Environment and heritage
Purpose: Conserve, protect and sustainably manage Australia’s terrestrial and marine biodiversity, threatened species, ecosystems, environment and heritage
Sustainable management of natural resources
In 2015–16, the Department continued to deliver across a range of natural resource management (NRM) programs to help communities take practical action to improve their local environment and promote sustainable management. Key among these were Great Barrier Reef initiatives (including the Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan, the Reef program and the Reef Trust), the National Landcare Program, the 20 Million Trees Program, threatened species priorities, Green Army and Australia’s Biodiversity Conservation Strategy 2010–2030.
Great Barrier Reef
The Department’s responsibilities to protect and conserve the Great Barrier Reef are guided by the Reef 2050 plan, which provides an overarching framework for the protection and management of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area to 2050. We work with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and the Queensland Government to coordinate the delivery of the Reef 2050 plan in partnership with science, community and industry stakeholders. In 2015–16, the Reef 2050 Advisory Committee and the independent expert panel were established to provide ongoing advice on implementing the Reef 2050 plan.
Implementation of the Reef 2050 plan is well under way. Actions have been implemented to reduce the impacts of ports and dredging, build partnerships with science, industry and local communities, improve monitoring and reporting, and invest in action to improve the health of the Reef.
The $210 million Reef Trust is one of the key mechanisms to deliver the Reef 2050 plan. Focusing on known critical areas for investment, it will provide funding for projects to improve or maintain water quality, the health and resilience of coastal ecosystems, species protection, and the condition of matters of national environmental significance through the strategic delivery of offsets.
The Reef program is the single largest commitment ever made to address the threats of declining water quality and climate change to the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. Projects under this program are designed to improve the quality of water flowing into the Great Barrier Reef lagoon and, through complementary approaches, will enhance the Reef’s resilience to the threats posed by climate change and by nutrient, pesticide and sediment run‑off.
Australian and Queensland governments continue to work closely to ensure alignment of investments and programs. A comprehensive report on the implementation of the Reef 2050plan and the future priorities for action will be provided in the Reef 2050 Annual Report and Implementation Strategy 2016.
National Landcare Program
The Australian Government is investing in managing our natural resources to help communities take practical action to improve their local environment and deliver sustainable agricultural outcomes. The National Landcare Program is our overarching initiative that funds a national network of NRM organisations, the 20 Million Trees Program, management of World Heritage places, and the Indigenous Protected Areas program. Complementary programs outside the National Landcare Program include Green Army and the Land Sector Package.
National Landcare Program: regional delivery stream
In 2015–16, the National Landcare Program provided funding to Australia’s 56 NRM organisations to deliver national priorities through local and regional activities. Theorganisations are required to invest at least 20 per cent of their total Landcare funding in local community engagement activities to deliver against program objectives. NRMorganisations play an important role in integrating environment protection and sustainable agriculture policies and programs. They do this by using regional stream funds to support local community projects that contribute to priority actions of the Threatened Species Strategy, the 20 Million Trees Program and Green Army projects.
The National Landcare Program has four strategic objectives. Table 2.2 shows the number of regional stream projects delivered against each of these objectives in 2015–16.
Table 2.2: Number of projects delivered against each strategic objective
Strategic objective / Projects delivered byNRM organisations
Communities are involved in caring for their environment / 192
Communities are managing landscapes to sustain long-term economic and social benefits from their environment / 84
Communities are protecting species and natural assets / 122
Farmers and fishers are increasing their long-term returns through better management of the natural resource base / 90
The Department’s online Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Improvement Tool (MERIT) has improved documentation of program activities and increased our understanding of outcomes of Australian Government investment in NRM. In 2014, the Department introduced the Performance Framework for Regional Natural Resource Management Organisations—a key quality assurance and risk management tool for the regional delivery component of the National Landcare Program. The framework was intended to allow NRM bodies to move to a more mature, third-sector delivery model so that the Department could transition away from detailed contract management and towards performance and capacity focused monitoring. In response to feedback and learning, in 2015–16, in consultation with NRM organisations, the Department revised the 2014 performance framework. NRM organisations undertook self‑assessments of their performance against the updated expectations during August 2016.
