Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities

Outcome 5: CONSERVATION OF AUSTRALIA’S HERITAGE AND ENVIRONMENT

Increased protection, awareness and appreciation of Australia’s environment and heritage through regulating matters of national environmental significance and the identification, conservation and celebration of natural, Indigenous and historic places of national and World Heritage significance.

Main responsibilities for this outcome

Administering relevant provisions of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 to ensure the identification and conservation of Australia’s heritage, threatened species and ecological communities, migratory species, Commonwealth marine areas and internationally traded flora and fauna and related biodiversity by: Identifying and listing threatened species and ecological communities. Assessing the potential heritage values of places for possible inclusion on the Commonwealth, National or World Heritage Lists. Developing and implementing strategies, conservation advice and programs. Providing leadership for the conservation and sustainable use of Australia’s unique and significant fauna and flora species. Managing the department’s engagement on biosecurity matters. Issuing permits and regulating the import and export of wildlife under the EPBC Act. Enhancing Australia’s capacity to ensure the protection, conservation and sustainable management of wildlife, both domestically and internationally. Helping countries in Australia’s region to implement the World Heritage Convention.	Wildlife, Heritage and Marine Division
Administering relevant provisions of the EPBC Act to ensure the protection of the environment, especially matters of national environmental significance, through assessments of environmental impacts of activities; strategic assessments; and compliance, investigation and enforcement activities. Managing sea dumping in accordance with the Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter 1972 and 1996 Protocol Thereto (London Convention and Protocol) through the Environment Protection (Sea Dumping) Act 1981. Providing information and tools to raise awareness of and compliance with environment protection law.	Environment Approvals and Compliance Division
Supervising uranium mining in the Alligator Rivers Region, which includes Kakadu National Park in accordance with the provisions of the Environment Protection (Alligator Rivers Region) Act 1978.	Supervising Scientist Division
Providing funding to support heritage protection, conservation and interpretation.	Biodiversity Conservation Division

Objectives

Wildlife, Heritage and Marine Division

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  Identify and protect Australia’s natural, Indigenous and historic heritage places.
  
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  Identify and list nationally threatened species and ecological communities (ecosystems) and prepare conservation advice and recovery plans to mitigate threats and facilitate direct protection and conservation efforts (the Threatened Species Scientific Committee provides scientific advice on these matters).
  
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  Regulate international trade in Australian native species, species listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the import of live animals.
  
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  Promote a cooperative approach to protecting and managing the environment and heritage involving governments, the community, landholders and Indigenous peoples.
  

Environment Approvals and Compliance Division

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  Administer environmental regulation under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), Environment Protection (Sea Dumping) Act 1981 (Sea Dumping Act), the Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976, the Australian Heritage Council Act 2003 and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984.
  
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  Provide for the protection of the environment, especially matters of national environmental significance (MNES).
  
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  Improve the delivery of regulatory services under the EPBC Act.
  
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  Assist governments, businesses and communities to value biodiversity and ecosystems and comply with environmental legislation.
  
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  Improve sustainability in priority high-growth areas.
  
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  Use regulation and compliance activities, cooperative partnerships with state and territory governments, and provision of information to improve awareness of the EPBC Act to protect and conserve the environment.
  

Supervising Scientist Division

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  Protect the Alligator Rivers Region from the impact of uranium mining under the Environment Protection (Alligators Rivers Region) Act 1978.
  

Biodiversity Conservation Division

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  Provide funding to support heritage protection, conservation and interpretation.
  

Key achievements

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  In June 2013 the 37th session of the World Heritage Committee meeting approved a boundary modification to the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, adding over 170 000 hectares, and considered a state party report on the state of conservation of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.
  
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  The department administered $8.8 million (GST exclusive) over three years to 232 projects to protect, conserve and enhance the values of significant historic heritage under the 2012–13 Your Community Heritage program. The program supports communities to celebrate their local heritage, and share their local stories and traditions that together tell our national story.
  
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  The Indigenous Heritage Program provided funding for 53 projects across the country with a total value of $4.9 million (GST exclusive) over three years to support the identification, conservation and promotion of Indigenous heritage.
  
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  The department supported the Australian Government’s efforts to better define, protect and communicate the ‘outstanding universal value’ of the Great Barrier Reef through a range of activities. This included progressing research on the aesthetic and geological values of the property, and the development of guidance on outstanding universal value for proponents of actions under the EPBC Act. Interim guidelines on the Outstanding Universal Value of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area—for Proponents of Actions is available at: www.environment.gov.au/epbc/publications/gbr-interim-guidelines.html.
  
