Media release
6 May 2011
Farmers in New South Wales and South Australia
will receive support from the Gillard Government
for vital work protecting five endangered
ecological communities on 19,474 hectares
of privately managed land the Environment
Minister, Tony Burke, announced today.
“The Gillard Government
values the work done by land managers across
our nation to help protect our environment,”
Mr Burke said.
“Through the Environmental
Stewardship program the Australian Government
is providing $6.7 million to improve the
condition of five ecological communities
listed under the national environment law.
"The program provides
vital support as four of these five ecological
communities are critically endangered, with
five percent or less of the pre-European
extent remaining.
“In New South Wales
42 farms will receive support to protect
endangered ecological communities of weeping
myall woodland, box gum grassy woodland
and basalt and alluvial natural grasslands
through the Government’s Environmental Stewardship
Multiple Ecological Communities project.
“The area to be protected
covers 14,671 hectares in the Central West,
Namoi and Border Rivers Gwydir Catchment
Management Authority regions.
“In South Australia,
peppermint box grassy woodland and iron
grass temperate grasslands on 27 farms in
the Northern and Yorke, Adelaide and Mount
Lofty Ranges and South Australian Murray
Darling Basin Natural Resource Management
Board regions are being supported, covering
a total area of 4,803 hectares.
“The Environmental Stewardship
program is providing Australian farmers
with long-term opportunities to get involved
in conservation on their land and recognises
the vital role they play in biodiversity
conservation and in protecting our natural
environment.
“Farmers in both New
South Wales and South Australia will be
contracted for up to 15 years to undertake
a range of actions including reducing grazing
intensity and expanding weed and feral animal
control to improve the condition of these
important communities.”
A baseline survey being
conducted for the Government by the Australian
National University on land already contracted
under the Environmental Stewardship Program
has confirmed the value of the program in
enhancing the conservation of threatened
species.
For more information about the Environmental
Stewardship Program go to www.nrm.gov.au
+ More
Gillard Government delivers
first sustainable population strategy
Media release
13 May 2011
The Gillard Government today released the
nation's first ever dedicated sustainable
population strategy which sets out the framework,
backed by new funding for a sustainable
Australia.
Sustainability, Population
and Communities Minister Tony Burke today
launched Sustainable Australia - Sustainable
Communities which outlines key directions
to help ensure future population change
supports the economic, environmental and
social wellbeing of the nation.
The Strategy's focus
is on population change rather than setting
arbitrary targets, driving growth to regional
areas by attracting skilled workers and
more houses to where job opportunities are,
and alleviating pressures in outer suburbs
of major capital cities by supporting more
local jobs.
"We have communities
where there are not enough workers and communities
where there are not enough jobs - a locally
targeted approach to addressing population
growth and change is needed," Mr Burke
said.
"The resources
boom mark II, the roll-out of the National
Broadband Network and our ageing population
will have significant impacts on Australia.
"A sustainable
population strategy targeted at the needs
of local communities is the right strategy
for a patchwork economy.
"The Government
will deliver housing and targeted immigration
to where there is a shortage of workers
and promote efficient infrastructure and
local jobs where there are congestion issues.
"Population change
is not only about the growth and overall
size of the population, it's also about
the needs and skills of our population,
how we live and importantly, where we live.
"Sustainable Australia
- Sustainable Communities sets out the framework
for improving the mix of services, job and
skilled training opportunities and affordable
housing, whilst boosting the liveability
of our cities and regions to ensure they
are places people want to live, work and
build a future."
It is backed by over
$230 million in the 2011-12 Budget including:
$100 million for a Suburban
Jobs initiative to drive more job opportunities
within easy reach of where people live in
the outer suburbs of Australia's major capital
cities. This initiative will support local
and state governments to deliver employment
precincts, manufacturing hubs and multifunction
developments close to residential areas
in growing outer suburbs;
$81.4 million in new investments in the
National Urban Policy to help cities become
more productive, sustainable and liveable,
including $61.4 million for a smart managed
motorways trial to cut motorway congestion
and bring mums and dads home from work faster,
and $20 million for a Liveable Cities program
to invest in the development of urban renewal
projects that improve access to jobs and
housing, enhancing the liveability of our
cities;
$29.2 million for a new Sustainable Regional
Development initiative to support better
sustainability planning in regions experiencing
high growth through strategic assessments
under national environmental law in up to
seven additional regional and coastal growth
areas;
$11.5 million for a new Promoting Regional
Living Program to support Australia's regions
to market themselves as an alternative to
living in a major capital city; and
$10.1 million for a new Measuring Sustainability
program to develop a set of sustainability
indicators that can be factored in at a
regional level to better inform decision
makers.
These measures build on $100 million the
Government is delivering as part of the
Building Better Regional Cities initiative
to build more affordable homes in regional
cities to relieve pressure on major capital
cities.
"Our strategy is
backed by more than $4.3 billion in investments
in regional hospitals, health care, universities
and roads to lift living standards outside
the capitals, provide the best services
and help regional communities reach their
potential," Mr Burke said.
Sustainable Australia
- Sustainable Communities builds on the
Government's agenda:
health, to relieve pressure
on our system as Australia's population
grows and ages;
water, to ensure sustainable use for communities,
industries, and the environment;
building the National Broadband Network
to connect regional Australia to the economic
capitals of this nation and the world;
drive lasting improvements to the way our
nation plans, finance and builds the infrastructure
it needs to compete in the 21st Century;
skills, education and training to deal with
structural economic shifts; and
reforming skilled migration to restore integrity
and get skilled labour to employers who
need it.
In addition, the 2011-12 Budget outlined
16,000 new places for skilled migrants through
the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme,
a 60 per cent increase on last year.
New Regional Migration
Agreements will boost effectiveness of the
migration program by ensuring it responds
to changing economic needs, including building
the skills needed in regional areas.
"It's important
that new skilled migrants go to jobs and
areas where they are needed most, particularly
to meet the demands of the resource boom,"
Mr Burke said.
"This is the beginning
of our agenda for more sustainable Australia.
The Prime Minister will also begin a COAG
process that asks state premiers to lead
development of Commonwealth-state reforms
that are of particular relevance to their
jurisdiction whether it be demand for workers
or addressing congestion."
Sustainable Australia
- Sustainable Communities has been informed
by advice from three advisory panels, a
sustainable population issues paper and
a public consultation process in which over
370 public submissions were received.
