Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities Annual Report 2011–12

Executive summary

Secretary’s review

The Australian Government’s announcement of a national representative system of marine national parks in June 2012 marked the culmination of many years work by the department. This included undertaking the necessary detailed technical and scientific work and managing extensive consultation with commercial and recreational fishers and local communities. The department also supported the next stages of development of the Murray–Darling Basin Plan, providing water security for the future for the environment and the industries and communities relying on it. Under the Clean Energy Future Plan to place a price on carbon, the department also delivered the first round of the Biodiversity Fund and prepared for the introduction of an equivalent carbon price on synthetic greenhouse gases from 1 July 2012.

Other achievements in 2011–12 included the implementation of product stewardship legislation, delivering on a key commitment by the government under the National Waste Policy; commemoration of 100 years of exploration and science in Antarctica; and engagement in the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) Conference in Brazil, where the Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Land and Sea Managers Network was announced.

The national heritage listing of the West Kimberley in August 2011, the largest national heritage listing, was a landmark listing and continues the important work by the department in ensuring the protection of our Indigenous, natural and cultural heritage. The department continued to tap into Indigenous knowledge through the Working on Country program and on the expansion of Indigenous Protected Areas. This is an important contribution to protecting our land and creating jobs and supporting healthy communities.

Through the Caring for our Country program, the National Wildlife Corridors Plan and the new Biodiversity Fund, the department assisted land managers to protect connected habitat for threatened species and build resilience in the landscape. The creation of wildlife corridors ensures a connected, ecosystem-scale approach to land management on both private land and on our growing estate of national reserves.

The department commenced a key new program of work to improve scientific research and increase community confidence in decision-making processes regarding coal mining and coal seam gas developments, with the establishment of the Office of Water Science. This office is working to build the scientific evidence base and understanding of the impacts on water resources of coal seam gas extraction and large coal mines.

The department progressed important work on sustainability to help improve the wellbeing of current and future generations. This included the development of a Sustainability Framework to provide a practical and enduring frame of reference for all departmental staff whereby our work and our approach is viewed through a ‘lens of sustainability’. In addition, the development of a headline set of sustainability indicators at a regional and national scale will help track progress as communities plan and respond to emerging challenges.

The diverse range of achievements in 2011–12 came during a time when the department was continuing to build its capabilities in a number of areas. In response to a Capability Review conducted by the Australian Public Service Commission, the department is progressing projects to improve our delivery, leadership and strategic capability and to improve the department’s internal communications and connections. These projects build on earlier activities that have significantly improved the department’s capabilities in several areas including governance, procurement, grants management, finance, budgeting and forecasting, project management and risk management.

I continue to be extremely impressed with the response of all staff to the challenges of our work and I would like to acknowledge their professionalism and efforts throughout the year.

Biodiversity and ecosystems

The first round of the Biodiversity Fund under the Clean Energy Future Plan was successfully rolled out with a total of 313 projects with a value of $271 million (GST exclusive) over six years. These projects will revegetate, rehabilitate and restore around 18 million hectares of the Australian landscape.

The final report on the review of the first phase of Caring for our Country was released on 18 April 2012, finding the initiative to be on track to meet its goals and in supporting the community to protect and conserve the environment and increase the adoption of sustainable land management practices.

The department finalised development of a national network of Commonwealth marine reserves and completed the draft management plan for the South-east Commonwealth Marine Reserve Network. As part of the marine bioregional planning program, new Commonwealth marine reserves networks in the South-west, North-west, North, Temperate East and Coral Sea marine regions were identified. These Commonwealth marine reserves will play an important role in the long-term conservation of marine ecosystems and the biodiversity of our oceans.

Bush Blitz, a program to undertake taxonomic surveys, successfully completed five expeditions across National Reserve System properties totalling 604607 hectares in Victoria, Tasmania, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. The program also funded a total of 11 capacity-building grants and tactical taxonomy contracts to participating Bush Blitz scientists.

The department continued to assess large, complex and economically significant projects under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (the EPBC Act). This year 75 proposals were approved under the EPBC Act including the Chevron Wheatstone project to construct a liquefied natural gas (LNG) and domestic gas plant in the Pilbara, Western Australia. Some 70 conditions were imposed to ensure the protection of listed threatened and migratory species and of the Commonwealth marine area.

Waste

Carbon pricing

Sustainable communities

Thirty-one applications were received under the Suburban Jobs program, demonstrating strong interest from state and local governments and highlighting the pressures faced by growth areas across the country. This program aims to support local and state governments to plan and provide for increased employment opportunities outside the CBDs of major cities.

Antarctica

The department continued to progress Australia’s interests in the Antarctic region through forums such as Antarctic Treaty Consultative meeting, and with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade successfully hosted the 35th meeting in June 2012.

Water

More than $1 billion in funding was invested in irrigation infrastructure to deliver water reform. This investment will improve the efficiency of irrigation networks to fix and replace old, leaky systems, modernise on-farm infrastructure, and rationalise and upgrade delivery systems.