Commonwealth Government links to the National Biodiversity Strategy

2. Commonwealth Government links to the National Biodiversity Strategy • Overview of: • the Commonwealth Government's constitutional responsibility for the environment and in particular biodiversity • links between the draft strategy and Commonwealth Government policies and programs

3. Commonwealth Government constitutional responsibility for the environment • Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) – matters of national environmental significance • managing Australia’s international border • managing Commonwealth lands, such as defence lands and national parks • managing Commonwealth waters – between the state/territory limit (3 nautical miles) and the boundary of Australia’s exclusive economic zone(200 nautical miles).

4. State and territory boundaries and the EEZ

5. Commonwealth Government policies and programs • Legislation – e.g. EPBC Act • Caring for our Country • initiative – targeted $ • Marine environment • Climate change • Water • National policy frameworks

6. EPBC Act • Matters of national environmental significance • World Heritage properties • National Heritage places • wetlands of international importance • listed threatened species and ecological communities • listed migratory species • nuclear actions • Commonwealth marine environment.

7. EPBC Act - Review • Terms of reference (extract) • The review will examine: • the operation of the EPBC Act generally • the extent to which the objects of the EPBC Act have been achieved • the appropriateness of current matters of national environmental significance • the effectiveness of the biodiversity and wildlife conservation arrangements.

8. Caring for our Country • ongoing initiative • more than $2 billion over five years to June 2013 • integrates the delivery of the Commonwealth's previous NRM programs including: • the Natural Heritage Trust • the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality • - National Landcare Program • Environmental Stewardship • - Working on Country Indigenous land and sea ranger program.

9. Caring for our Country • ‘… seeks to achieve an environment that is healthy, better protected, well managed and resilient, and provides essential ecosystem services in a changing climate.’

10. Marine environment • Marine bioregional planning • - 5 marine regions • Marine Protected Areas • - Commonwealth reserves (under the EPBC Act) • Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

11. Marine protected areas

12. Climate change • 3 pillars: • reducing Australia’s carbon pollution - CPRS • adapting to unavoidable climate change • helping to shape a global solution • CPRS White paper • - complementary measures to avoid unintended detrimental impacts – these include the NBS

13. Water for the Future • Commonwealth Government framework that provides national leadership in water reform. • Water for the Future is built on 4 key priorities • Taking action on climate change • Using water wisely • Securing water supplies • Healthy rivers and waterways.

14. Working with the states and territories – national policy work • Engagement in national policy development: • Native Vegetation Framework • Australian Weeds Strategy • Australian Pest Animal Strategy • AusBIOSEC • National Water Initiative • Regional Forest Agreements • National Reserve System • Climate change adaptation • Integrated coastal zone management

15. Private land conservation • Market-based instruments • - Environmental stewardship • - Forest Conservation Fund • - Conservation covenants • Landscape scale approaches • - incentives and design • Complementary land-use practices • - links with protected areas • - connectivity

16. Questions?