Regional Services

Sustainable Regions

The Sustainable Regions Programme (SRP) assists selected regions undergoing major economic, social or technological change and supports community leadership in the development of local solutions. The programme, with funding of $32.5 million for 2004–05, assists the selected regions to plan for the future and build capacity for strategic and informed decision–making at the regional level. It contributes to the implementation of projects that will make a real difference to economic opportunity and quality of life. Priorities are determined by locally–based advisory committees comprising business, community and local government representatives, after consultation with communities. These locally–based committees examine projects against the region’s priorities and make recommendations to the Minister for funding. SRP nurtures partnerships which foster the development of self–reliant regions and aims to give maximum ownership and independence to each region. Applicants for grants are actively encouraged to seek partners to ensure that there is broad and integrated consideration of the issues within the regions.

The regions selected for assistance under the programme are the Atherton Tablelands, Wide Bay Burnett, Far North–East New South Wales, Campbelltown–Camden, Gippsland, North–West and West Coast Tasmania, Playford–Salisbury and the Kimberley.

The SRP is well established in the eight regions with approved projects attracting $3 in partner contributions for each $1 awarded under the Sustainable Regions Programme.

Regional Partnerships

The Australian Government’s approach to regional development set out in: Stronger Regions, A Stronger Australia is to work in partnership with communities, government and the private sector to foster the development of self–reliant communities and regions.

The Government will spend a total of $308.2 million over the four years from 2004–05 on the Regional Partnerships Programme which supports this approach to regional development. This includes new funding of $78.2 million.

Regional Partnerships focuses on projects which help communities:

• strengthen growth and opportunities;
• improve access to services;
• support planning; and
• assist structural adjustment where required.

Projects are assessed against the following criteria:

• clear outcomes that demonstrate a benefit for the region;
• partnerships and support, including financial contributions and support from the regional community; and
• the viability of the project and the applicant.

Regional Partnerships is designed to make it much easier for regional communities to access assistance. Applicants are encouraged to seek advice from the Area Consultative Committee in their region.

Area Consultative Committees

Fifty–six Area Consultative Committees (ACCs) operate throughout Australia and are funded through the Regional Partnerships Programme. They are the primary point of local promotion, project and application development and key providers of independent advice on Regional Partnerships’ applications from their region. Under their Charter, ACCs also facilitate whole–of–government responses to opportunities in their communities, foster regional development, and are the link between Government, business and the community. ACCs can assist regional communities to manage change at the local level and lead their own development with the support of both the Government and the private sector.

Commonwealth Regional Information Service

The Commonwealth Regional Information Service brings together a number of practical ways for regional, rural and remote Australians to get information about the comprehensive range of programmes and services delivered by the Australian Government. The service provides clients with start–up information on relevant services and programmes and also associated contact detail for the responsible agencies. The service aims to enable easy access to Australian Government information. The Government has committed $4.92 million ($3.3 million in 2004-05) for delivery of call centre services and to promote the service through regional Australia via a national marketing campaign.

The Commonwealth Regional Information Service comprises of:

• a freecall information line — available Australia wide 9am-6pm AEST;
• a website — The Regional Entry Point;
• the Commonwealth Regional Information Directory (previously known as The Rural Book);
• a mobile shopfront visiting key community members and development and industry conferences and seminars;
• community information stands; and
• the Commonwealth Regional Information Book, a quick reference guide to the Government’s major services.

Weipa Electricity Generation Compensation Package

The Government has provided for funding of $6.6 million over three years from 2004-05 to the Weipa community to compensate it for the loss of access to the Diesel Fuel Rebate for electricity generation that was available to the previous electricity provider, Comalco Ltd. This structural adjustment package will commence following the necessary transfer of local government responsibility to Weipa as a new local government authority.

Regional Office Network

The Department of Transport and Regional Services has regional programmes staff located in 12 offices across Australia (Darwin, Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, Melbourne, Bendigo, Wollongong, Orange, Newcastle, Brisbane, Townsville and Longreach). Regional offices work in partnership with ACCs in managing the delivery of Regional Partnerships and the Sustainable Regions Programme.

