Outcome 1: clean land

Conserve, protect and sustainably manage Australia’s biodiversity, ecosystems, environment and heritage through research, information management, supporting natural resource management, establishing and managing Commonwealth protected areas, and reducing and regulating the use of pollutants and hazardous substances.

Summary of performance for Outcome 1

During 2014–15, the Green Army Programme began delivering on-ground conservation projects. More than 700 projects have now been approved for delivery over the first three years of the programme and during the year 329 of these commenced or were completed across the nation.

The programme is providing opportunities for Australians aged 17 to 24 to gain training and experience in environmental and heritage conservation fields. They can explore careers in conservation management while participating in projects that generate real benefits for the environment.

The Department designed and implemented the National Landcare Programme. To ensure the programme was relevant and met on-ground local needs, its design was informed by consultation with the community and business through information sessions held across the country and an online survey. Community and business emphasised the importance of simpler administration, more engagement and telling the story of natural resource management (NRM) achievements. These features underpin the implementation of the National Landcare Programme. Fifty-six regional NRM organisations across the country will be engaged in the new delivery arrangements.

Through the implementation of the 20 Million Trees programme under the National Landcare Programme, the Department has contracted commitments to plant almost nine million trees over the period 2014–15 to 2017–18. The Department delivered on election commitments such as the Coastal Rivers Recovery Initiative, Whale and Dolphin Protection Plan and Kimberley Cane Toad Clean Up.

The Department worked with Queensland Government departments to support the release of the Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan on 21 March 2015 to secure the health and resilience of the Great Barrier Reef for generations to come.

Progress was made on actions in the Reef 2050 Plan, including a historic ban by the Minister for the Environment on the disposal of capital dredge material in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. The Department funded several projects and priorities in 2014–15 and is supporting protection of the Great Barrier Reef through a range of mechanisms including the Australian Government’s $140 million Reef Trust.

The Australian Government has established a new national approach to recovering threatened species by appointing a Threatened Species Commissioner and developing a Threatened Species Strategy. In 2014–15, the commissioner worked collaboratively with all levels of government, scientists, ‘friends of’ groups, the non-profit sector and industry to secure more resources, build innovative approaches, encourage better coordination of conservation efforts, share information and promote action. For example, the commissioner coordinated rapid responses to emergencies such as the outbreak of beak and feather disease in orange-bellied parrots.

We completed a review of the 2008 Threat abatement plan for predation by feral cats and prepared a variation to the plan, providing a framework for collaborative action to control feral cats.

In response to public concern about hunting of lions within a a fenced enclosure (canned hunting), the Australian Government introduced a measure to limit Australian trade in items derived from African lions, including prevention of import and export of African lion hunting trophies.

The Department helped develop the Australian Heritage Strategy, which provides a framework for better identification and management of Australia’s historic properties, ensuring their long-term protection.

The Department continues leading in relevant international forums. At its June 2015 meeting, the World Heritage Committee praised Australia’s effort and approach to the management and conservation of the Great Barrier Reef. Representing Australia at the 11th Conference of Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) we successfully achieved endorsement for the Single Species Action Plan for the Loggerhead Turtle in the South Pacific Ocean. Australia was nominated as the Oceania representative for the CMS standing committee and will fulfil this role until the conclusion of the next Conference of Parties in 2017.

The Department contributed to the Australian Government’s deregulation agenda in the 2014 calendar year by reducing the compliance burden on business, not-for-profits and individuals by an estimated $546million in deregulatory savings while maintaining or improving environmental outcomes. Further information on the portfolio’s performance under the deregulation agenda is available in the Environment portfolio deregulation report 2014, available from the Department’s website.

The One Stop Shop for environmental approvals by the Commonwealth and the states and territories was progressed. When the One Stop Shop is fully in place, state and territory environmental assessment and approval systems will be accredited under national law to create a single approval process. The Australian Government introduced amendments to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) to enable the efficient and effective operation of the One Stop Shop. These amendments maintain the environmental standards in the EPBC Act. In 2014, the House of Representatives agreed to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act Amendment (Bilateral Agreement Implementation) Bill 2014. Once the Bill has been agreed by the Parliament, bilateral agreements will be implemented with all willing states and territories.

The Department delivered programmes under nine international conventions and 12 pieces of environmental legislation to improve the quality of the environment and reduce pollution in Australia. We reviewed legislation and programmes including the ozone protection and synthetic greenhouse gas legislation and the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme.

The Department worked closely with the community and industry to identify reform measures to reduce red tape while achieving outcomes of protecting the environment and human health. In July 2015 Environment Ministers committed to finalise a draft National Clean Air Agreement. The Clean Air Champions Initiative began on 12 June to support the aims of the agreement.

In 2014–15, the Australian Climate Change Science Programme delivered over 50 scientific publications that are improving our understanding of the causes, nature, timing and consequences of climate change. The programme also delivered new versions of Australia’s global climate model, used to develop climate change projections for Australia.

Under the Natural Resource Management Planning for Climate Change Fund, on 27 January 2015, CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology released climate change projections for Australia. Release of the projections to the Climate Change in Australia website on 8 April 2015 was followed by over 100000 visits to the site.

By December 2014, the Department had engaged six research hubs as part of the new National Environmental Science Programme to assist decision-makers to understand, manage and conserve Australia’s environment by funding world-class biodiversity and climate science. The programme replaces the five-year National Environmental Research Program. The National Environmental Research Program delivered over 700 products, including open access publications, tools, models, syntheses and data to improve management of the environment.

The Department protects the Alligator Rivers Region in the Northern Territory from the potential impact of uranium mining through research, monitoring, regulation and provision of information, and assurance to people who live around the Ranger uranium mine. In 2014–15, testing of waters downstream of the mine found no instances of uranium concentrations exceeding the six micrograms per litre limit.

The Department met all key performance indicators under Outcome 1.

Case study

Green Army develops skills and delivers conservation outcomes

The Green Army Programme supports environment and conservation projects across urban, regional and remote Australia. It is an initiative for young Australians aged 17 to 24 years who are interested in protecting their local environment. Participants receive an allowance and gain hands-on, practical skills, training and experience in environmental and conservation fields.

A recent Green Army participant, Kristal Kostaglou, a 22-year-old Boroondara resident, shared her experience of the Green Army:

The Green Army appealed to me because I’d just finished a Bachelor of Environmental Science. It’s everything I was pretty much looking for in a job. Local to home, hands-on experience, being outside, learning about different plant species. It’s also something different—each Green Army team does different things. It’s good to get a lot of different experience under your belt. The Green Army really starts you off at the beginner’s level, and helps you build on your knowledge. It’s something you can’t really get from just volunteering.

It is a really good feeling, looking over a site and even five months later, coming back and checking up on it, seeing that the plants are still alive and growing, and that there are other people enjoying it.

I would recommend the Green Army for anyone wanting to get into the environmental field; it’d be a perfect way to start, especially if you haven’t done any studying in that field, or even if you’re just interested.

Programme 1.1 Sustainable Management of Natural Resources and the Environment

Programme 1.1 objectives
Green Army Programme
  • Environmental Conservation: Support the delivery of enduring conservation outcomes at
    the local, regional and national level.
  • Community Engagement: Work cooperatively with community groups, and help raise awareness of environment and heritage values in the community.
  • Green Army Participation: Engage and deploy young Australians to participate in Green Army Teams, having highest regard for participant safety, wellbeing and personal needs
    and development.
  • Experience, Skills and Training: Provide participants with opportunities to undertake training recognised under the Australian Qualifications Framework, in areas which increase their skills and qualifications.
20 Million Trees
  • Facilitate the establishment of 20million trees and associated understorey by 2020 to improve the extent, connectivity and condition of native vegetation that supports native species (including threatened species and ecological communities) and contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
National Landcare Programme
  • Provide long-term funding, with simplified application processes, to support local projects that:
  • encourage community involvement in caring for the environment, protecting species and natural assets, and managing landscapes to sustain long-term economic and social benefits; and
  • support farmers and fishers to increase their long-term returns through better management of the natural resource base.
Reef 2050
  • Provide a long-term strategic approach to address key threats to the Great Barrier Reef through leading the development of the Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan.
  • Establish the Reef Trust to improve coastal habitat, water quality and enhance species protection in the Great Barrier Reef and catchments for the enduring protection and conservation of the Reef’s Outstanding Universal Value.
Other initiatives
  • Manage, protect and enhance our natural assets through:
  • finalising our existing natural resource management investments,
  • conserving Australia’s biodiversity within our national conservation estate and through the establishment of natural corridors; and
  • supporting greater Indigenous participation and engagement in policy and programme design and implementation.
Programme 1.1 description

The Department continued to administer the Government’s investment in natural resource management (NRM) to help communities to take practical action to improve their local environment and promote the long-term sustainability and management of Australia’s biodiversity. Investment included over $2 billion over four years from 2014–15 for initiatives including the National Landcare Programme, and complementary grassroots programmes including the Green Army Programme, the National Landcare Programme and the Reef Trust.

Green Army Programme

The Green Army Programme is a hands-on, practical environmental action initiative that supports local environment and heritage conservation projects across Australia. The programme provides opportunities for Australians aged 17 to 24 years to gain training and experience in environmental and heritage conservation fields, and explore careers in conservation management, while participating in projects that generate real benefits for the environment.

