserves. The department is working with AFMA to introduce an alert system in 2013. The planned alert system, the first of its kind, will provide automatic and real-time information to owners and skippers when they enter marine reserves where their fishing activities are not allowed.

The Border Protection Command and the department in 2012–13 undertook a total of 564 aerial surveillance flights, which resulted in 610 individual visits to Commonwealth marine reserves. The department issued 648 approvals in compliance with the EPBC Regulations and executed 48 enforcement actions in response to compliance incidents in Commonwealth marine reserves.

Biodiscovery

Australia’s biodiversity offers huge potential for basic and applied scientific research. Investigation of the biochemical and genetic makeup of our native species can be used to produce products with social, economic and environmental value—for example, in agriculture and bioremediation and for alternative fuels and new drugs.

The department manages a regulatory and policy framework for access to native genetic resources in Commonwealth areas and sharing the benefits arising from their use. The purpose of the framework is to provide legal certainty for researchers and innovators, ensure sustainable use of biological resources and obtain tangible benefits for Australia and the conservation of our biodiversity.

The department is responsible for providing policy advice on the Nagoya Protocol under the Convention on Biological Diversity and continues to represent Australia in ongoing international discussions on its implementation. In consultation with key stakeholders, including industry and regional partners in the first Oceania Biodiscovery Forum, the department is finalising an implementation model for the Nagoya Protocol so that the government can make an informed decision on its ratification.

Caring for our Country Phase 1 (2008–2013)

The objective of Caring for our Country was to achieve an environment that is healthier, better protected, well managed, resilient and provides essential ecosystem services in a changing climate. In 2012–13 Caring for our Country invested over $12 million in new projects under the 2012–13 Business Plan across the country to achieve national objectives for biodiversity conservation and sustainable farm practices. This funding supported regional natural resource management (NRM) groups; local, state and territory governments; Indigenous groups; industry bodies; land managers; farmers; Landcare groups; and communities.

Community Action Grants

The Community Action Grants program, jointly administered with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, was established to support community groups and enable them to contribute to the outcomes of the Caring for our Country initiative. The program offered grants between $5000 and $20 000 to encourage their participation and engagement in NRM around the country. The grants assist grassroots organisations to deliver better environmental outcomes across Australia. In 2012–13 the Community Action Grants program provided over $4.9 million in small Community Action Grants for 290 projects across Australia. This included $576 000 to Indigenous organisations to fund 29 projects. The successful groups used the funding to conduct NRM work and record cultural heritage and traditional knowledge.

The National Reserve System

The National Reserve System is Australia’s national network of formally recognised protected areas. The system is dedicated to the long-term protection of Australia’s terrestrial biodiversity. It consists of over 10 000 terrestrial protected areas covering more than 127 million hectares or over 16.5 per cent of the Australian landmass. It includes a broad range of habitats from lush rainforests to savannahs through to Australia’s alpine regions and deserts. The National Reserve System program provided funding assistance through Caring for our Country to support the collective effort of governments, non-government organisations and Indigenous and private landholders to expand the protected area estate.

Indigenous Protected Areas

The Caring for our Country initiative provides funding to support Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs)—non-statutory protected areas that form part of the National Reserve System. The funding assisted Indigenous landowners to establish and manage IPAs on their lands and to develop cooperative management arrangements for existing protected areas with the relevant state and territory government agencies. The program also promotes the integration of Indigenous ecological and cultural knowledge into the management of these areas.

In 2012–13 the IPA program supported 59 declared IPAs. Another 24 consultation and co-management projects explored the potential for IPA declaration on Indigenous-owned lands and co-management arrangements over existing protected areas. The Dhimurru Aboriginal Corporation declared the first sea country Indigenous Protected Area over Commonwealth and Northern Territory waters in May 2013.

The Caring for our Country initiative provided over $14.3 million in grants and project support to IPAs in 2012–13, including to support the declaration of eight new IPAs covering almost 10 million hectares.

Indigenous programs

Caring for our Country programs that support Indigenous people and communities contribute to closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

Under Caring for our Country, the Working on Country program met its target of employing over 690 Indigenous rangers. Rangers were employed to manage and deliver significant environmental outcomes over 1.5 million square kilometres of land and sea country in remote and regional Australia. Working on Country provides nationally accredited training and career pathways for Indigenous Australians.

