Outcome:	1. Environment			Question No:  52
Division/Agency:	Natural Resource Management
Topic:	Western Australia Natural Resource Management
Hansard Page ECITA:	Written Question on Notice

Senator Carr asked:
(a).	Please indicate where in the South Coast WA Investment Plan there is information on programs, projects and funding allocated directly for:
(i) protecting the Lake Gore Ramsar wetland site, including from catchment based activities;
(ii)  protecting the Lake Warden Ramsar wetland site, including from catchment based activities; 
(iii) protecting the Man in the Biosphere Reserve listed Fitzgerald River National Park, including from catchment based activities?
(b).	What proportion of the funding allocated to the South Coast WA Investment Plan is targeted at directly benefiting the conservation management of matters of national environmental significance in that NRM region? 
(c).	Based on the Regional Investment Plan, what does the Government believe it is purchasing that is a priority for the Commonwealth? Where can a member of the public find information on the projects funded through this investment plan? Based on this investment plan, how is the Government satisfied this plan represents a sound investment?
(d).	Please provide a list of the projects that will be funded under the South Coast WA Investment Plan, the indicative budgets for those projects (including Commonwealth contribution), and the contribution those projects will make to achievement of resource condition targets (this can include the prevention of further decline in resource condition). 
(e).	What proportion of Commonwealth funding in this Plan will be spent on (i) administration, coordination and facilitation, (ii) education and awareness raising, (iii) monitoring and reporting (iv) on-ground activities (v) capacity building, and (vi) planning? What proportion will be spent against each matter for target?
(f).	On what basis did the Minister consider this Investment Plan to be sufficient for approval?

Answer/s:
(a).	An integrated approach to managing natural resources is a key principle of the Natural Heritage Trust (the Trust) and the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality (the NAP). This is reflected in Southern Prospects 2004-2009: the South Coast Regional Strategy for Natural Resource Management and the integrated programs within The First NRM Investment Plan for the South Coast Region of WA 2005-2008 (the Investment Plan) that target actions across the land, water, biodiversity and coastal marine themes. The Investment Plan is a joint investment between the Australian and Western Australian Governments and the community. More details on the Investment Plan, its structure and projects, can be found on the South Coast Regional Initiative Planning Team (SCRIPT) website at www.script.asn.au.

(i) Investment in the Investment Plan that is relevant to the protection of the Lake Gore Ramsar site, including from catchment activities, is covered under a number of programs within the Plan. 

Examples of relevant sub-programs that will support the protection of Lake Gore are: Managing Invasive Species; Estuary, River and Wetland Monitoring; Developing water resource management and protection plans; Implementing water resource management and protection plans and Tree Cropping and Native Plant Industries.

 (ii) Investment in the Investment Plan that is relevant to the protection of the Lake Warden Ramsar site, including from catchment activities, is covered under a number of programs within the Plan. The Implementation of Strategic Catchment Plan for Lake Warden sub program is receiving $2.03m through the Investment Plan. 

Examples of other relevant sub-programs that will support the protection of Lake Warden are: Managing Invasive Species; Estuary, River and Wetland Monitoring; Developing water resource management and protection plans; Implementing water resource management and protection plans and Tree Cropping and Native Plant Industries. 

(iii) Investment in the Investment Plan that is relevant to the protection of the Fitzgerald Biosphere, including from catchment activities, is covered under a number of programs and sub-programs within the Plan. The Implementation of Strategic Catchment Plan – Bremer River, which is specific to the Fitzgerald Biosphere Reserve, is receiving $1.83m through the Investment Plan. 

Examples of other relevant sub-programs that will support the protection of the Fitzgerald Biosphere include: Developing water resource management and protection plans; Protection, restoration and revegetation; Implementing biodiversity catchment, management and recovery plans and strategies; Soil Health; Developing Estuary Management Plans; and Tree cropping and native plant industries.

(b).	Information on allocation of funding is not required to be presented in this way; rather, funding is identified against resource condition targets. Funding allocated to the Investment Plan to benefit the conservation matters of national environmental significance on the South Coast is integrated across the four themes, ten programs and thirty five sub-programs of the Investment Plan. The plan covers investment in the following matters of national environmental significance: wetlands of international significance; threatened species and ecological communities; and migratory species.

(c).	By supporting the Investment Plan the Commonwealth is seeking to invest in outcomes that will lead to positive change in the condition of our natural resources.

	Information on the projects funded through this Investment Plan can be found in the Investment Plan and at: http://www.script.asn.au/nrm/investmentdetail.htm.

	The Investment Plan was assessed by the Australian and Western Australian governments based on the requirements of Investment Plans as outlined in the Trust and NAP Bilateral Agreements. On this basis the Government is satisfied the plan represents sound investment.