National Landcare Program: 20 Million Trees Program
The 20 Million Trees Program, funded under the National Landcare Program, supports local environmental outcomes by improving the extent, connectivity and condition of native vegetation that supports native species.
During 2015–16, grant rounds prioritised applications with a focus on threatened species and ecological communities. To date, around 95 per cent of 20Million Trees projects support Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) listed threatened species or ecological communities.
The types of activities that are supported range from small community-based tube stock planting projects to large landscape-scale direct-seeding projects. Since the first projects were selected a little over a year ago, funding recipients have been busy collecting seed, propagating plants and preparing the ground.
In 2015–16, the Department announced 64 successful grant projects worth $5 million under grant round2, and 10 projects of up to $7.3 million under tranchetwo. This brings the total figures for the program to $42.8 million for 164 projects that will plant more than 13.4 million trees. The projects involve a wide range of participants, including Landcare and community groups, individuals and organisations.
Threatened species
On 16 July 2015, the former Minister for the Environment, the Hon Greg Hunt MP (now Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science), launched Australia’s Threatened Species Strategy at the Threatened Species Summit in Melbourne.
The Threatened Species Summit brought together state and territory government ministers, scientific experts, NRM organisations and community groups to focus on protecting threatened species.
The Threatened Species Strategy sets ambitious targets for protecting threatened species and outlines how the Australian Government will prioritise work in partnership with the community, the private sector and state and territory governments over the next five years to protect and recover threatened animals and plants.
The strategy made a commitment to taking decisive action on feral cats. In response, the Feral Cat Taskforce was established in 2015–16. The taskforce comprises representatives from each state and territory, the scientific community and key non-government organisations. It met twice during 2015 to build collaborative approaches and drive national momentum for feral cat control.
A robust project management framework is in place to report progress against each of the strategy targets. Achieving the targets is a national effort, and reporting on them will involve all levels of government, non-government organisations, experts and communities. Reportingon the year-one targets in the strategy is scheduled for late 2016.
Green Army
The Green Army delivers practical, on-ground environmental projects such as restoring and protecting habitat, weeding, planting, cleaning up creeks and rivers, and restoring cultural heritage places. The Green Army continues to deliver environmental, social and economic benefits across the Australian landscape on a range of environmental priorities. In2015–16, these priorities included the Great Barrier Reef, remote areas and Indigenous people, threatened species, environmental recovery in a natural disaster declared area, heritage, and increasing native vegetation.
Green Army teams are deployed across the country. They work with groups such as local councils, Indigenous and community groups, and local catchment and NRM organisations to help achieve priority conservation outcomes.
The Green Army remains the largest on-ground voluntary environmental action program of its kind. It provides participants with training, skills and experience to improve their opportunities for future employment. Green Army roundfour projects were announced in early 2015–16, bringing the total number of projects to 1145. The list of roundfive projects was released in May 2016, with a focus on 2-3 year multi‑project proposals. As at the end of 2015–16, 801projects are under way or complete across Australia.
Australia’s Biodiversity Conservation Strategy
The Department worked with state and territory governments and the Australian Local Government Association to undertake the scheduled 2015 review of Australia’s Biodiversity Conservation Strategy 2010–2030. The review examined the strategy’s operation and national implementation, alignment with international commitments, and opportunities for improvement.
The review process included extensive consultation across all levels of government and other relevant sectors and a six-week public submission period from July 2015. Consultation revealed strong support for the development of a revised national strategy with stronger recognition of the benefits of biodiversity to the community, human health and the economy. Recognisingthe significant opportunity for reform, environment ministers agreed to continue this work in 2016.
Results against key performance indicators
Objective: Improve the extent, condition and connectivity of Australia’s natural resources to support sustainable use, provide habitat for nationally threatened species and protect naturalassets[1][2]
Criterion / Increase in extent and connectivity of vegetation communities in project areas2Result / Achieved
The Department administers NRM programs that contribute to achieving this criterion:
20 Million Trees Program, Green Army and the National Landcare Program. Figures for
20 Million Trees Program activities funded during 2015 are:
- 312,194 plants planted (expected to grow to a mature height >2m)
- 88 kg of seed sown (expected to grow to a mature height >2m)
- 1681 ha revegetated.
