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Appendix 3 - Land Resources and Forests
Table A3.1: Land Resources and Forests - Programme and Tax Expenditure Estimates
This table lists activities in the order that they appear in the following text. `na' denotes that spending cannot be precisely identified and it does not mean that spending is not occurring.
Description
1999-00
$m2000-01
$m2001-02
$m2002-03
$m2003-04
$mPROGRAMME AND TAX EXPENDITURE ESTIMATES
Sustainable Agriculture
National Landcare Programme (total)
105.6
82.6
80.3
36.8
na
Natural Heritage Trust
68.6
45.8
43.5
-
-
Natural Resource Management (Financial Assistance) Act
37.0
36.8
36.8
36.8
na
FarmBis
6.1
4.4
na
na
na
National Weeds Programme
4.0
2.1
1.8
-
-
Taxation Measures (total)
43.0
26.0
26.0
26.0
26.0
Tax deduction for water conveying and land degradation preventative measures
25.0
25.0
25.0
25.0
25.0
Taxation allowance for drought preparedness
17.0
-
-
-
-
Tax rebate for expenditure on landcare works
na
na
na
na
na
Innovative and Sustainable Agricultural Systems
0.4
0.2
na
na
na
Forests, Plantations and Farm Forestry
National Forest Inventory
1.5
1.5
0.6
na
na
International Sustainable Forestry
1.4
1.1
1.1
1.1
1.1
Plantations 2020 Vision
0.3
1.2
0.3
0.1
na
Farm Forestry
16.0
15.1
15.9
9.2
na
Assessing the Resource Base
National Land and Water Resources Audit
10.0
10.0
4.7
na
na
BRS - Land and Water Sciences
4.1
3.0
na
na
na
Geographic Information System
na
na
na
na
na
CSIRO (total)
na
20.6
20.7
20.8
na
Sustainable agriculture through changed land use and management practices
na
3.7
3.7
3.7
na
Degraded landscape management and rehabilitation
na
5.5
5.6
5.6
na
Clean-up of contaminated environments
na
3.4
3.4
3.4
na
Tools for sustainable resource use at regional scales
na
6.3
6.3
6.4
na
Sustainable native forest management
na
1.7
1.7
1.7
na
Land and Water Resources Research and Development Corporation
11.1
11.3
11.4
11.6
na
Mining and Land Rehabilitation
Sustainable Mining Operations
4.5
4.5
na
na
na
- denotes nil; na denotes not available
The principal Commonwealth initiative for sustainable natural resource management is the $1.5 billion Natural Heritage Trust which is creating partnerships of individuals, communities and governments to address Australia's environmental and natural resources problems. The Trust provides an integrated approach to sustainable land and water management and the conservation of Australia's biological diversity. Programmes relevant to land resources and forests include the National Landcare Programme and the Farm Forestry Programme.
National Landcare Programme
$82.6 million in 2000-01The National Landcare Programme seeks to improve natural resources management systems to sustain ecological processes and provide a basis for sustainable production activities. The programme seeks to increase understanding of natural resource management issues, and to improve the skills and capacity of land managers to implement more sustainable management practices. It directs funding towards on-ground works on the basis of catchment and regional strategic plans and is working towards institutional and policy change to achieve sustainable systems for natural resource management.
Website: www.landcare.gov.au
Publication: Natural Heritage Trust Annual Report, 1998-99
Contact: Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry-Australia - 02 6272 4622FarmBis
$4.4 million in 2000-01FarmBis promotes sustainability and self-reliance by developing the business management skills of farm managers and communicating the benefits of continuous learning. FarmBis contributes funds to the cost of training activities such as quality assurance, risk management, rural leadership and natural resource management.
Website: www.affa.gov.au/rural/farmbis
Contact: Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry-Australia - 02 6272 4899National Weeds Programme
$2.1 million in 2000-01The goal of the National Weeds Programme is to reduce the detrimental impact of nationally significant weeds on the sustainability of Australia's productive capacity and natural ecosystems. This is being achieved by supporting the development of integrated strategic approaches to reduce the impact of weeds of national significance, preventing the introduction of new pest plants through revised quarantine assessment procedures and assessing the potential of existing pest plants to become weeds of national significance.
Website: www.nht.gov.au/programs/weeds.html
Publication: National Weeds Strategy, 1997
Contact: Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry-Australia - 02 6272 4371Taxation Measures
$26.0 million in 2000-01Commonwealth taxation arrangements provide for a range of deductions, rebates and allowances to promote better land and water management, including:
- deductions for the cost of conserving and conveying water and for capital expenditure on soil conservation, preventing land degradation and related measures;
- a taxation allowance for capital expenditure on drought preparedness; and
- a tax rebate for expenditure on landcare works.
Contact: Australian Taxation Office - 02 6216 5781
Innovative and Sustainable Agricultural Systems
$0.2 million in 2000-01This initiative is refining a framework that identifies key information needs at various levels of the agricultural industry and government, in order to make sound decisions about sustainable land use. Key topics include the extension of environmental auditing to agricultural industries through benchmarks for best practice for sustainable agriculture; risk management of pesticides; and sustainable agricultural systems. Outcomes are the increasingly better management of systemic environmental impacts, and adoption of sustainable agricultural practices and systems that set world standards.