(d).	The South Coast Investment Plan provides details at the program and sub-program level. Information on projects can be obtained at: http://www.script.asn.au/nrm/investmentdetail.htm.

	Details of program and sub-program funding, including the Commonwealth contribution and the contribution of this investment towards achievement of resource condition targets, is available in section 2 of the Investment Plan. 

(e).	The Australian Government is contributing $33.1m towards the implementation of The First NRM Investment Plan for the South Coast Region of WA 2005-2008. Of this, $27.5m is from the NAP and $5.6m is from the Trust. The $27.5m from the NAP represents 50% of the total NAP funding going to the South Coast region, the remaining 50% is received from the Western Australian Government. The $5.6m from the Trust is 100% funded by the Australian Government.

	Figure 5 of the Plan provides a breakdown of funding by the following primary category of activities; on ground works; resource assessment; capacity building; planning; monitoring and evaluation, reporting and review; and program management and administration. 

	Figure 6 of the Plan provides a breakdown of proposed NAP/NHT investment for 2005/06 by principal matter for target. Details of Commonwealth expenditure against targets is provided in section 2 of the Investment Plan.

(f).	The Investment Plan was subject to a robust assessment by the Australian and State governments and the community at both the regional and state levels. This advice was provided to the Western Australia Joint Steering Committee who recommended The First NRM Investment Plan for the South Coast be approved based on an assessment against the criteria for Investment Plans outlined in the Bilateral Agreements for the Trust and the NAP. 

	Relevant areas within the Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry undertook an assessment of the Investment Plan and provided advice to Australian Government Ministers on this basis. 

Outcome:	1. Environment					Question No:  53
Division/Agency:	Natural Resource Management Programmes Division
Topic:	Landcare
Hansard Page ECITA:	Written Question on Notice

Senator Carr asked:
(a).	How are landcare projects currently funded by the Howard Government?
(b).	Is any direct funding support provided to landcare groups around Australia by the Department of Environment and Heritage or any other Commonwealth Government Department? If not, why not?
(c).	If there is direct funding support to landcare groups, please provide information on all such funding, including which groups are funded and how much they are funded?

Answer/s:
(a).	The Australian Government funds landcare projects through the Natural Heritage Trust, the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality, the Australian Government Community Water Grants programme under the National Water Initiative, and the Defeating the Weeds Menace programme (all jointly delivered by the Department of the Environment and Heritage and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) and the National Landcare Programme delivered by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

(b).	Yes. 

(c).	Direct funding is provided to landcare groups by the Department of the Environment and Heritage through the Natural Heritage Trust as Australian Government Envirofund small grants and national investment stream funding. At this stage no funding has been paid to Landcare groups through the Community Water Grants programme, although Round One funding offers will include landcare groups. Direct funding through the extension of the Natural Heritage Trust from July 2002 to organisations that identify themselves as landcare groups is at Attachment A. 

Questions concerning direct funding to landcare groups through the National Landcare Programme should be directed to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

Outcome:	1. Environment			Question No:  54
Division/Agency:	Natural Resource Management Programmes Division
Topic:	Reviews of NAP and NHT
Hansard Page ECITA:	140

Senator Siewert asked:
My understanding is that at least 10 reviews have been commissioned by the joint agencies on NAP and a whole range of programs. I know what they are because I asked about them last time. I want to know whether they have reported and when those reports will be publicly available. There are 10 reviews.......
Minister, is it your intention, as one of the ministers, that they be publicly released? 

Answer/s:
In late 2004 and early 2005 the Natural Heritage Ministerial Board agreed to ten national evaluations of the Natural Heritage Trust (the Trust) and the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality (the NAP): They were:

1.	Significant invasive species (weeds) outcomes of regional investment;
2.	Biodiversity outcomes of regional investment;
3.	Salinity outcomes of regional investment;
4.	Sustainable agriculture outcomes of regional investment;
5.	Coastal, estuarine and marine outcomes of regional investment;
6.	Current governance arrangements to support regional investment;
7.	The impact of the national NRM facilitators’ network;
8.	The effectiveness of bilateral agreements between the Australian Government and state/territory governments for the regional component of the extension of the Natural Heritage Trust;
9.	The Australian Government Envirofund; and
10.	The National Investment Stream of the Natural Heritage Trust

Of the ten evaluations, eight are now completed. The evaluations of Coastal, Estuarine and Marine Outcomes of Regional Investment and the National NRM Facilitators’ Network  are due for completion by mid-2006.

At its meeting on 27 March 2006 the Natural Heritage Ministerial Board agreed to the public release of the reports of the evaluations completed to date. They are available at http://www.nrm.gov.au/monitoring/national-evaluations/index.html .