Preliminary Pages

Foreword

The fact that the earth’s climate is changing is well-documented. Australia and other countries have long-run data showing a marked change in the earth’s temperature. But although we can be certain that climate change is occurring, its effect on Australia’s environment, in particular on biodiversity, is unknown beyond the models and theories that are being used to make informed projections.

Australia has a rich biodiversity and many species are only found here. This has been recognised internationally. Australia is one of 17 ‘megadiverse’ countries and has 15 national biodiversity hotspots across the continent. The Committee quickly learnt during the inquiry that climate effects vary greatly across species. For some, the increase in the earth’s temperature and related effects will diminish their habitat and reduce their numbers, perhaps to extinction. For others, the changing climate will be to their advantage and their population will increase.

During its investigations, the Committee received a great deal of support from not-for-profit environmental groups, natural resource management bodies, State government agencies, research institutions and landholders. All these organisations and individuals were very generous with their time and expertise and they made important contributions to the report. As befitting a national inquiry, the Committee held site inspections, briefings, and public hearings in each of Australia’s states and territories.

One of the major findings of the report is that important information is being collected about our biodiversity, but it can be better coordinated and the funding for it should be long term. In terms of coordination, the policy is already partly in place through the National Plan for Environmental Information. What is needed in this instance is quicker progress for a project that is admittedly very challenging due to its innovative nature and broad scope. The Council of Australian Governments can also contribute. The Committee would like to see it facilitate the development of national environmental accounts and of a central national biodiversity database which can be scientifically accredited and to which information can be uploaded.

The Committee received consistent evidence that the usual three-year funding cycle for environmental projects is too short because it does not allow researchers to build up a baseline for a process that is continuing over decades. The Committee heard evidence from an organisation that had to reinvent their project at each funding application so that they could also continue their long term work. This is counter-productive and the Committee believes that agencies should be able to extend their funding periods where warranted.

The Committee recognises the importance of natural resource management (NRM) organisations in managing our natural environment. NRM organisations, groups and Catchment Management Authorities have the advantage of operating at the local level and deliver many NRM programs. However, they have different origins depending on the state or territory in which they are located. This has resulted in a significant variation in their consistency, standards and quality across the nation. The Committee supports the regional delivery model, but believes there is scope for improvement and has made recommendations in relation to NRM bodies’ skills, standards and funding.

As in most research areas, there is considerable demand for funding but only limited resources are available. The Committee was mindful during the inquiry not to propose a large increase in funding for biodiversity action, in particular noting that much of the baseline research and data collection that would inform this work still needs to be done. However, the Committee did make some funding recommendations where the quality and value of the work warranted it. An example of this is the Atlas of Living Australia, which received funding up to June 2012 and was allowed to disburse unspent money until June 2013. The Committee believes that the Atlas would be a natural repository for the digitisation of Australia’s biological collections and that the Australian Government should work with the Atlas to develop a sustainable funding model for it.

I again thank the organisations that assisted the Committee during the inquiry through submissions, participating at the hearings, or assisting the Committee at its briefings and inspections. I also thank my colleagues on the Committee and the secretariat for their contribution to the inquiry and the report.

Tony Zappia MP
Chair

Membership of the Committee

Committee Secretariat

Terms of reference

The Committee will inquire into and report on biodiversity in a changing climate, in relation to nationally important ecosystems. The inquiry will have particular regard to:

n  terrestrial, marine and freshwater biodiversity in Australia and its territories

n  connectivity between ecosystems and across landscapes that may contribute to biodiversity conservation

n  how climate change impacts on biodiversity may flow on to affect human communities and the economy

n  strategies to enhance climate change adaptation, including promoting resilience in ecosystems and human communities

n  mechanisms to promote the sustainable use of natural resources and ecosystem services in a changing climate

n  an assessment of whether current governance arrangements are well placed to deal with the challenges of conserving biodiversity in a changing climate

n  mechanisms to enhance community engagement.

The scope of the committee’s inquiry shall include some case studies of ‘nationally important ecosystems’, as defined by submissions to the inquiry.[1]

List of abbreviations

List of recommendations

2     Biodiversity, human communities and the economy

Recommendation 1

The Committee recommends that in the course of developing and implementing an effective and sustainable system of national environmental accounts, the Australian Government include on the agenda of the Council of Australian Governments a requirement for five-yearly reports, using the existing framework of the national State of the Environment Report, and equivalent reports of each state and territory. Such reports should include assessments of the state of all significant national parks and reserves, including: