Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Minister representing the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, upon notice, on 13 March 2012:

(1) Can details be provided of the budget allocations to the National Reserve System (NRS) for the financial years 2009-10, 2010-11, and 2011-12, and any forward estimates commitments for the coming financial years.

(2) In the design of the operational detail of the Biodiversity Fund, how was the strategic program for the NRS factored in, for example, will priority be given to Biodiversity Fund project proposals that help create habitat corridors or buffer existing or proposed National Reserves.

(3) When are Natural Resource Management regions expected to have completed revisions to their regional strategic plans to reflect potential landscape carbon projects.

(4) How will the revised plans inform the first two rounds of funding under the Biodiversity Fund.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

(1) Commonwealth Expenditure on the National Reserve System (NRS) in 2009-10 was $38.9 million and $45.4 million in 2010-11. National budget allocations have been set for the NRS through to the end of the current phase of Caring for our Country and will provide $32.8 million in 2011-12. Future funding will be finalised as part of the Budget. Additional funding is provided for Indigenous Protected Areas that also contribute to the NRS.

(2) The Biodiversity Fund complements the NRS by prioritising, among other things, projects to enhance the condition of native vegetation in areas adjacent to existing key assets such as protected areas in the NRS.

(3) The Regional Natural Resource Management Planning for Climate Change Fund (part of the Clean Energy Future Land Sector Package) is expected to commence in early 2012-13. The 56 regional Natural Resource Management (NRM) organisations across Australia will receive funding to update their plans to incorporate climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies on the land. Those updated plans will inform the design and location of carbon sequestration and biodiversity activities in the future. The program commences in 2012-13 and completion times for plans will vary depending on the stage of development of the current NRM plans.

(4) The first round of the Biodiversity Fund had regard to the alignment of proposed projects with existing planning tools, including NRM plans. The future rounds will have increasing regard to NRM plans as those plans are updated.