Family Services and Centrelink

Extension of Voluntary Work Initiative — Continuation of funding

The Government will provide $7.2 million over four years from 1 July 2004 for the continuation of the Voluntary Work Initiative (VWI) to help people of working age on income support to take up voluntary work. This not only provides a potential pathway to employment but also gives people the opportunity to contribute positively to their community.

The VWI, delivered through Volunteer Resource Centres (VRCs), funds the provision of referral and placement services and training of organisations in volunteer management particularly in regional and remote areas. VRCs provide a valuable community resource that involves community education and development.

Auslan Interpreting Services — enhanced access

The Government will provide $18.4 million over four years from 2004-05 to establish a national booking service to provide accredited Auslan interpreters free of charge to deaf people attending specified private medical and health consultations. The booking service will have a positive impact on deaf people nationally (estimated to be 6,500 people), including deaf people living in regional Australia.

Household Organisational Management Expenses (HOME) Advice Programme

The Government will provide $10.4 million over four years from 2004–05 for the Household Organisational Management Expenses (HOME) Advice Programme. The HOME Advice Programme identifies families at risk of homelessness and provides early assistance to prevent family homelessness occurring. The HOME Advice Programme will build on the success of the 2001-02 Budget measure — Family Homelessness Prevention and Early Intervention Pilot.

Community agencies and Centrelink will work in partnership to provide seamless service delivery to families at risk of homelessness in eight locations, one in each State and Territory. Almost 40 per cent of funding (approximately $3.9 million) will be directed to regional communities.

Family Assistance — Additional Outside School Hours Care places

The Government will provide $125.6 million over five years from 2003-04 to increase the number of Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) places by a total of 40,000 in 2004. This increase includes 10,000 places that were allocated to existing services in January 2004. An additional 30,000 places will be allocated, primarily to new OSHC services, from 1 July 2004.

Places will be allocated through the child care planning process, which seeks to identify areas of Australia where the need for more outside school hours child care places is greatest. Independent Planning Advisory Committees in each State and Territory assess a range of data, including population, supply, utilisation and demand, in making recommendations about areas that need more places. While it is not possible to predetermine where places may be allocated, the needs of rural and regional areas will be given the same consideration as other areas.

Family Assistance — Additional Family Day Care Places

The Government will increase the number of family day care places by a total of 4,000 in 2004.

This increase includes 2,500 places that were announced by the Government in December 2003, and allocated from January 2004. These places were immediately allocated to areas with demonstrated need, as identified through the child care planning system. An additional 1,500 places will be allocated from July 2004. Total funding of $94.3 million over five years from 2003-04 is provided for this measure.

Family day care offers flexible child care, particularly for families located in remote or rural areas of Australia. Family day care promotes early childhood development and learning in a safe and secure environment. Funding provided under this measure allows Child Care Benefit to be paid to eligible parents. Services that were given additional places also receive additional operational subsidies.

Family Assistance — Increased Funding For The Child Care Support Programme

The Government will provide additional funding of $16.3 million over four years from 2004–05 to enhance services provided through the Child Care Support Programme (previously known as the Broadband). The funding will target two areas:

• establishment of child care services in high need rural, regional and indigenous communities; and
• inclusion of children with additional needs into quality child care.

The measure will assist families and children by addressing gaps in child care provision identified through the review of the Child Care Support Programme. The measure will increase access to quality child care for families including children with additional needs and those in rural and remote Australia.

Family Assistance — Stronger Families and Communities Strategy — Continuation of Funding for A Refocused Early Childhood Strategy

The Government will provide $365.8 million over four years from 1 July 2004 for the continuation of the Stronger Families and Communities Strategy and the expansion of the Government’s commitment to early childhood initiatives. The revised Strategy will comprise four components:

Communities for Children

Communities for Children will address the needs of young children and families in disadvantaged communities, to give children the best possible start in life. The initiative provides funding of $110 million over four years from 2004–05 and will target up to 35 communities. It will provide funding of up to $4 million per community over four years.

Early Childhood — Invest to Grow

Early Childhood — Invest to Grow provides $70.5 million in funding over four years to support the expansion of successful and developing early childhood programmes to a greater number of locations. Funding will also support the development of resources or tools for use by parents, professionals, community groups and/or government organisations to support positive early child development.

Local Answers

Local Answers complements other initiatives of the Strategy by providing funding of $60 million over four years to community organisations, including rural and regional areas, for local, small-scale projects that help communities to build skills and capacity, identify opportunities and take action for the benefit of their members.

Choice and Flexibility in Child Care

Funding of $125.3 million over four years is available for flexible and innovative child care solutions.

Choice and Flexibility in Child Care will expand the In-home Care Programme for families with no other child care options. In-home care is a flexible form of child care where care is provided in the child’s home by an approved carer. It is only available to families that have no other child care options, which includes:

• families in rural and remote Australia;
• families working non-standard hours such as police, firefighters, ambulance, nurses, doctors, and security personnel;
• families with multiple children under school age; and
• families where either the parent or child has a chronic or terminal illness

Choice and Flexibility in Child Care will also fund the Long Day Care Incentive Scheme to create more long-day care centres in rural and urban fringe areas of identified high unmet demand, each with places for young children under the age of three.

Family and Community Networks Initiative

The Family and Community Networks Initiative aims to enhance the capacity of communities and services to work together effectively to address the needs of families and communities. The programme is focussed on supporting Indigenous communities particularly those participating in the Council of Australian Governments’ Indigenous Community Coordination Pilots around Australia. Funding is available ($8.5 million over four years) from 2002-03.

More Flexibility for Carers and Better Support for People in Care

Carer Allowance – expand eligibility criteria

From 1 April 2005, the Government will extend eligibility for Carer Allowance to carers who provide substantial levels of care but do not currently live with the person for whom they provide care. These carers provide personal care in a private home to people with a disability or a severe medical condition, or to people who are frail aged. The measure, costing $106.9 million over four years (from 2004–05), is expected to assist an additional 13,270 private carers. The measure will retain the current eligibility rules for assessing the care receiver’s needs, and require the carer to provide at least 20 hours personal care per week.

Carers – Increased access to respite care

The government will commit $72.5 million over four years (from 2004–05) to provide increased respite for ageing parents who care for a child with a disability. Under this measure from 1 January 2005 parents over 70 years of age who provide primary care for a child with a disability will be eligible for up to four weeks respite each year, while parents aged 65 to 69 who care for a child with a disability will be eligible for up to two weeks respite each year if they need to spend time in hospital. The government believes that parents who have provided a lifetime of care for their child with a disability deserve recognition and need appropriate support to continue their caring role. The Australian Government will be working with state and territory governments to jointly fund guaranteed respite and to improve transition planning for this group.

Carers – Respite and information services

From 1 January 2005, the government will provide young carers at risk of prematurely leaving school, or the vocational equivalent, with additional respite, support and information services. Young carers will gain access to up to five hours in-home respite per week during the school term and will also have access to one fortnight of respite care each year to undertake activities such as studying for exams, training or recreation. In addition, young carers will be able to access age-appropriate information, advice and referral services including a telephone hotline, on-line advice and an information package.

The measure will cost $26.6 million over four years (from 2004–05).

Further Assistance for Regional, Rural and Remote Disability Employment Service Providers

As part of the introduction of Case Based Funding for Disability Employment Assistance, from 1 January 2005, $15.4 million in additional fees will be available over three years for payment for services in regional, rural and remote areas to address issues associated with intermittent job seeker referrals, higher servicing costs and the need for a sustainable service delivery network. The additional fees to be paid include a set-up fee for new services, core funding in the form of base line fees, outlet locational loadings and job seeker locational loadings. This was part of a $160.7 million dollar package to improve and extend the employment services available to people with disabilities and ensure a viable and sustainable sector.

On 21 April 2004, the Prime Minister and the Minister for Family and Community Services announced a $99.1 million package over four years in flexible assistance for business services and their current employees. This builds on the $160.7 million provided in the 2003–04 Budget.

One of the key components of the additional funding for business services is an assurance that no sole service in a town or region will close thus providing security and continuity for people with disabilities working and living in those communities.

A Better Deal for People with Disabilities

In the Australians Working Together package announced in the 2001-02 Budget, additional allocations were provided for disability employment assistance and vocational rehabilitation places. This initiative will result in an additional 27,000 new job seekers receiving assistance — 16,000 through disability employment assistance places and 11,000 through vocational rehabilitation places nationally over three years, commencing in September 2002. Places are targeted to older workers and parents with a disability, areas of high demand and rural and regional locations. A total of $102 million for disability employment assistance and $43 million for vocational rehabilitation will be provided over three years from 2002-03.

Reconnect programme

Reconnect is a youth homelessness early intervention programme, which began operating in December 1999. The Reconnect programme is fully implemented and, as at April 2004, 98 Reconnect services have been funded nationwide. Approximately 40 per cent of funding (around $8 million each year) is being directed to regional, rural and remote communities, including 14 Indigenous communities.

Services are located in communities of high need, which were identified by State and Territory Governments. The objective of the programme is to reconnect young people, aged 12-18, with family, education, training, employment and their community. The Reconnect programme has been funded for a total of $82.1 million over four years from 2003-04, including $20.9 million in 2004-05.

Jobs, Education and Training Programme Child Care

Jobs, Education and Training Child Care (JETCC) helps people who receive certain Centrelink payments, including Parenting Payment, to enter or re-enter the workforce. JETCC assists parents to access child care places to enable them to participate in education, training and employment. Assistance can also be provided for the cost of child care for some families, which further reduces barriers to participating in approved activities. In more remote regions and in other areas where formal child care is not available, crèches have been established to care for children so that eligible parents can participate in education, training and employment opportunities. Funding of $15.3 million has been provided for this programme in 2004-05, including $2.8 million as part of the Australians Working Together package announced in the 2001-02 Budget.

Flexible and innovative child care services

Since coming to office in 1996, the Government has responded to the unmet demand for child care, and the special requirements of service delivery in rural and regional Australia, by providing flexible services which meet community needs. Ongoing recurrent funding of $4 million annually is available to support these services in rural and regional areas.

Flexible services are being established in small rural communities and regional areas with dispersed populations, where the need for formal child care has been identified but where the standard models of care, such as long day care, outside school hours care and family day care, are either inappropriate or unavailable. Funding is also provided to assist with the child care needs of children with additional needs.

Funding of more than $20 million annually is provided for Multifunctional Children’s Services, Multifunctional Aboriginal Children's Services and playgroups, mobile services, and enrichment programmes targeted to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families.

Disadvantaged Area Subsidy

The Disadvantaged Area Subsidy (DAS) is a recurrent subsidy to assist with the operating costs of a service. Overall, DAS funding totalling $11 million each year is provided to some 650 child care services in rural and regional Australia.

Men and Family Relationships Programme

The Men and Family Relationships Programme is an innovative initiative working with men in the community. The programme assists men to deal with emotional issues around relationships, so that they can manage a range of relationship difficulties and enhance or re-establish positive relationships. Funding of $19.6 million over four years from 2003-04 will be provided through the Men and Family Relationships programme to continue men’s services, including in rural and remote Australia. This funding increases the capacity of rural and remote services to retain skilled staff and build on the community networks and knowledge developed since the projects commenced.

Family and Relationships Education Programme

Funding of $5.5 million is being provided over four years from 2003-04 to maintain Family Relationships Education (FRE) services, including in rural, regional and remote Australia.

The FRE programme assists couples to improve their relationship skills and to maintain healthy relationships. Relationship education services offer early intervention and prevention services to assist couples and families to strengthen their family relationships through learning new skills for better relationships.

Centrelink Services to Regional Australia

Centrelink continues to tailor its services to the particular needs of small rural and regional communities through its Customer Service Centre, Call Centre (including two dedicated Rural Call Centres in Port Augusta-South Australia and Maryborough-Queensland) and agent networks.

Centrelink currently has:

• more than 320 Customer Service Centres across Australia, of which 185 are located in or are responsible for delivering a service to rural and regional Australia;
• a network of over 480 community - based Agents and Access Points who provide a daily contact and information service on Centrelink’s behalf (165 of these are specifically targeted at assisting Indigenous customers);
• a range of visiting services to small rural towns, as well as remote visiting teams servicing isolated Indigenous communities;
• a farmers’ 1800 number to handle enquiries from farmers on initiatives targeted at primary producers (excluding drought);
• a 13 number which provides assistance to farmers on drought related initiatives and access to personal support and counselling services to members of drought affected communities; and
• a service in approximately 70 of the Rural Transaction Centres opened to date.