National Landcare Programme

In 2014–15, the Department supported the Australian Government’s promise to put Landcare back at the centre of natural resource management. The National Landcare Programme is investing $1billion over four years from 2014–15 to help conserve, protect and rehabilitate Australia’s natural heritage and support local action for natural resource management through a national stream, which includes the 20Million Trees programme, and a regional stream.

Under the regional stream, the Department contracted regional NRM organisations to allocate a minimum of 20 per cent of their funding to local on-ground projects that are delivered by or directly involve Landcare and other community groups. Landcare communities now have more say in determining local priorities and on-ground delivery, which will support the achievement of outcomes for both the environment and sustainable agriculture.

20 Million Trees

Under the National Landcare Programme, the Australian Government has committed to planting 20 million trees by 2020 to re-establish green corridors and urban forests. The 20Million Trees programme supports local environmental outcomes by improving the extent, connectivity and condition of native vegetation that supports native species (including threatened species). The 20Million Trees programme involves cooperation with the community and helps to reduce Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions. The Department is delivering the programme through a combination of competitive grants and engagement of service providers to deliver larger scale tree-planting projects.

Reef 2050

The Australian and Queensland governments developed the Reef 2050 plan to guide the sustainable management of the Great Barrier Reef. The plan sets out definite actions, targets, objectives and outcomes. The Department administered targeted funding under the Australian and Queensland governments’ projected joint $2billioninvestment over the next decade in natural resource management to help protect the Great Barrier Reef.

The Australian Government established the $140million Reef Trust to leverage private funds for investment in improving coastal habitats and water quality throughout the Great Barrier Reef and adjacent catchments.

Programme 1.1 performance review

In 2014–15, delivery of the Green Army Programme, the 20 Million Trees programme, the Reef 2050 plan and other programmes and initiatives continued. Highlights included:

  • approving more than 700 Green Army projects through the first three rounds of the programme, with 329 projects already begun or completed
  • implementing the 20 Million Trees programme to re-establish native vegetation and provide habitat to support threatened species including through:
  • competitive grants funding of $4.5million for 56 projects to fund Landcare and community groups, individuals and organisations to plant up to 1.12 millionnative trees and associated understorey in a range of urban and regional projects across Australia
  • funding of over $6 million for Greening West Melbourne to provide one million trees through the 20 Million Trees programme and seven Green Army teams across Melbourne’s six western municipalities
  • engaging three service providers for 22 individual large-scale projects, collectively worth up to $16.3 million over four years, which will deliver up to 6.8 million trees (funding for another 2 million trees was through small grants)
  • implementing reforms to deliver over $450 million over four years from 2014–15 to 56 regional NRM organisations as part of the National Landcare Programme, including $120 million to be delivered to local projects managed by community groups
  • successfully providing 288 small local grants through the 25th Anniversary Landcare
    Grants 2014–15
  • releasing, on 21 March 2015, the Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan to secure the health and resilience of the Great Barrier Reef
  • publishing, in February 2015, the Reef Water Quality Protection Plan achievements
    2013–2014:
  • delivering election commitments including:
  • Coastal Rivers Recovery Initiatives ($9.3million over four years)
  • Dandenong Ranges Wildlife Recovery ($3 million over three years)
  • Keep Australia Beautiful and Clean Up Australia ($0.6 million over three years)
  • Kimberley Cane Toad Clean Up ($0.5 million over two years).
Key performance indicators and deliverables
Programme 1.1: Sustainable Management of Natural Resources and the Environment
Deliverables / 2014–15 results
Green Army
Green Army Programme documentation is reviewed and updated, as required, throughout the 2014–15 financial year. / Achieved.
Reviewed and updated Green Army Programme documentation as required, focusing on improvements to project guidelines for
rounds 2 and 3.
Round 2 Green Army Projects are assessed and approved, in line with Australian Government requirements and probity principles by early 2015. / Achieved.
Assessed round 2 and round 3 Green Army Project applications as per the application assessment plan for each round.
Announced successful projects for rounds 2 and 3 in February 2015 and June 2015, respectively.
250 Green Army Projects commence in the 2014–15 financial year and 2500 individuals (including Participants and Team Supervisors) are placed in Green Army Teams in the 2014–15 financial year. / Achieved.
Began 329 projects, engaging 3034 individuals (including participants and team supervisors).
Deliverables / 2014–15 budget target / 2014–15 results
Green Army Projects commenced
Individuals (including Participants and Team Supervisors) placed in Green Army Teams / 250
2500 / 329
3034
20 Million Trees
Grants for round 1 are awarded and executed, in line with the Government’s standards and legislative requirements, by November 2014. / Achieved with delay.
Awarded and executed round 1 grants in line with the Government’s standards and legislative requirements in May 2015.
Contract(s) are in place by mid 2015 to deliver large-scale plantings. / Achieved.