One Land – Many Stories: Prospectus of

Investment

Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and

Communities

December 2012

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Welcome and Agenda

• One Land – Many Stories: Prospectus of Investment

• Caring for our Country Sustainable Environment stream

• Program Architecture• Joint Activities• Target Area Grants • Community Environment Grants• Working on Country• Caring for our Country Sustainable Agriculture stream

• Land Sector Package

• Biodiversity Fund • Indigenous Carbon Farming Fund• Natural Resource Management Planning for Climate Change

• Questions

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The Prospectus

• An overarching framework of the priorities for Australian Government investment in Australia’s valuable and most vulnerable places

• A single document detailing the narrative for investment through the Land Sector Package and the Sustainable Environment stream of Caring for our Country

• Supported by grant program guidelines • A staggered release on the NRM and Biodiversity Fund websites

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Investment ThemesCaring for our Country Sustainable Environment stream

Biodiversity Fund

• Protecting the Great Barrier Reef

• Conserving and protecting species and ecosystems (matters of national environmental significance)

• Restoring and maintaining urban waterways and coastal environments

• Building natural resource management community skills, knowledge and engagement

• Building the National Reserve System

• Protecting Ramsar sites and values

• Protecting World Heritage sites’ outstanding universal value and integrity

• Building Indigenous peoples’ capacity for natural resource management

• Biodiverse plantings

• Protecting and enhancing existing vegetation

• Managing invasive species in a connected landscape

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Target Areas

• National focus• The Central Australian Connection

• Cape York• The Kimberley

• Tasmania• South-west Western Australia

• South Australia-Victoria Connection• Greater Border Ranges Region

• Urban waterways and coastal environments• The National Reserve System

• The Great Barrier Reef

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Target Area Example:South-West Western Australia

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Caring for our Country Program Architecture

• Overarching framework

• An ongoing initiative

• Delivered through two streams: Sustainable Environment and Sustainable Agriculture.

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Caring for our Country Sustainable Environment Stream

• Sustainable Environment stream: ‘Australia’s national environmental assets are conserved, resilient and healthy’

• Three strategic objectives:

• Protection of our conservation estate

• Maintenance of ecosystem services, including ecological and cultural values, now and into the future

• Enhanced capacity of Indigenous communities to conserve and protect natural resources

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Caring for our Country Sustainable Environment Stream

Strategic Objectives Investment themes

Maintenance of ecosystem services, including ecological and cultural values, now and into the future

• Protecting the Great Barrier Reef

• Conserving and protecting species and ecosystems (matters of national environmental significance)

• Restoring and maintaining urban waterways and coastal environments

• Building natural resource management community skills, knowledge and engagement

Protection of our conservation estate • Building the National Reserve System

• Protecting Ramsar sites and values

• Protecting World Heritage sites’ outstanding universal value and integrity

• Building natural resource management community skills, knowledge and engagement

Enhanced capacity of Indigenous communities to conserve and protect natural resources

• Building Indigenous peoples capacity for natural resource management

• Building natural resource management community skills, knowledge and engagement

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Reef Rescue

• Reef Rescue will be continued in the next phase

• Prioritisation of areas and activities will continue for the next few months and will be

communicated once finalised early next year• Available funding and delivery arrangements are currently being worked through

Regional Delivery

• A key component of Caring for our Country

• The Australian Government expects their role in delivering Caring for our Country to focus on:

• regional level NRM planning and prioritisation

• brokering partnerships and delivery of regional NRM

• community engagement and capacity building in NRM

• delivery of Caring for our Country objectives

• reporting of NRM outcomes at a regional level.

• Available funding and delivery arrangements are currently being worked through

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Target Area Grants• Medium to large-scale projects• Competitive within target areas:

• The Central Australian corridor

• Cape York

• The Kimberley

• Tasmania

• South-west Western Australia

• Urban waterways and coastal environments.

• Anticipated release in early 2013

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Community Environment Grants

• Separation of environment and agriculture streams for small grants programs

• Community Environment Grants – continuation of small grants through the Caring

for our Country Sustainable Environment stream

• Applications will be accepted across Australia

• Projects will be linked to the strategic objectives of the Caring for our Country

Sustainable Environment stream

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Working on Country

Up to $244.249 million over four years (from 1 July 2013 to 30 June 2017) for projects:

National investment: • $220.918 million for Working on Country projects, supporting 680 Indigenous ranger positions annually •Two funding streams: $180.918 million from the Working on Country program and up to $40 million from the Biodiversity Fund•Targeted process.

NT investment: • $23.331 million for expansion of Working on Country in the NT, supporting an additional 50 Indigenous

ranger positions by 2015/16 through the Stronger Futures Jobs Creation Package.