Veterans’ Affairs

$1.4 million funding in 2004-05 for Veteran and Community Grants

The Veteran and Community Grants Programme provides funding to maintain and improve the independence and quality of life of veterans and war widows/widowers living in the community. The partnerships that develop between the veteran community and local community services through projects funded by Veteran and Community Grants improve veterans’ access to services and provide a cost effective way to offer community organisations minimal funds for locally based services which benefit the veteran community. Approximately 50 per cent of the total funds available are directed to projects in rural and remote areas as part of the Government’s efforts to ensure that veterans and war widows in these areas do not miss out on services or assistance.

$0.7 million funding to Maintain Rural and Remote Service Delivery Arrangements for 2004-05

In 2001–02 the Government acted to continue and increase funding for the Department of Veterans’ Affairs programme of agency arrangements in rural and regional areas first announced in 1997–98. Agency arrangements use other Australian Government, State and local organisations to deliver information and assistance to the veteran community in regional areas where the Department of Veterans’ Affairs is unable to maintain a permanent full–time presence.

Review of Pricing Arrangements in Residential Aged Care

Funding of $14.8 million has been provided over three years commencing 2004–05 to increase funding for the viability supplement paid to rural and remote residential aged care service providers, given their lower capacity to generate income and capital. This is part of the Government’s response to the Hogan report and forms part of investing in Australia’s Aged Care - More Places, Better Care.

Science and Research

CSIRO National Research Flagships

In addition to its core research activities, the Government provided $20 million to CSIRO in 2003–04 to establish six National Research Flagships. Additional funding for $305 million over seven years was announced in the context of the 2004–05 Budget, as part of Backing Australia’s Ability, Building our Future through Science and Innovation. Flagships are large-scale, multidisciplinary research partnerships designed to have national, fast-tracked impact in key areas of economic and community need. Their scale, longer timeframes and clear focus on delivery and adoption of research outputs are designed to maximise their impact.

CSIRO has developed Flagships in response to national needs and has worked to achieve quicker outcomes by reallocating significant internal resources to increase the scale and viability of Flagships. This is necessary to achieve the required impacts, taking into account the relatively small scale of existing Australian research capacity within a global economy.

The Flagships are closely aligned to the National Research Priorities and will deliver solutions to advance national objectives. The six Flagships and their goals are:

• Preventative Health — to help reduce healthcare costs and increase total economic benefit by enabling Australians to achieve an extra ten years of productive and enjoyable life.
• Food Futures — to transform the international competitiveness and add $3 billion of value to the Australian agrifood sector by applying frontier technologies to its largest industries.
• Energy Transformed — to double the efficiency of the nation’s new energy production, to halve energy losses and to make Australia a world leader in cutting greenhouse emissions.
• Water for a Healthy Country — to achieve a tenfold increase in the social, economic and environmental benefits from water use by 2025.
• Leading the Light Metal Age — to help generate significant new export income, industries and enterprises for Australia by the 2020s by leading the global revolution in light metals.
• Wealth from Australia Oceans — to build on Australia’s excellence in climate and ocean science to generate sustainable wealth from our marine resources.

Regional communities will benefit with approximately 20 per cent of CSIRO research infrastructure located in regional areas.

Smart Moves Programme

The Government will provide $11.4 million over seven years commencing 2004-05 to continue and expand Questacon and Smart Moves Programme.

Questacon Smart Moves raise secondary school students’ awareness of science and innovation and encourages involvement in science, maths, engineering and technology, especially in regional and rural areas.

Funding will provide touring science outreach programmes to schools an annual Invention Convention and website material.

Cooperative Research Centres Programme

The Cooperative Research Centres Programme (CRC) was established to improve the effectiveness of Australia’s research and development effort. It links researchers with industry to focus R&D efforts on progress towards utilisation and commercialisation. The close interaction between researchers and the users of research is a key feature of the programme. Another feature of the programme is industry contribution to CRC education programmes to produce industry–ready graduates.

