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The Commonwealth aims to protect and conserve Australia's unique natural and cultural heritage within a national framework of sustainable development.
Priorities for 2001-02 are:
The emphasis is on targeted and strategic initiatives to bring industry, the community and governments together to achieve desired environmental, economic and social outcomes.
This chapter summarises major initiatives. Detailed information can be found in Chapter 4: Key Environment Activities.
The Commonwealth is working with the States and Territories towards sustainable and integrated natural resource management.
The Government addresses conservation and sustainable management of our natural resources through the Natural Heritage Trust.
The Government will provide a further $1 billion for a five-year extension of the Trust from 2002-03 to 2006-07.
The Natural Heritage Trust provides a comprehensive, integrated approach to environment protection, sustainable agriculture and natural resource management across Australia. The experience gained from the Trust has helped to develop the National Action Plan on Salinity and Water Quality.
According to the mid-term review of the Trust, since it was established in 1997 some 300,000 Australians have been involved in Trust activities. The catalytic effect of Commonwealth funding is substantial, with community and State investment estimated to be in the order of $3 for every dollar provided by the Commonwealth through the Trust.
The Natural Heritage Trust provides most of the funding for the following major activities in 2001-02:
With the additional $1 billion funding, the Government will strengthen the Trust's investment focus on the environment, sustainable agriculture and natural resource management, and will simplify the Trust's delivery.
The additional funding will be supplemented by interest income generated from the minimum balance of the Trust in the Natural Heritage Trust of Australia Reserve as required by the Natural Heritage Trust of Australia Act 1997. The income can be spent according to the purposes of the Reserve.
The extension of the Trust for a further five years will build on the success of the current work.
Details on Trust funding are in Table 2.5 in Chapter 2: Budget Overview and in individual environmental themes addressed in Chapter 4: Key Environment Activities.
More than five million hectares of land in Australia are at risk from salinity caused by rising water tables. Credible projections suggest that this could rise to 17 million hectares by 2050. This problem has been addressed through on-ground action funded under the Natural Heritage Trust, and through research and the development of information resources such as the National Land and Water Resources Audit which provide nationwide assessments of land, vegetation and water resources.
The Government recognised, however, that more action was needed and in October 2000 it announced the $700 million National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality to target salinity and water quality problems in priority catchments. Under the plan, integrated catchment/regional management plans will set targets for the maintenance and improvement of the natural resources, including biodiversity, in the priority catchments.
The Government recognises that community support is essential and will work with stakeholders to develop and implement the plan. The plan will also assist the development of knowledge, skills and managerial networks.
The National Action Plan complements existing strategies, such as the Murray-Darling Basin Salinity Strategy, and augments the work of the Murray-Darling Basin Commission.
The Lake Eyre Basin Agreement between the Commonwealth Government and the Queensland and South Australian Governments was signed in October 2000. The agreement provides a framework for the cooperative management of water and related natural resources associated with cross-border river systems in the Lake Eyre Basin, and for the protection of dependent aquatic ecosystems.
Environment Australia is improving the protection of wetland sites of national and international significance that are subject to the international Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran 1971). A specific focus is better planning and management.
The Government is committed to cost-effective greenhouse gas abatement policies. It is important that strong economic growth and job creation are secured while Australia meets its international greenhouse commitments. A national public information campaign is under way to encourage all Australians to help reduce greenhouse emissions.
The Australian Greenhouse Office is responsible for Australia's response to the greenhouse effect.
The Commonwealth has committed almost $1 billion to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, including nearly $800 million from the Measures for a Better Environment package. The $400 million Greenhouse Gas Abatement Programme supports large-scale cost-effective abatement focusing on the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, 2008-2012.
The Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000 will promote the use of renewable energy, fostering an estimated $2 billion in investment and leading to an additional 9,500 GWh of stationary energy being derived from renewable sources by 2010. This will raise the contribution of renewable energy sources to around 12 per cent of Australia's total electricity supply.
The Government is examining emissions-trading design options and has given in-principle support to the development of a voluntary early crediting programme. This programme would be aimed at helping industry to deal more effectively with the inherent uncertainties in greenhouse policy development and to hedge against potential future emission liabilities by investing in early low-cost abatement.
Under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) the Commonwealth Government is for the first time addressing the national environmental significance of development proposals. The Government is now examining many proposals where previously such proposals would have proceeded without Commonwealth scrutiny. The processes have also been simplified.
The Government is seeking to improve EPBC Act processes as it gains greater experience with the Act and proposed changes include:
The Government will protect marine wildlife and biological diversity and improve the management of marine, coastal and estuarine resources.
Australia's Oceans Policy will protect the marine environment and foster the sustainable development of Australia's marine resources. The National Oceans Office in Hobart was established to coordinate implementation of the policy.
Central to the policy is the development of regional marine plans based on broad-scale marine ecosystems. The scoping paper for the South-East Regional Plan was launched in early 2001. Work to be undertaken in 2001-02 will include biological, economic and social assessments, and consultations with stakeholders. During 2001-02 work will also start on the next regional marine plan.
The Government wants to achieve the sustainable use of Australia's fisheries. Under the EPBC Act, strategic environmental impact assessments of new management plans for Commonwealth fisheries will be undertaken. Within five years similar assessments will be made of those Commonwealth fisheries that do not have a management plan.
The Commonwealth has committed $10 million to the $20 million Queensland East Coast Trawl Restructure Programme. The programme will have major benefits for marine biodiversity, including that of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.
A key goal is eco-efficiency. Eco-efficiency reduces the use of resources and cuts pollution, waste and production costs. The Government has developed a programme of voluntary agreements with industry associations to encourage sustainability.
The proportion of waste oil being properly disposed of will be increased by product stewardship arrangements. A levy-benefit system managed by the Australian Taxation Office is assisting the transition to the new arrangements between 2000-01 and 2003-04.
Initiatives involving the financial sector encourage industry to adopt environmental management practices and public reporting regimes, rather than merely complying with regulations. This promotes the incorporation of environmental considerations in lending, investment and insurance decisions.
Progress is being made in minimising waste. The National Packaging Covenant concentrates on used packaging material. Other measures to reduce diesel vehicle emissions and manage toxic air pollutants are being developed.
The Government is working to support a sustainable and internationally competitive environment industry that can exploit domestic and export business opportunities. An Environment Industries Action Agenda will identify business opportunities and promote growth in environment industries.
New Commonwealth heritage legislation will, for the first time, identify, list and protect places of national significance and those heritage places owned or leased by the Commonwealth. The regime will complement the heritage provisions of the EPBC Act and the World Heritage Programme.
The World Summit on Sustainable Development, a 10-year review of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, will be held in 2002. The Government will ensure that: