04 November 2011
The Australian and ACT Governments have
agreed on a plan that will provide certainty
for long-term growth in the nation's capital
and one that will minimise the footprint
from development on the natural environment.
Federal Environment Minister, Tony Burke,
joined ACT Minister for the Environment
and Sustainable Development, Simon Corbell
to announce the Commonwealth Government's
endorsement of the ACT's Molonglo Valley
Plan for the Protection of Matters of National
Environmental Significance.
This plan, which underwent a rigorous strategic
environmental assessment by both governments,
reflects the ACT Government's Molonglo and
North Weston Structure Plan for urban development
in east Molonglo.
"This strategic assessment of the Molonglo
region under national environment law will
enable sustainable communities to accommodate
Canberra's growing population, while safeguarding
our environment," Mr Burke said.
"This agreement will reduce red tape,
and provide long-term certainty to the community
and developers for sustainable urban development
and improved housing supply."
Mr Corbell welcomed the Commonwealth's endorsement
and said that the planning for the development
of sustainable suburbs in the Molonglo Valley
could now proceed.
"This decision has given the green
light to planning and development to begin
in the ACT's next frontier, the Molonglo
Valley, which will involve the construction
of affordable housing for up to 55,000 people,"
Mr Corbell said.
"This also achieves significant conservation
outcomes for matters of national environmental
significance like habitats for nationally
threatened species and ecological communities
such as the pink-tailed worm lizard, natural
temperate grasslands and box gum woodland,
which is also a foraging habitat for the
swift and superb parrots."
"I am confident that the size and quality
of proposed offset areas, the proposed adaptive
management strategy and commitments to minimise
impacts are good conservation outcomes for
matters of national environmental significance
in the Molonglo Valley," he said.
The ACT Government has provided high-level
assurance that management arrangements will
be established and implemented to deliver
positive outcomes into the long term.
Under the strategic assessment the governments
also considered the impacts of peri-urban
development in west Molonglo, ensuring that
future developments can be better planned
under the same strict guidelines.
"Strategic assessments ensure long-term
environmental protection by looking at the
impacts and potential benefits to the environment
over the whole landscape before development
begins. This helps to shape proposals from
the earliest stage, rather than requiring
them to be modified later," said Mr
Burke.
Federal Member for Canberra, Gai Brodtmann,
welcomed the agreement.
"Canberra is a growing city and today's
announcement is a great result for our community,"
said Ms Brodtmann.
"It allows us to plan for population
growth and development in an environmentally
sustainable way."
The Molonglo Valley strategic environmental
assessment was the third to be endorsed
by the Australian Government under national
environment law. This approach aligns with
the Gillard Government's Sustainable Australia
- Sustainable Communities strategy, which
aims to ensure future population change
supports the economic, environmental and
social wellbeing of the nation.
+ More
Gillard government releasese
a draft marine plan for Australia's temperate
east region
11 November 2011
The Gillard Government today released the
draft marine bioregional plan and proposed
marine reserves network for Australia's
Temperate East Marine Region.
Environment Minister
Tony Burke outlined details of the draft
bioregional plan and proposed marine reserves
network for the Temperate East region that
will be open for a three-month community
consultation period.
The Temperate East Marine
Region covers approximately 1.47 million
square kilometres of temperate and subtropical
ocean.
It is made up of Commonwealth
marine waters starting from the southern
boundary of the Great Barrier Reef Marine
Park to Bermagui in southern New South Wales,
and also includes the waters surrounding
Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands.
Mr Burke said there
was a unique opportunity for the government
and community to work together to take steps
now to protect the region's marine environment
for future generations.
"For generations
Australians have understood the need to
preserve precious areas on land as national
parks. Our oceans contain fragile marine
life which deserve protection too,"
Mr Burke said.
"The Temperate
East Marine Region has many unique features
and is home to a large number of protected
species and species that occur nowhere else
in the world.
"It is home to
the east coast population of the critically-endangered
grey nurse shark and includes the southernmost
extent of many reef building coral species.
"Several significant
seamount ridges run parallel to the coast
in this region, including the extensive
Tasmantid Seamount Chain. The Taupo Seamount
rises roughly 4700 metres from the ocean
floor-twice as tall as Mount Kosciuszko.
"Scientists have
recently discovered that these features
support hundreds of species, including some
previously unknown to science.
"We know that Australians
need our oceans to be healthy if they are
going to keep providing us with fish to
eat, a place to fish, sustainable tourism
opportunities and a place for families to
enjoy.
"The Gillard Government
is working with communities to establish
a marine reserves network to support a sustainable
future for our marine environment and ensure
our oceans stay healthy and productive.
"Through our initial
consultation in the development of these
draft plans, where possible, we have avoided
having an impact on local jobs or people
who love to fish."
The marine reserves
network being developed will have no impact
in state waters. The proposed networks of
marine reserves are in Commonwealth waters
which start 5.5 kilometres off the coast.
Mr Burke said the Government
had worked with environment groups, the
fishing industry, recreational fishing groups
and other marine users in the development
of a draft bioregional plan and proposed
marine reserves network for the temperate
east.
"Now there will
be a further opportunity for communities
to have their say in this important process
and I encourage people to get involved,"
Mr Burke said.
"We extended the
60-day consultation period to 90 days to
ensure people have every opportunity to
provide feedback. The feedback and input
the Government receives will assist in finalising
the proposal for a new marine reserve network
and bioregional plan for the Temperate East
Marine Region."
There are nine proposed
marine reserves in the Temperate East Marine
Region and these are broken down into six
types of zones to secure conservation benefits
and where possible minimise impact on industries
and people who like to fish.
The marine reserves
network also incorporates the existing Commonwealth
marine reserves in the region.
During the three-month
public consultation period, officers from
the Department of Sustainability, Environment,
Water, Population and Communities will be
visiting coastal centres in the Temperate
East Marine Region. They will hold information
sessions and meet with representatives of
various industries and stakeholder groups.
Public information sessions
will be held in Bermagui, Ulladulla, Jervis
Bay, Port Stephens, Forster, Coffs Harbour,
Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island. The
consultation period will close on 21 February
2012.
The Government's proposals
for the Coral Sea will be released soon.
For more information
on the draft marine bioregional plans and
the proposed Commonwealth marine reserves
in the Temperate East Marine Region, including
details of public information sessions scheduled
across the region, go to www.environment.gov.au/coasts/mbp/index.html.