Funding for the CRC Programme is estimated at $193 million in 2004–05, $206.4 million in 2005–06, and $187.3 million in 2006–07. At present, twelve CRCs are based in regional centres and many other CRCs undertake research and development programmes that deliver benefits or outcomes for rural and regional Australia. Regional universities are active participants in many CRCs.

Major National Research Facilities Programme

The Government is funding fifteen Major National Research Facilities. These facilities were selected in a competitive process and are funded over a period of five years. Funding under the MNRF Programme has been fully committed. The revised allocation of funding for 2004–05 is $42.3 million.

Major National Research Facilities are expensive, large equipment items or highly specialised laboratories that are vital for conducting leading–edge research in science, engineering and technology. Four of these facilities are based in, or will deliver benefits to, regional Australia – including: the National Tele–test Facility based at Edith Cowan University; the Australian Maritime Hydrodynamic Research Centre based at the University of Tasmania and the Australian Maritime College; the Arafura–Timor Research Facility based in Darwin; and Provisor Pty Ltd is located at the Wait Campus of the Australian Wine Research Institute in Urrbrae and has nodes at Merbein and Wagga Wagga.

The MNRF Programme aims to enhance access for Australian researchers to world–class, specialised facilities not otherwise available, increase opportunities for scientific research and development, attract overseas researchers and firms to Australia, and retain local talent.

Regional Protection Fund

The Regional Protection Fund was established in 2001 and will now be extended through to 2007–08. The budget over the four extra years (2004–08) will be $12.4 million. Funding available under the programme will be limited to $3 million annually (adjusted for cost increases). The Government will announce the details of the allocation process in mid–2004.

The additional funding will maintain and build regional universities' research capabilities, ensuring that they can continue to conduct competitively funded research which is of benefit to regional Australia and more broadly.

Meteorology

The Government is committing $214 million in 2004–05 to the Bureau of Meteorology, much of which will benefit rural and regional Australia through the Bureau’s provision of essential weather, climate, hydrological and oceanographic services, and its research into environment–related issues such as climate change, water resources management, air quality and ozone depletion.

Environment and Heritage

Natural Resource Management — Land and Water Catchments

The Government has invested more resources than ever before into environmental programmes particularly those in rural and regional Australia. This budget builds on the unprecedented level of investment in our environment through the $3 billion Natural Heritage Trust.

Working in close partnership with State and Territory Governments, regional bodies and local governments and communities, the Australian Government will invest in 2004-05 $310 million from the Natural Heritage Trust and $152.7 million from the National Action Plan. In 2004–05, over $300 million will be invested through regional organisations from these two programmes. This Budget will provide an extra $300 million to continue the Natural Heritage Trust into 2007-08. The Trust is the largest and most successful environmental rescue effort ever undertaken in Australia’s history. The new funding will build on the unprecedented level of investment in our environment adding a twelfth year to the Trust and bringing total investment in the Trust to $3 billion. Introduced by the Government in 1996-97, the Trust will continue to provide the foundation for a sustainable Australia with ongoing funding for practical, strategic and results oriented actions by the Australian people and all levels of government.

The Budget reaffirms the landmark $200 million for a Basin-wide strategic approach to water over-allocation in the Murray-Darling Basin agreed at COAG in August 2003.

This contribution demonstrates the Australian Government's commitment to partnerships with the State and Territory Governments to improve the health of one of our biggest natural icons, the Murray River system. It is subject to satisfactory agreement between the partners on the introduction of the National Water Initiative.

The Murray-Darling Basin is the heartland and the economic powerhouse of rural Australia, extending across one-seventh of the continent and has a population of nearly two million people. Another million people outside the region depend heavily upon its resources.

The Australian Government is committing $86 million over the next four years commencing 2004–05 to supporting the Murray Darling Basin Commission’s work. Efforts will be concentrated on maintaining momentum with salinity management, and restoration of healthy floodplain forests and wetlands, expanding the geographic range of native fish and improving the habitat for migratory water birds.