As part of the Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory jobs package, Working on Country is on track to employ up to an additional 50 Indigenous rangers by June 2015. These ranger positions have created real jobs, giving individuals, their families and their communities’ greater economic certainty while delivering improved environmental outcomes for the nation.

Reef Rescue

Reef Rescue, jointly administered with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, provided $200 million over five years (2008–09 to 2012–13) to improve the health of the Great Barrier Reef and its resilience to climate change by improving the quality of water entering the reef catchment. This initiative is helping land managers to adopt improved land management practices that reduce the nutrients, pesticides and sediments leaving their properties and entering the reef lagoon. Reef Rescue also supports monitoring, assessment, reporting and research to improve our understanding of the links between land management practices and environmental impacts.

Improved water quality management in the Tuggerah Lakes

Caring for our Country invested in planning and on-ground actions that protect the conservation values of coastal and inland high ecological value aquatic ecosystems, including the Tuggerah Lakes estuary in New South Wales. Funding of $20 million was provided from 2007 to 2013 for the works under this program.

The project is managed through a range of partnerships with the New South Wales Government, the Hunter-Central Rivers Catchment Management Authority, Landcare groups and local landholders. Since 2011 almost 1300 volunteers and 36 community organisations had been involved in project activities.

By April 2012–13 project success included treating over 1200 hectares of land affected by weeds of national significance such as bitou bush, lantana and blackberry since 2011.

Additionally in 2012–13 a number of educational activities occurred including landowner workshops on topics such as creating frog-friendly environments, the Starting in Your Backyard—Porters Creek Wetland school education program to educate school children on what they can do to help the lakes and ‘catchment crawls’ of Ourimbah Creek were conducted to allow community members to observe the saltmarsh and streambank rehabilitation activities undertaken.

Caring for our Country Phase 2 (2013–2018)

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. Programs in the Sustainable Environment stream that called for projects in 2012–13 for delivery after 1 July 2013 included:

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  Regional Delivery for NRM organisations (this also included Sustainable Agriculture stream investment)
  
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  Target Area Grants (open grants for medium to large-scale projects)
  
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  Community Environment Grants (small grants for community groups)
  
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  Reef Rescue (this program also included Sustainable Agriculture stream investment)
  
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  Working on Country and Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs).
  

National Wildlife Corridors Plan

The National Wildlife Corridors Plan was released in November 2012 and lays the foundation for a collaborative, whole-of-landscape approach to conserving Australia’s native plants and animals by establishing an enduring network of wildlife corridors. These national wildlife corridors will create major links in the Australian landscape to support our biodiversity and its adaptation to a changing climate. The plan, based on voluntary cooperation and support for the existing efforts of communities, landholders, governments and industry, will help guide future government investments.

Tasmanian Forests Intergovernmental Agreement

The Australian and Tasmanian governments continued to assist with the forestry industry to transition to a more sustainable long-term future and to provide protection to over 500 000 hectares of additional areas with important conservation values.

The Tasmanian Forests Intergovernmental Agreement aims to support the forestry industry, local jobs and communities and protect additional areas of native forests. It will help the forest industry to adapt to market changes while protecting the communities and families that rely on the sector for their livelihoods.

World Indigenous Network

At the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), the then Prime Minister, the Hon. Julia Gillard MP announced the development of an International Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Land and Sea Managers Network (the World Indigenous Network). The network was launched at the inaugural World Indigenous Network Conference, which was held in Darwin between 26 and 29 May 2013. Approximately 1200 delegates from more than 50 countries attended the conference, participating in over 70 presentations, workshops and keynote addresses.

This network underpins the important role that Indigenous peoples’ knowledge, connection to country and ability to care for country plays in the protection and sustainable management of the Earth’s natural resources. It also reinforces the Australian Government’s commitment to using traditional ecological knowledge alongside contemporary land management practices to ensure better management.

The results of work to date on the network, including the conference, are being taken up by the Equator Initiative – United Nations Development Programme, as interim host, to ensure delivery of an innovative and enduring World Indigenous Network. Work is progressing on a domestic network of Indigenous land and sea managers.