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  In October 2012 the Government convened an independent expert scientific panel to prepare a report on the nature and extent of the natural heritage attributes of Cape York Peninsula that may be of potential outstanding universal value. Community consultation was undertaken as part of the preparation of a nomination for World Heritage listing, subject to Traditional Owner consent. A report assessing the outstanding universal values of the Dampier Archipelago in Western Australia was also prepared for consideration by the Australian Heritage Council.
  
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  Six ecological communities were incorporated in the national list of threatened ecological communities, including the first-ever marine ecological community—the Giant Kelp Marine Forests of South-East Australia. There are now 62 threatened ecological communities listed under the EPBC Act, representing more than 150 ecological communities (or equivalent) recognised as threatened by states and territories, and over 4.6 million hectares of protected environment.
  
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  Twenty-six recovery plans, a mix of revised and new recovery plans, were made or adopted under the EPBC Act, identifying and prioritising recovery actions for 41 listed threatened species and three listed threatened ecological communities. These include the Fitzgerald Biosphere Recovery Plan—a regional recovery plan covering 11 threatened plant species in the south-west of Western Australia and one of seven such regional plans now in force under the EPBC Act.
  
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  As part of the 2013 Anzac Day celebrations, the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities made a declaration to protect the MV Limerick under the Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976, commemorating the contribution and sacrifice of merchant seamen during World War II.
  
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  The department continued to deliver the Kokoda Initiative under the Second Joint Understanding on the Owen Stanley Ranges, Brown River Catchment and Kokoda Track Region (2010–15). This bilateral agreement with Papua New Guinea works towards the sustainable development of the region and protection of its special heritage values. The department also supported the Australian Government’s provision of assistance to Pacific Island countries for World Heritage activities, including the February 2013 launch of the Pacific Heritage Hub to strengthen
  heritage management in the region.
  
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  At the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the CITES held in Bangkok, Thailand in March 2013, nine Australian species proposals were adopted, including stronger protection for the freshwater sawfish (Pristis microdon). The meeting also made several significant decisions to improve the regulation of the trade in marine species, including the listing of five shark and two manta ray species (Manta birostris and M.alfredi) on Appendix II of the convention.
  
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  In 2012–13 the department continued to assess large, complex and economically significant projects from all industry sectors under the EPBC Act. Eighty-one proposals were approved subject to conditions, and one was determined to be clearly unacceptable. Key projects included:
  
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    The Alpha Coal project undertaken by GVK Hancock Coal Pty Ltd in the Galilee Basin, which includes an open-cut coal mine in central Queensland and a 495 kilometre railway line to Abbot Point.
    
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    The South of Embley Bauxite Mine and Port Development Project undertaken by RTA Weipa Pty Ltd, which will construct and operate a bauxite mine and port development, including associated shipping activities, near Weipa on the western side of Cape York, Queensland.
    
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    The Great Keppel Island project undertaken by GKI Resort Pty Ltd (a subsidiary of Tower Holdings Pty Ltd), which will construct and operate a tourism and marina development on Great Keppel Island, Queensland.
    
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    The Anketell Point Iron Ore Processing and Export Port Project undertaken by API Management Pty Ltd, which will develop and operate a major deepwater iron ore port in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
    
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  The Environmental Offsets Policy, part of the national environment law reform agenda, was released by the department in October 2012. It provides guidance on the role of offsets in environmental impact assessments (EIAs), and how the department considers the suitability of a proposed offset. It aims to improve environmental outcomes through the consistent application of best practice offset principles, provide more certainty and transparency and encourage advanced planning of offsets.
  
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  The department released the Environmental Impact Assessment Client Service Charter in May 2013. The charter outlines the department’s commitments when undertaking EIAs under the EPBC Act. It provides clarity and guidance about the service that stakeholders can expect during the EIA process and outlines how the Australian Government will work with state and territory assessment agencies.
  
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  The department released the Strategic Assessment Prospectus in May 2013. This prospectus seeks input from industry and states regarding potential new strategic assessments.
  
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  The department improved awareness of the EPBC Act to protect and conserve the environment by using regulation and compliance activities, cooperative partnerships with state and territory governments and provision of information.
  
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  During the 2012–13 wet season the maximum total uranium concentration measured downstream from the Ranger Mine was 0.19 micrograms per litre. This value is approximately three per cent of the local ecotoxicologically derived limit of 6 micrograms per litre, and approximately one per cent of the 20 micrograms per litre guideline for potable water.
  
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  In 2012–13 an ecotoxicologically derived magnesium pulse exposure limit was developed that will provide the basis for a significant revision of the statutory water quality monitoring program at Ranger mine utilising leading practice continuous monitoring technology.
  
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  The Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities added Indigenous heritage values to the existing listing of the Wet Tropics of Queensland and also added the Western Tasmania Aboriginal Cultural Landscape to the National Heritage List, bringing the total number of places in the list to 98.