At the local level, the Australian Government Envirofund enables community groups and individuals to apply for grants of up to $30,000 to carry out on–ground and other actions to target local problems. The Government’s commitment to Envirofund will continue with up to $20 million allocated in 2004–2005.

Natural Resource Management — Ocean and Coastal

In 2004, the Australian Government will launch the world’s first–ever regional marine plan covering some 2 million square kilometres of Australia’s southeast oceans. This plan will provide the framework for the sustainable development of the area, which employs over 75,000 Australians, has industries worth over $19 billion per year and a rich abundance of biodiversity including some 600 distinct species of fish, 85 per cent of which are endemic.

In this year’s Budget, $9.3 million is being provided in 2004–05 to support this plan and to develop two more plans for northern and southwest Australia.

The Government supports a national network of about 750 natural resource management facilitators to underpin the delivery of the Natural Heritage Trust and the National Action Plan. The Government has funded up to an additional 35 facilitators to support grass–roots level volunteers involved in Coastcare, Waterwatch and Bushcare activities undertaking environmental work on dunes and headlands, removing weeds and replanting with native vegetation, and monitoring water quality. Their efforts extend into the marine environment, monitoring marine species and educating the community about reducing their impact on our oceans.

The Australian Government will commit an additional $30.3 million over the next three years commencing 2004–05 towards the protection and rehabilitation of the Great Barrier Reef through its new Zoning Plan, creating the largest network of protected marine areas in the world.

The rezoning includes a structural adjustment package for affected commercial fishers and their communities who may be adversely impacted by the implementation of the new zones.

The existing Regional Partnerships programme will be used to deliver assistance to affected communities.

Climate Change

Climate change is an important global challenge that requires long–term effective action at the domestic and international level, and which may have significant implications for rural and regional Australia. Early and effective adaptation to potential climate change impacts can help minimise risks, generate economic benefits, and reduce the costs of the effects of climate change that are already occurring.

The Australian Government is committing $14.2 million over four years through the 2004–05 Budget for its new National Climate Change Adaptation measure. Detailed assessments of the economic and social implications of climate change will be undertaken in six potentially vulnerable areas including water use and water infrastructure development, agriculture practices, and biodiversity.

The Government is committing $20.5 million (including new funding of $19.5 million) over four years from 2004–05 to work to reduce emissions and encourage new abatement technologies in regional areas. In addition to greenhouse benefits, the activities are likely to result in providing additional environmental and productivity benefits in areas for land management such as reducing salinity and improving natural resource management.

Cultural Heritage

For the first time in Australia’s history, we now have national legislation that provides the framework for the recognition and protection of our greatest national treasures. On 1 January 2004, the Australian Government commenced implementing ground breaking new Commonwealth heritage laws to help protect the nation's natural, Indigenous and historic heritage. In 2004–05, $15.3 million will be allocated to assist the nomination process and engage all Australians in helping to protect our national heritage

The Australian Government has provided funding of more than $52 million over four years, for the Distinctively Australian Heritage Programme, which commenced in 2003–2004 is working to identify and protect Australia's places of outstanding national heritage significance. The programme commenced in 2003–04.

The Cultural Heritage Projects Programme provides assistance to community groups, private owners and local governments to identify and conserve their heritage places. On 20 April 2004, 72 approved grants valued at $3.5 million were announced. Funding in 2004–05 for cultural heritage projects will help to preserve significant historic and Aboriginal places including churches, homesteads and former missions, convict sites and important remnants of our industrial heritage.

Green Corps — Young Australians for the Environment Programme

Green Corps — Young Australians for the Environment Programme is an Australian Government youth development and environmental training programme for young people aged 17–20 years. Green Corps provides young people with the opportunity to volunteer their commitment to conserve, preserve and restore Australia's natural environment and cultural heritage.

Each Green Corps project involves ten young people taking part in a range of activities and experiences over a 26–week period. The young people receive a participant allowance and take part in projects mostly located in regional and remote areas of Australia. Green Corps participants gain improved career and employment prospects through accredited training and personal development opportunities in areas such as leadership and teamwork. Participants are also provided with an opportunity to develop improved connections with the community. In 2004-05 $23.9 million will be allocated to the programme.

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