Land Sector Carbon and Biodiversity Board

The Land Sector Carbon and Biodiversity Board was established in November 2011 under the Climate Change Authority Act 2011. The board provides advice to government on a range of Land Sector Package measures to help ensure the protection of Australia’s ecosystems and increase resilience to the impacts of climate change.

The board:

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  reports annually to the relevant minister(s) for presentation to the parliament about the operations of that year
  
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  advises the relevant minister(s) on implementation of the Land Sector Package measures
  
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  advises the relevant minister(s) on performance indicators for the Land Sector Package measures.
  

The board is appointed by the relevant ministers. The members of the board in 2012–13 were:

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  The Hon. Robert Debus AM (Chair)
  
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  Ms Anna Skarbek
  
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  Mr David Crombie
  
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  Mr Joe Ross
  
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  Professor Lesley Hughes.
  

The board held two face-to-face meetings in Canberra and seven teleconferences during 2012–13. A separate board annual report for 2012–13 provides further details on the operations of the board and the progress of the Land Sector Package measures.

Biodiversity Fund

The Biodiversity Fund provides investment to improve the resilience of Australia’s landscape to climate change, enhance the environmental outcomes of Carbon Farming Initiative projects and help landholders to protect carbon and biodiversity values on their land.

The Biodiversity Fund supports establishment, restoration and protection of biodiverse carbon stores as well as actions to prevent the spread of invasive species across connected landscapes. Rounds that called for applications in 2012–13 for delivery from 1 July 2013 included:

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  Investing in Tasmania’s Native Forests 2013–14
  
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  Northern Australia Targeted Investment 2013–14
  
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  Biodiversity Fund: Round Two 2013–14
  
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  Working on Country
  
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  Reef Rescue.
  

Regional Natural Resource Management Planning for Climate Change Fund (Stream 1)

The department supported the delivery of Stream 1 of the Regional Natural Resource Management Planning for Climate Change Fund. The Government approved over $24 million in funding over four years from 2012–13 to support 53 regional NRM organisations, in consultation with stakeholders, to update existing regional NRM plans to incorporate climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies.

Stream 2 is $15 million for regional level climate change information to support medium-term NRM planning and was managed in 2012–13 by the Department of Industry, Innovation, Climate Change, Science, Research and Tertiary Education.

Threat abatement plans and advice

Threat abatement plans were developed and reviewed where required to support efforts to prevent and abate threats to biodiversity.

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 grasses in December 2012. Three statutory reviews were completed of threat abatement plans. A revised draft threat abatement plan for disease in natural ecosystems caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi was released for public comment period in 2013.

A draft threat abatement advice for predation, habitat degradation, competition and disease transmission by feral pigs was presented to the Threatened Species Scientific Committee (TSSC) for review in June 2013.

Biosecurity

The department contributed to work by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) and state and territory governments through the national biosecurity system to develop national policy on pest plants, animals and diseases that cause harm to the environment.

The department provided advice to DAFF on the environmental impact of nationally significant biosecurity threats, such as electric ants (Wasmannia auropunctata) and red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) in Queensland and myrtle rust (Uredo rangelii). In December 2012 the department hosted a national workshop on myrtle rust in natural ecosystems to share information and management strategies and identify research gaps. The workshop was attended by all state and territory governments as well as the research community.

Fisheries assessments

Australian fisheries were assessed against the Guidelines for the Ecologically Sustainable Management of Fisheries, 2nd Edition, through active engagement with Commonwealth and state and territory management agencies.

Fisheries policy engagement has been achieved through consultation across the department and with relevant Commonwealth agencies.

Marine bioregional plans

The release of four marine bioregional plans represented a significant step toward informed, strategic management of the Commonwealth marine environment. For the first time, there is now a consolidated picture of the biophysical characteristics and diversity of marine life in Commonwealth waters and an assessment of pressures operating on those values. This will assist industry in the planning of new activities in Commonwealth waters, and will assist the department in assessing impacts of activities on key conservation values. The systematic identification of priorities will inform investment and research and the strategies and actions will guide government and industry.