Environmental Management

The objective of the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) was to examine and report on the planning and corporate governance for the new regional delivery model of the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality (NAP) program, jointly administered by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and the Department of the Enviro ....

The ANAO is undertaking three audits of key aspects of the NPA's signed with Queensland and Victoria in relation to natural disasters over the 2010-2011 spring and summer seasons.   The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Inspectorate, supported by the taskforce, in providing assurance that value for money is bei ....

The BioRap Toolbox is used for assessing the biodiversity in Papua New Guinea (PNG) region. The BioRap outputs have contributed towards the ongoing conservation initiatives in PNG and the new have strengthened forest planning capacity, including identifying areas appropriate for sustainable forest management and conservation. Rep ....

The Basin Plan aims to balance the water needs of the environment and other uses, through the establishment of new limits (known as sustainable diversion limits, or SDLs) on the volumes of water use. Drawing on the best available information and advice, the Authority has: • assessed flow regimes at 122 environmental sites throughout the Basin ....

The protection of existing native vegetation and the planting of shelterbelts may provide a multitude of productivity and biodiversity benefits for farming industries. The value of shelterbelts in raising agricultural productivity has been demonstrated in many countries suggesting potential improvements in crop yields (25 ....

The protection of existing native vegetation and the planting of shelterbelts may provide a multitude of productivity and biodiversity benefits for farming industries. The value of shelterbelts in raising agricultural productivity has been demonstrated in many countries suggesting potential improvements in crop yields (25%), pasture yields (20-30 ....

This research project examines some of the effects that implementing the Endangered Species Act has on a rapidly growing community. This case study focuses on the eastern Nebraska saline wetlands near Lincoln in the Little Salt Creek watershed - home to the endangered Salt Creek tiger beetle. With the listing of the Salt Creek tiger beetle o ....

To fulfil its emission reduction target pledged in the Copenhagen accord, the Australian Government has determined to introduce a carbon tax from July 1st 2012. This paper simulates the effects on the environment and on the economy of a carbon tax of A$23 per tonne of carbon dioxide proposed by the government with, and without, a compensation pol ....

The implementation of strategies for national and global outcomes has in some instances left rural community resources and practices devalued and disturbed and rural people demoralised with the result that local community sustainability has been compromised. Formal education in Australia is about many things, but is rarely sympathe ....

The practices and public reputation of mining have been changing over time. In the past, mining operations frequently stood accused of being socially and environmentally disruptive, whereas mining today invests heavily in 'socially responsible' and 'sustainable' business practices. Changes such as these can be witnessed internationally as well as ....

The project involved a review of the effectiveness of community skills, knowledge and engagement (CSKE) in natural resource management under the Australian Government's Caring for Our Country program. The program involves significant investments of public funds. Organisations in 56 NRM regions across Australia receive an annual base-level alloca ....

The existing system of nature reserves in Australia is inadequate for the long-term conservation and restoration of native biological diversity because it fails to accommodate, among other elements, large scale and long-term ecological processes and change, including physical and biotic transport in the landscape. This paper is an ....

The major provisions of the South East Queensland Forests Agreement (SEQEA) that concern the management and planning involved in the conservation of the flora and fauna of the region are presented. The key lessons that can be learnt from them regarding biodiversity conservation strategy, management of reserves and the role of scien ....

The worldwide "wildfire" problem is headlined by the loss of human lives and homes, but it applies generally to any adverse effects of unplanned fires, as events or regimes, on a wide range of environmental, social, and economic assets. The problem is complex and contingent, requiring continual attention to the changing circumstances of stakehold ....