Table 2.3 shows data on the Green Army and National Landcare Program (including
20 Million Trees) forthe 2015 calendar year.3
Table 2.3: Green Army and National Landcare Program vegetation results 2015
Green Army / National Landcare ProgramNumber of plants planted / 1,013,296 / 965,772
Revegetation area (ha) / 7,347 / 3,507
Initial area treated for weeds (ha) / 26,530 / 146,794
Number of follow-up activities to re‑treat for weeds / 60 / 69
Initial area treated for pests (ha) / 24,193 / 1,964,419
Number of follow-up activities to re-treat for pests / 13 / 57
Criterion / Number of NRM projects demonstrating maintenance or improvement in the condition of targeted threatened species habitat by June 2018
Result / Achieved—based on progress against Threatened Species Strategy year-one actions
The Threatened Species Strategy sets targets for improving outcomes for 20 priority birds, 20 priority mammals and 30 priority plants by 2020. Actions to help these species recover by improving the condition of important habitat areas include revegetation, threat reductionthrough weed removal and pest animal management, fencing and installing nest boxes.
In 2015–16, the Australian Government approved more than $74million in funding to over 400 projects supporting the recovery of threatened species. The Green Army and 20 Million Trees Program, together with the Reef Trust, have directed this investment to improve the condition of threatened species habitat.
The regional delivery stream of the National Landcare Program is supporting a further 33projects that focus on priority birds and mammals from the Threatened Species Strategy (Table 2.4).
Additional projects to protect and recover the priority species in the strategy are being supported through other sources, including the national stream of the National Landcare Program.
Reviews of these projects against management plans for the priority species indicate that they are contributing to reducing the key threats to these species through implementation of priority actions. Forexample:
- At important eastern bristlebird habitat on Howe Flat, the East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority is controlling predators through the ‘Protecting EPBC listed species on the East Gippsland coast through fox control’ project. The project involves community awareness-raising elements—another key action for the species's long-term recovery
- The Mallee Catchment Management Authority is delivering on key actions for malleefowl through the ‘Land managers and informed communities’ project. This includes helping landholders enter into covenants to protect key habitat, make management practice changes to reduce the impacts of grazing on the species and control key pests and weeds at priority locations
- The Norfolk Island green parrot breeding program has doubled the number of chicks successfully fledged by making greater efforts to manage rats on the island.
Table 2.4: Regional delivery projects focused on Threatened Species Strategy priorities
Bird species / Number of projectsEastern bristlebird / 2
Regent honeyeater / 2
Swift parrot / 2
Malleefowl / 9
Plains wanderer / 2
Orange-bellied parrot / 2
Southern cassowary / 3
Red-tailed black cockatoo (south-eastern) / 1
Hooded plover / 1
Total / 24
Mammal species / Number of projects
Greater bilby / 3
Eastern barred bandicoot / 1
Mahogany glider habitat / 4
Western ringtail possum / 1
Total / 9
Criterion / Increase in area of land on which farmers have adopted better management practices to improve their long-term yield by June 2018
Result / Achieved
This criterion is relevant to activities under both the National Landcare Program and the Reef Trust.
Strategic objective two of the regional delivery stream states: ‘Farmers are increasing their long-term returns through better management of the natural resource base.’ During 2015–16, 90 projects were identified as delivering against this strategic objective.
Better land management practices were implemented in 2015–16 on:
- over 3 millionha under the National Landcare Program
- 527,280ha under the Reef Trust.
Criterion / Increase in area of land managed to reduce threats to nationally listed threatened species and ecological communities by June 2018 (for projects reporting through the online MERIT)
Result / Achieved
The Reef Trust and National Landcare Program funded 307 projects that addressed threatened species or threatened ecological communities. Table 2.5 shows aggregated targets, as set out in grant applications, to reduce threats to species and communities across the 307 projects.
Table 2.5: Actions to target threats to species and communities
Grant application targets (ha) / Delivered in2015 (ha)
Area covered by agreement mechanismsa / 47,595 / 10,628
Area covered by pest treatment actions / 2,243,182 / 842,096
Area of revegetation works / 21,596 / 2271
New area treated for weeds / 340,790 / 88,848
a Agreement mechanisms include binding conservation covenants and non-binding property agreements (e.g.land for wildlife agreements) that set out the agreed management intent and actions for the area.
Objective: Mitigate key threats to nationally threatened species and ecological communities
Criterion / Number of projects funded annually with a focus on threatened species recoveryResult / Achieved
Australian Government investment in threatened species recovery is guided by the Threatened Species Strategy. During 2015–16, the former Minister approved 714 projects directed at mobilising action to benefit threatened species recovery. The majority of these projects were funded as part of the National Landcare Program (including 20 Million Trees) and Green Army, and will contribute to improving habitat condition to support threatened species (see Table 2.6).
Table 2.6: Projects with a threatened species focus
20 Million Trees Program / Green Army / Reef Trust or National Landcare Program / Threatened Species SummitSecond grant round / National service provider / Fourth grant round
63 projects / 10 large-scale revegetation projects / 314 projects / 307 projects / 20 targeted threatened species projects announced in partnership with states and territories
Criterion / Reverse population decline in 20 mammal species by 2020
Result / Achieved—based on progress against Threatened Species Strategy year-one actions
The Threatened Species Strategy includes the target of supporting better outcomes for at least 20threatened mammal species by 2020. Following consultation with all state and territory governments, the Threatened Species Scientific Committee, leading scientists and the community, 20priority mammals were identified.
The target has three time frames: one, three and five years. Projects are currently in place for all 20priority mammals. Early indications of success include:
- mountain pygmy possum numbers in New South Wales increasing as a result of using specially trained detector dogs to assist rangers to track and remove feral cats and foxes
- an estimated 250 western quolls being released in the South Australian Flinders Ranges, where they were once extinct as a result of predation from feral cats.
Objective: Protect and conserve the Great Barrier Reef
Criterion / By June 2018, improve the quality of water entering the Great Barrier Reef from broad scale land use by reducing pollutant loads in priority areas, relative to 2008–09 baseline levels, by at least: 50per cent for anthropogenic dissolved inorganic nitrogen; 60per cent for pesticides; and 20per cent for anthropogenic sediment and particulate nitrogenResult / Partially achieved
Reef plan report cards measure progress towards the Reef 2050 Long-term Sustainability Plan’s water quality goals and targets. The latest Reef plan report card, for 2014, was released on 21 September 2015. It shows a slight reduction in pollutant loads over the 2013–14 reporting period. Figure 2.1 shows results from 2008–09 to the latest report card.
Recent efforts to reduce land-based pollution in the Reef’s catchments will require further actions to protect the ecosystems from declining water quality by the target date of June 2018. More innovative approaches will be required to identify and embed the next generation of sustainable land management practices to achieve the required water quality improvements.
The case study ‘Farming microbes’ on page 34 demonstrates the potential for innovative approaches to achieve rapid, significant and sustainable change.
The Reef 2050 Long-term Sustainability Plan’s targets are considered ambitious. They seek to move land management to best practice in as wide an area as possible, which will improve water quality for theReef.
To achieve the targets, the Australian Government continues to invest significantly in improving water quality in Great Barrier Reef catchments. The Reef program is delivering projects to improve water quality, systems repair, and monitoring and modelling. In 2015–16, the Department administered $9.90million in funding through the Reef Trust for water quality projects.
Reef Trust projects contracted through the phase two and phase three investment programs contribute to:
- investments to help sugar cane farmers improve land management practices
- reducing erosion in grazing lands and managing the impact of erosion from gullies
- improving water quality in the grains, dairy and horticulture industries
- helping to control crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks on reefs with high tourism value.
Water quality will continue to be the focus of Reef Trust investment: $106.4 million is to be allocated over four years to 2018–19.
Figure 2.1: Great Barrier Reef pollutant load reductions