Launch of the Conservation Covenanting Project

SUMMARY OF KEY POLICY OPTIONS

Toolkit for councils: Opportunities for local government to contribute to the conservation and management of native vegetation.

There are many activities that local governments can undertake to promote the conservation of native vegetation within their existing powers and responsibilities. Opportunities for involvement exist across all tenures and land uses, although the mechanisms and approaches that can be used depend on the circumstances faced.

Perhaps the most important opportunities lie in councils performing their day-to-day functions in a way that does not have an adverse impact on the conservation of native vegetation. Hence, a distinction is drawn between the core functions of councils and those that are discretionary, as set out below.

As highlighted in Figure 1 not all councils perform all of these functions. What is most important is local government access to the full range of tools used by State and Commonwealth governments to conserve native vegetation. They also need to be encouraged to develop innovative solutions to natural resource management problems at the regional level. There is a need for a shift from paternalistic distrust to positive facilitation.

Core functions of local government

Land-use planning and development approvals (Page 43)

In regions undergoing significant land use change through urban or agricultural development, local government responsibilities for land use planning and development approvals are the most significant way in which they can contribute to the conservation of native vegetation.

Policy Option 1

Ensure that conservation values are taken into account in decision making by integrating conservation data and planning with other strategic and land-use planning processes within councils.

Policy Option 2

Use targeted by-laws (Vegetation Protection Orders) and dedicated conservation zones to protect land of high conservation value-

Policy Option 3

Develop rules for offsetting the impacts of developments. such as a requirement that no net loss to native vegetation cover occurs as a result of development. Developments requiring the clearing of native vegetation would be required to establish an area of at least equivalent size in the local government area

Managing publicly owned lands (Page 48)

In their role as mangers of public lands, local governments can make a substantial and direct contribution to conserving native vegetation. By breaking away from their traditional focus of managing public lands exclusively for recreation, there is an opportunity for councils to actively manage these lands for conservation.

Policy Option 4

Establish programs that support the conservation of native vegetation on land managed by local government.

Priority new initiative: Provide catalytic funding of $12 million for planning and management of native vegetation by local governments. This funding would provide $200,000 to 60 councils to undertake a comprehensive survey and plan for native vegetation management and initiate an ongoing management and monitoring program. The Commonwealth could do this on a 50:50 basis with State and governments on the understanding that local communities would also make a significant cost-sharing contribution.

Policy Option 5

Develop programmes for co-ordinating the conservation management of all Crown lands within regions through local government.

Managing environmental risks (Page 56)

Councils are responsible for the management of a wide range of environmental risks including, flood acid fire, which may have a direct impact on the management of native vegetation.

Policy Option 6

Ensure conservation values are considered and integrated in risk management strategies adopted by local governments.

Discretionary functions of local government

Facilitating community involvement (Page 59)

Because local government is the level of government closest to the community, it is in a strong position to support community-based programs for the protection and management of native vegetation.

Policy Option 7

By closely involving community groups in the preparation of conservation plans and strategies. local government can achieve more effectively target community-based programs.

Policy Option 8

Greater integration between community and local government programs can be achieved by giving facilitators and environmental officers access to council decision making processes.

Policy Option 9

Community based programs will be more successful if there is continuity in their operation and in the staff involved in their delivery. Local governments could, with funding support from central government, move to provide security and a career path for facilitators and environmental officers by incorporating these functions into a councils core structures.

Financial Incentives and Market Mechanisms (Page 64):

Financial incentive and market based mechanisms are a primary means of supporting land use planning outcomes on private lands through participation of landholders in conservation activities.

Policy Option 10

Local governments should be given the legal authority and policy support to implement financial incentives and market based policy instruments for the conservation of native vegetation.

Priority new initiative: State and Local governments could review existing impediments to local governments implementing the full range of incentive and market based mechanisms. 2

Policy Option 11

Incentive-based instruments may be promoted and used by local governments to complement other conservation initiatives within local government.

Priority New Initiative: A $5 million program supporting the introduction of incentive programs is proposed. The program could be transitory, with councils involving to self-fund these programs over a number of years.

Providing financial and administrative support (Page 70):

Because local governments are elected and directly accountable to their communities, have a statutory basis. and have highly professional financial administration systems in place, they are ideally placed to manage the collection and expenditure of public funds for regional natural resource management.

Policy Option 12

Local governments should be encouraged to provide financial and administrative support to community and catchment groups in order to promote greater synergies in their activities at the local scale.

Capacity Building: Addressing the impediments to local government playing an active role in native vegetation management

If more local councils are to use the tools for sustainable natural resource management identified in this report, they must be supported to build their capacity to undertake new activities. Critical issues for State and Commonwealth governments to consider are listed below.

Education and Awareness (Page 73)

Many local governments focus on their traditional roles and see little role for themselves in natural resource management. The Needs Assessment undertaken for this study reveals that success is very dependent on individuals taking a leading role to bridge the gap between two interests or organisations that appear to be in conflict. These individuals can be project officers, chief executive officers or councillors.

Policy Option 13

Develop a comprehensive education program for local government decision makers highlighting the importance of local government involvement in the management of natural resources, including native vegetation.

Policy Option 14

Ensure local governments are actively involved in regional natural resource management structures established under State legislation.

Policy Option I5

Employ environmental officers to develop and Integrate local government policies and programs for the management of natural resources.

Priority new initiative: Review the presence of environmental officers supporting local government and regional natural resource strategies and provide supplementary funding of $70 000 - $100 000 to low capacity regions.

Funding local government (Page 79)

The majority of local governments are unwilling to put in place new programs to conserve and manage native vegetation in the absence of secure funding to meet ongoing costs of managing these programs. The analysis of funding arrangements for local government justifies this view by revealing a strong fiscal imbalance between the revenue raising capacity between Local, State and Commonwealth governments.

Because of the benefits to the broader community associated with the management of native vegetation there is an urgent need to develop long term cost sharing arrangements for natural resource management.

Policy Option 16

For local governments to contribute to financing the conservation of native vegetation, they will require the capacity to raise and target revenue for environmental programs.

Priority new initiative: State and governments to remove impediments to local governments raising environmental levies and developer contributions for natural resource management. 3

Policy Option 17

For local government to effectively engage in managing natural resource programs, Commonwealth, State and Local governments could be required to provide a more secure funding source for environmental programs within local government.

Priority new initiative: Commonwealth could support 10 - 20 five year funding partnership agreements of $5 - $10 million per region in priority regions.(See policy option 22).

Provision of data information and expertise (Page 93)

In order to be able to sustainably manage native vegetation, local governments require access to scientific and technical information on the distribution of the different types of native vegetation. This means that they need ongoing access to individuals with the expertise to interpret this information and help them to develop management strategies.

Policy Option 19

Processes should be put in place to ensure local government have access to the information and expertise required to integrate native vegetation and other natural resource management issues into their decision making.

Policy Option 20

Establish a demand driven program for 50 -100 councils that provides local governments with resources to develop natural resource data management systems that are compatible with existing planning tools.

Priority new initiative: Establish natural resource management support units within each State at a cost of $6 million - $12 million over three -rears Support units could comprise a liaison officer in each State, with the function of facilitating access to expertise in natural resource management planning within State agencies. A range of State government officials who would also be available to provide short-term assistance in establishing natural resource management pro-rams in each State.

Poor policy coordination and targeting (Page 101):

Improved coordination and targeting of natural resource management programs is required at Commonwealth, State and regional levels to improve the access of local governments and landholders to these programs.

Policy Option 21

Improved coordination and targeting of natural resource management programs is required at Commonwealth, State and regional levels to improve the access that local governments and landholders have to these programs.

Institutional Issues: Developing successful regional partnerships with local government

The most significant impediments to local governments developing innovative solutions to natural resource management problems are the complex legislative and bureaucratic structures that divide and fragment management responsibilities across a wide range of State agencies.

Institutional arrangements for the delivery of natural resource management are reviewed, benchmarks for best practice institutional arrangements are identified and a model for developing regional strategies through which successful natural resource management partnerships with local government can be developed is proposed. Drawing on the policy options identified throughout the report, an agenda for working with different categories of local government is put forward. The model involves a broad range of policy instruments and organisations in their delivery.

The model proposed presents a range of challenges to policy makers, not least by arguing that increased commitment to building the capacity of regional structures is required. Ultimately this will require the devolution of both resources and decision making powers to those regions with the capacity to sustainablv manage natural resources.

Policy Option 22 (Page 122)

Priority new initiative: Fund the development of 10-20 pilot regional action plans/strategies (Policy Option 17). To take account of regional differences, these pilot programs would be most effectively targeted at a cross section of councils.
- A number of the regional programs would be aimed at high capacity councils with a view to councils playing the leading role in developing approaches to native vegetation management and to giving councils access to the full range of policy incentives.
- Other regional strategies would be targeted through catchment management (or equivalent) structures. Particular emphasis could be given to targeted programs, including:
  - crown land management (Policy, Option 4).
  - provision of data information and expertise (Policy, Option 20); and
  - education and awareness (Policy, Option 13)