Website: www.brs.gov.au
Contact: Bureau of Rural Sciences - 02 6272 3435
National Forest Inventory
$1.5 million in 2000-01The National Forest Inventory is Australia's national repository for forest-related scientific spatial information on Australia's forests. It hosts the National Farm Forest Inventory, the National Plantations Inventory and the National Vegetation Information System. It ensures Australia's national and international forest reporting requirements are met.
Website: www.brs.gov.au/nfi
Publication: Australia's State of the Forests Report 1998
Contact: Bureau of Rural Sciences - 02 6272 4299International Sustainable Forestry
$1.1 million in 2000-01Australia is engaged in a United Nations process to develop a global framework for the conservation and sustainable management of forests. Australia is cooperating with the World Bank in the development of a new forest strategy and is considering a partnership in the Global Forest Alliance. Australia also supports efforts to improve forest management in a number of countries, including through aid projects, policy and strategy development. Environment Australia promotes EcoPlan, a computer software tool developed by Environment Australia to assist forest management planning.
Contact: Environment Australia, Portfolio Strategies Group - 02 6274 1319
Plantations for Australia: the 2020 Vision
$1.2 million in 2000-01This initiative is the Commonwealth's contribution to a government/industry target to treble the nation's plantation estate over the period 1996-2020. The initiative aims to reverse the trade deficit for wood products and to stimulate rural development, including creation of up to 40,000 jobs. It will also assist in meeting Australia's net greenhouse gas emissions target as well as delivering improved land management outcomes.
Website: www.affa.gov.au/agfor/forests/2020/2020.html
Publication: Plantations for Australia: The 2020 Vision
Contact: Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry-Australia - 02 6272 3818Farm Forestry
$15.1 million in 2000-01The Farm Forestry Programme encourages the incorporation of commercial tree growing in agricultural landscapes for the purpose of wood and non-wood production, increasing agricultural productivity and sustainable natural resource management.
Website: www.dpie.gov.au/agfor/forests/findex.html
Contact: Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry-Australia - 02 6272 4193
National Land and Water Resources Audit
$10.0 million in 2000-01The National Land and Water Resources Audit will provide a nationwide assessment of Australia's land, vegetation and water resources to support sustainable development now and in the future. It will provide data, analysis, and appraisal to facilitate improved decision making on land, vegetation and natural resource management by building a national information base.
Website: www.nlwra.gov.au
Publication: National Land and Water Resources Audit Annual Report: 1998-99
Contact: Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry-Australia - 02 6272 5849Bureau of Rural Sciences - Land and Water Sciences
$3.0 million in 2000-01The Bureau of Rural Sciences provides scientific advice to policy makers on land degradation including dryland salinity, groundwater resource and contamination risk assessment, greenhouse issues, soils and surface water resources.
Website: www.brs.gov.au
Contact: Bureau of Rural Sciences - 02 6272 3937Geographic Information System
The Australian Geological Survey Organisation has developed a geographic information system that integrates mineral potential with other values to facilitate informed land use decisions. The system has been used successfully in the Regional Forest Agreement process.
Website: www.agso.gov.au
Contact: Australian Geological Survey Organisation, Minerals Division - 02 6249 9556CSIRO Research
$20.6 million in 2000-01CSIRO research approaches sustainable use of natural resources in an integrated fashion. Environmentally focussed research is integrated with work in production oriented sectors to achieve full sustainability. Key output-related elements of land and forest research include: sustainable agriculture through changed land use and management practices; degraded landscape management and rehabilitation; clean-up of contaminated environments; tools for sustainable resource use at regional scales; and sustainable native forest management.
Website: www.csiro.au
Contacts: CSIRO Land and Water - 02 6246 5951
CSIRO Forestry and Forest Products - 02 6281 8400Land and Water Resources Research and Development Corporation
$11.3 million in 2000-01The Land and Water Resources Research and Development Corporation conducts research into conservation and sustainable management of Australia's land resources and water resources. It uses Australia's existing research and development institutions and capacity to promote the productive and sustainable management of the natural resources that underpin Australia's rural primary industries and regional communities.
Website: www.lwrrdc.gov.au
Publication: Land and Water Resources Research and Development Corporation Annual Report 1998-99
Contact: Land and Water Resources Research and Development Corporation - 02 6357 3379
Sustainable Mining Operations
$4.5 million in 2000-01The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation is developing processing technologies and waste management methods that will lead to cleaner and more environmentally sustainable operations in the mining industry to ensure that this industry sector remains viable and competitive in the future. The organisation is also active in devising environmentally sensitive and cost-effective technologies for the treatment, management and disposal of existing radioactive and other toxic waste from the nuclear, mining and resource processing industries.
Website: www.ansto.gov.au
Contact: Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Materials Division - 02 9717 3265