Document
Index
Budget Paper 2
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Document
Index |
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Expense ($m)
Explanation
The Government will provide funding of $31.8 million over five years from 1999-2000 to assist with the implementation of the Great Artesian Basin Strategic Management Plan. This measure meets the Government’s election commitment in Primed for Growth to support pastoral enterprises and mining and extractive industries in or around the Great Artesian Basin by facilitating progress towards the restoration of groundwater pressures.
Under this measure, grants will be made to States and Territories to assist bore rehabilitation, with some supplementary incentives made available for the replacement of open drains with piping. The Government may fund related activities, including promotion of the benefits of participation in bore rehabilitation and drain replacement schemes, and monitoring and evaluation to guide programme expenditure.
The Great Artesian Basin Strategic Management plan will be funded in partnership with State and Territory Governments and water users and managed to ensure lasting change in attitudes, water use and grazing management practices.
Expense ($m)
Explanation
In accordance with the Government’s election commitment in Primed for Growth, this measure involves adoption of a new basis for determining cost sharing arrangements to enable rapid and effective containment and eradication of animal disease outbreaks.
Under the new arrangements, the contributions of governments and industry would be pre-determined according to an agreed formula for each emergency taking into account the relative responsibilities of, and benefits for, the Commonwealth and State/Territory Governments and industry.
There will also be an expansion in the coverage of known serious diseases and previously unknown and emerging threats beyond the twelve included in the current Commonwealth/State cost sharing arrangement.
Expense ($m)
Explanation
The Government will continue funding for the Supermarket to Asia (STA) Council and the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service Technical Market Access Programme for a further three years. Funding will provide for the establishment of a New Industries Development Programme, to be managed under the direction of the STA Council. This programme builds on the success of the Supermarket to Asia – the Delicatessen programme.
See also the related expense measure under the Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry portfolio titled Food and Fibre Supply Chain Programme.
This measure delivers on the Government’s election commitment in Primed for Growth.
Expense ($m)
Explanation
This saving in departmental expenses represents efficiencies which are to be derived by the application of competitive tendering and contracting and other performance improvement initiatives.
Savings will be generated by internal efficiencies, and are not expected to have any community impact.
Expense ($m)
Explanation
The Government will provide new funding of $9.2 million to implement its election commitment in Primed for Growth to enable the Australian agrifood and fibre industries to react effectively to changes in overseas markets.
This measure will improve the competitiveness of Australia’s agrifood and fibre industries by building stronger and more cooperative relationships along the agri chain from the producer to the consumer.
See also the related expense measure under the Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry portfolio titled Supermarket to Asia Strategy.
Further Information
The programme will be managed by a subsidiary of Supermarket to Asia (STA) Ltd under a purchaser-provider model. The Government will support projects identified by enterprises or industries.
The management company will undertake a complementary communications strategy to build improved supply chain management in the Australian food and fibre industries.
Expense ($m)
Explanation
The Government will increase patrols in Australia’s remote subantarctic waters to deter illegal fishing, fulfilling an election commitment in Wealth from the Sea. The patrols will use civil vessels that can remain on station for many weeks.
Outcomes for the programme include the prevention of illegal fishing in the Australian Fishing Zone (AFZ) around the subantarctic Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands (HIMI) with consequential protection of important fishery resources, especially of the Patagonian toothfish, which Australian-licenced vessels catch in the region.
Expense ($m)
Explanation
The Government will, in accordance with its election commitment in Primed for Growth, support the implementation of the National Ovine Johnes Disease (OJD) Control and Evaluation Programme, a six-year joint undertaking involving the wool and sheepmeat industries, as well as State and Territory governments. The programme is to provide, by 2003, sufficient information to allow an informed decision on the national management of OJD.
The programme is intended to assess the feasibility and cost effectiveness of implementing a national eradication strategy, and to control the spread of the disease while this activity is taking place.
The major elements of the programme include an evaluation of de-stocking and alternative management options; surveillance and monitoring of the incidence of the disease and research to address critical deficits in knowledge about the behaviour of the disease in sheep and the environment, as well as diagnostic techniques.
Expense ($m)
Explanation
The Government will extend the Tasmanian Wheat Freight Scheme (TWFS). The scheme will be reviewed after the 1999-2000 financial year. The TWFS, which covers most of the costs of shipping and unloading wheat from the mainland to Tasmania, will assist the economic sustainability of the cereal processing and related baking, intensive animal, feedlot and aquaculture industries in Tasmania.
Expense ($m)
Explanation
The Government will provide funding to finalise the comprehensive regional assessments of all forest values, the integration of the data and the subsequent conclusion of Regional Forest Agreements (RFA) by the end of 1999. This increased funding honours the Government’s election commitment in Our Living Heritage.
Further Information
RFAs are reached with the relevant State and Territory Governments following Comprehensive Regional Assessments (CRAs) of all forest values. The economic, social and environmental assessments undertaken as part of the CRAs provide a crucial underpinning to the negotiation of RFAs and to the longevity of the RFAs in terms of scientific and public credibility.
CRAs are complete or substantially complete for six of the remaining eight priority area RFAs. The eight areas are Eden, the Southern, Lower North East and Upper North East regions of New South Wales, the Gippsland, Upper North East and West regions of Victoria, and the South East region of Queensland.
See also the related expense measure under the Environment and Heritage portfolio titled Protecting Australia’s forests.
Expense ($m)
Explanation
The Government will fund the identification of quarantine risks to northern Australia and the provision of early warning of quarantine risks and pest incursions through a programme of monitoring, surveillance and public awareness across northern Australia and in neighbouring areas of Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. This measure will provide continued protection of Australia’s animal, plant and human health and the environment, and honours a Government election commitment in Primed for Growth.
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