13 January 2012 - The
Gillard Government today signed a major
new Conservation Agreement with the Tasmanian
Government that marks the next step in progressing
the historic Tasmanian Forests Intergovernmental
Agreement (IGA).
The legally-binding agreement with Forestry
Tasmania, under the Environment Protection
and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999,
excludes hundreds of thousands of hectares
of public native forests from rotation forestry
while a comprehensive analysis of forest
conservation values and industry timber
supply requirements takes place.
Environment Minister, Tony Burke, welcomed
the Conservation Agreement which will allow
all parties to focus on supporting the longer-term
Independent Verification process.
“This Government recognises that market
conditions have already resulted in a significant
downturn for the forestry industry in Tasmania,”
Mr Burke said.
“Without the IGA timber communities would
be hit by these market changes without the
support they need.
“That’s why the Government is committed
to delivering a solution for the forestry
industry and Tasmanian families.
“The Conservation Agreement is the next
step of the Intergovernmental Agreement
which is supporting the community led agreement
to deliver long term job security and a
good conservation outcome for Tasmania’s
ancient forests.
“With this agreement in place, all parties
can now concentrate their efforts on assisting
the important work of the Independent Verification
Group, which is assessing the conservation
values of the entire 572,000 hectares nominated
by environmental non-governmental organisations,
in addition to verifying long-term timber
supply requirements and availability.
“This is a good result for Tasmania's forestry
industry, for local jobs and communities
while protecting Tasmania’s iconic forests.”
To inform the details of this Agreement,
independent forestry experts undertook a
thorough investigation of existing harvesting
work within the 430,000 hectare interim
area in the Intergovernmental Agreement,
and explored all options for rescheduling
this harvesting outside the interim area
to the maximum extent possible.
The reports of the independent
expert forest schedulers, released today,
found that while some harvesting work could
be moved, it was not possible to reschedule
harvesting in a small number of coupes.
In accordance with the
requirements of the Intergovernmental Agreement,
which commits to honouring all existing
wood supply contracts, these coupes have
been excluded from the Conservation Agreement.
The Australian and Tasmanian
Governments have agreed to implement the
outcomes of this process by legislating
to formally protect those areas of high
conservation value forest that are compatible
with the Intergovernmental Agreement’s wood
supply guarantees.
Until this legislative
protection is in place, the area determined
by the Independent Verification process
will be protected under a second Conservation
Agreement.
The Tasmanian and Commonwealth
Governments, and Forestry Tasmania will
start work on the new Conservation Agreement
by 20 January 2012.
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Interim committee to
advise on coal seam gas and large coal mining
27 January 2012 - Environment
and Water Minister Tony Burke has appointed
an interim committee of experts to provide
independent scientific advice on coal seam
gas and large coal mining.
The interim Independent
Expert Scientific Committee has been formed
pending formal establishment of the Independent
Expert Scientific Committee on Coal Seam
Gas and Large Coal Mining Development by
legislative amendment to the Environment
Protection and Biodiversity Conservation
Act 1999.
The Committee is part
of a new science-based framework announced
by the Gillard Government in November last
year, to provide more certainty for regional
communities around coal seam gas and large
coal mining developments, jobs and investment
and the protection of water resources.
The Government is investing
$150 million to establish the new Independent
Expert Scientific Committee that will provide
scientific advice to governments and relevant
coal seam gas and large coal mining projects;
and commission and fund water resource assessment
for priority regions.
The interim Independent
Expert Scientific Committee has had an initial
meeting which endorsed the Terms of Reference
and commenced development of a work plan.
Members of the interim
Independent Expert Scientific Committee
are:
Professor Craig Simmons (Chair)
Professor Simmons is Professor of Hydrogeology
at Flinders University and Director of the
National Centre for Groundwater Research
and Training. He is a leading international
authority in hydrogeology and is considered
one of Australia’s foremost groundwater
academics. Professor Simmons has been a
significant contributor to global advances
in the science of hydrogeology for many
years.
Professor John Langford
Professor Langford has had a 35-year career
in the Australian water industry, serving
as Chief Executive of the Rural Water Commission
from 1989 to 1994. He is a Fellow, Australian
Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering
and a Fellow, Institution of Engineers,
Australia. Professor Langford has been the
recipient of many awards including a Churchill
Fellowship, the Peter Hughes award for contribution
to Australian water management, a Centenary
Medal and was made a Member of the order
of Australia in 2005.
Ms Jane Coram
Jane Coram has a Master of Hydrogeology,
is a groundwater expert at Geoscience Australia
and she is a current member of the Expert
Panel on Coal Seam Gas. She has provided
high-level technical advice on groundwater
issues, including dryland salinity, groundwater
sustainability, uranium mining and wetlands
management, to Federal and State government
agencies and regional catchment managers.
Associate Professor
David Laurence
Associate Professor Laurence has a PhD in
Mining Engineering and a MBA in international
Business. His research interests include
sustainable mining practices; mine closure;
community engagement and mine simulation;
mining methods and mine design; mining law
and mine management. He is a consultant
to industry, government and aid organisations
in sustainable mining practices. He is the
inaugural Director of the Australian Centre
for Sustainable Mining Practices.
Professor Chris Moran
Professor Moran is the Director of the Sustainable
Minerals Institute at the University of
Queensland, Interim Director of the UQ Centre
for Coal Seam Gas and a current member of
the Expert Panel on Coal Seam Gas. He was
previously the founding director of the
Centre for Water in the Minerals Industry
at UQ. Prior to that he worked as a natural
resources and soil scientist in the CSIRO
and has more than 20 years experience in
landscape and water research.
Emeritus Professor Peter G Flood
Professor Flood is an Emeritus professor,
retired Deputy Vice Chancellor at the University
of New England. He is a geologist with 44
years experience in Basin Studies, including
within the Gunnedah, Bowen and Surat Basins
and a member of the Australasian Institute
of Mining and Metallurgy. He has been a
consultant to state and Commonwealth governments
and the mining and oil/gas industry and
has studied the impacts of mining and coal
seam gas extraction on water resources.
“Independent expert
scientific advice to provide quality recommendations
for the protection of underground water
has formed part of federal approvals where
they have been given,” Mr Burke said.
“To date, this quality
independent advice has been limited to the
extent of environmental powers in relation
to matters of national environmental significance
set out under the EPBC Act.
“With this new Independent Expert Scientific
Committee the scientific rigour will be
more broadly applied to consider the impact
on underground water more generally.
“The interim committee
will provide independent expert scientific
advice to the Commonwealth in relation to
projects impacting on water resources which
need assessment under national environment
law.
“This independent assessment
process will help build community confidence
in coal seam gas and coal mining developments
in sensitive areas.”
In addition to establishing
the new Independent Expert Scientific Committee,
the Government will also enter a new National
Partnership Agreement with the states through
COAG, under which the Commonwealth and states
agree to take the Committee’s advice into
account in their assessment and approvals
decisions. In addition, the Commonwealth
will provide $50 million in incentive payments
to the states to deliver this outcome.
The advice of the Independent
Expert Scientific Committee will be publicly
disclosed to ensure local communities have
all the best information available to them.
Until formal arrangements
for the ongoing Committee are agreed by
COAG, state and territory governments, it
is anticipated that state and territory
governments may elect to seek the interim
committee’s advice on coal seam gas and
coal mining proposals that are subject to
their regulatory processes.
Under these arrangements state and territory
governments will remain the primary regulators,
applying this framework to future assessments
and approvals for coal seam gas and coal
mining projects which have significant impacts
on water resources.
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Grazing proposal in
Victorian Alpine National Park clearly unacceptable
31 January 2012 - A
proposal by the Victorian Government to
reintroduce cattle to the National Heritage
listed Alpine National Park in Victoria
has been determined to be clearly unacceptable
under national environmental law and will
not proceed.
Environment Minister Tony Burke said after
careful consideration he had accepted the
advice of the Environment Department that
the proposal to reintroduce cattle to the
Alpine National Park would have a clearly
unacceptable impact on the national heritage
values of the Australian Alps National Parks
and Reserves National Heritage Place.
In December, the Victorian Department of
Sustainability and Environment submitted
a proposal to the Federal Government for
assessment under the Environment Protection
and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act
1999 to reintroduce up to 400 cattle to
graze in the state's Alpine National Park
for up to five months a year for five years,
as a research trial.
Nine out of the 10 sites selected by the
Victorian Government are partly or entirely
located within the Australian Alps National
Parks and Reserves which was included on
the National Heritage List in 2008. The
area contains a number of important ecological
environments.
Last year, the Federal Government made regulatory
changes that formally recognise the significant
impact of livestock grazing on the Australian
Alps National Parks and Reserves National
Heritage place under the EPBC Act.
The regulation specifies that grazing of
domestic stock including cattle could have
a significant impact on the heritage values
of the Australian Alps Heritage Area and
that any future new grazing activities proposed
in the Australian Alps Heritage Area, including
the Alpine National Park, need to be assessed
under the EPBC Act.
"My decision is based on a thorough
and rigorous assessment of the proposal,
taking into account the advice of my department,"
Mr Burke said.
"I have accepted the advice of my department
that the proposed action of reintroducing
up to 400 cattle would have a clearly unacceptable
impact on the listed national heritage values
of the Australian Alps National Parks and
Reserves National Heritage Place.
"The assessment has shown there is
irrefutable evidence that cattle grazing
would damage the sensitive natural environment,
disturb the remote and wild character of
the area, detract from aesthetic values,
and erode its heritage values.
"While my personal views on this matter
are known, in determining this decision
I have considered only whether or not the
proposed action would be in breach of the
EPBC Act.
The Alpine National Park forms part of the
Australian Alps National Parks and Reserves
national heritage place that was listed
on the National Heritage List to identify
and protect the wide range of nationally
significant natural and cultural values
found within it. The parks and reserves
extend over the Victorian, New South Wales
and Australian Capital Territory borders
and in total cover over 1.6 million hectares.