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National Food PlanNational

Food PlanBiosecurityBiosecurityDevelopment of a National

Drought Policy

Development of a National

Drought Policy

Carbon Farming Futures

Carbon Farming Futures

Research & Information –

ABARES

Research & Information –

ABARESNRMNRM

Caring for our CountrySustainable Agriculture Stream

Vision: Australia’s agricultural base is sustainable, productive and resilient

Strategic objectives:

• Sustainable production of food

• Innovation in Australian agriculture and fisheries practices

• Reduced impact of weeds and pests on agriculture

• Improved management of agriculture and fisheries and the natural resource base

• A skilled and capable Landcare community

Caring for our CountrySustainable Agriculture Stream

Vision: Australia’s agricultural base is sustainable, productive and resilient

Strategic objectives:

• Sustainable production of food

• Innovation in Australian agriculture and fisheries practices

• Reduced impact of weeds and pests on agriculture

• Improved management of agriculture and fisheries and the natural resource base

• A skilled and capable Landcare community

D e l i v e r y a c r o s s A g r i c u l t u r e P o r tf o l i o p o l i c i e s a n d p r i o r i ti e s

Sustainable Agriculture Stream

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Sustainable Agriculture Delivery•Five-year outcomes will guide investment, delivery and reporting.•The Sustainable Agriculture stream will be delivered through a mix of investment approaches, which will include:

‒ Small grants to community groups

‒ Regional Delivery

‒ Reef Rescue

‒ Strategic Investmentso Industry partnershipso Innovation in agriculture

‒ Eradication of new incursions

‒ National surveillance framework for existing weeds

‒ Landcare leadership and support

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The Land Sector Package

• Part of the Australian Government’s Clean Energy Future plan

• Of the seven Land Sector Package measures, SEWPaC is responsible for delivering four:• The Biodiversity Fund• Indigenous Carbon Farming Fund (Stream 2 = DCCEE)• Stream 1 of the Regional NRM Planning for Climate

Change Fund (Stream 2 = DCCEE)• Land Sector Carbon and Biodiversity Board

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The Biodiversity Fund

• The Biodiversity Fund invests in stakeholders to store carbon, enhance biodiversity and build greater environmental resilience across the Australian landscape.

•Three investment themes• Biodiverse plantings• Protecting and enhancing existing vegetation• Managing invasive species in a connected

landscape

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The Biodiversity Fund – Looking ahead

• Round 2 based on learnings from Round 1 and the Northern Australia Targeted Investment

•Round 2 call for applications early in 2013

•Focus on:• Targeted approach• Partnerships• Carbon outcomes

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The Biodiversity Fund – Round 2

•Targeted approach• Tasmania• The Central Australian Connection• South-west Western Australia• South Australia-Victoria Connection• Greater Border Ranges Region• Urban waterways and coastal environments• Great Barrier Reef

• CFI projects seeking to enhance their biodiversity outcomes across Australia

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Indigenous Carbon Farming Fund

• $22.3 million over 5 years from 2012-13

• Stream 1: Capacity Building and Business Support• Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and

Communities - $17.1 million

• Stream 2: Research and Development• Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency - $5.2 million

• Stream 1 Applications Closed• Category 1 – Feasibility and Assessment activities up to $50,000• Category 2 – Business and Project Development activities up to

$300,000• Applications closed on Wednesday 12 December 2012

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Stream 1 of the Regional NRM Planning for Climate Change Fund

• Update regional NRM plans to:

• help guide the location and nature of biodiversity and revegetation activities

• optimise carbon co-benefits for biodiversity, water and agricultural production

• complement other initiatives such as the Biodiversity Fund and Carbon Farming Initiative

• Funding:

• $24.16 million 2012-13 to 2015-16

• for identified regional NRM organisations across Australia

• to update existing regional NRM plans

• Updates made must be within the scope of the Principles for the Regional NRM Planning for Climate Change Fund (the Principles)

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Development of the Principles

• The Principles were drafted in consultation the regional NRM organisations

• 3 principles:

• Plans identify priority landscapes for carbon plantings and strategies to build landscape integrity and guide adaptation and mitigation actions to address climate change impacts on natural ecosystems

• Planning process is logical, comprehensive, and transparent

• Plans use best available information to develop actions and are based on collaboration with government, community and other stakeholders

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Contacts

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Biodiversity FundDepartment of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and CommunitiesGPO Box 787CANBERRA ACT 2601Telephone: 1800 008 678Email: biodiversityfund@environment.gov.au

Caring for our Country Sustainable Environment streamDepartment of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and CommunitiesGPO Box 787CANBERRA ACT 2601Telephone: 1800 552 008Email: caringforourcountry@environment.gov.au

Indigenous Carbon Farming FundDepartment of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and CommunitiesPO Box 787CANBERRA ACT 2601Telephone: 1800 008 678Email: icff@environment.gov.au

Stream 1 of the Regional NRM Planning for Climate Change FundDepartment of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and CommunitiesGPO Box 787CANBERRA ACT 2601Telephone: 02 6274 2392Email: NRMPlanning@environment.gov.au

Questions?

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