JOINT MEDIA STATEMENT

Treasurer

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

NO.066

GOVERNMENT WELCOMES NATIVE VEGETATION AND BIODIVERSITY REGULATIONS

REPORT

The Australian Government has welcomed recommendations from an Inquiry into

the Impacts of Native Vegetation and Biodiversity Regulations to increase landholder

confidence in natural resource planning and regulation without sacrificing the

country’s native flora and fauna.

The Productivity Commission Inquiry report into the Impacts of Native Vegetation

and Biodiversity Regulations, tabled in parliament today, was supported by Deputy

Prime Minister John Anderson, Treasurer Peter Costello and Ministers for the

Environment and Heritage, Senator Ian Campbell, and Agriculture, Fisheries and

Forestry, Warren Truss.

Mr Anderson said the Productivity Commission inquiry was initiated by the Australian

Government in response to concerns by landholders and farmer organisations that

the implementation of native vegetation and biodiversity regulations was having

adverse impacts on some landholders.

“The Australian Government agrees with the Commission’s recommendations,”

he said. “At the next meeting of the Council of Australian Governments,

the Prime Minister will be asking the States and Territories to support the

Commission’s recommendations to improve vegetation management.”

Senator Campbell said the analysis by the Productivity Commission offered valuable

insight.

“The Commission has identified where existing approaches can be improved

to reduce negative impacts on landholders while still achieving native vegetation

and biodiversity objectives,” he said.

“It is particularly pleasing that the Commission has endorsed the approach

the Government has taken under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation

Act.

“Landholder confidence in natural resource planning and regulation must

be increased without sacrificing environmental outcomes or the interests of

the community. This requires transparency, accountability, statutory time frames

for assessing permit applications and provision of accessible, timely and impartial

appeals and dispute-resolution mechanisms.”

Mr Truss said that as the report had found that state native vegetation and

biodiversity regulations were imposing significant and unnecessary costs on

landholders, the Australian Government could not act alone to reduce the negative

impacts of regulation on landholders.

“The Government will be looking to the States to bring their regulations

into line with the Commission’s recommendations,” he said.

The report’s recommendations reflect the Australian Government’s

approach through the $3 billion Natural Heritage Trust and $1.4 billion National

Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality. These two programs – the largest

environmental rescue plan in Australia’s history – draw on the extensive

knowledge and expertise of landholders and local communities and are giving

regional bodies greater autonomy to make collective land management decisions.

The Productivity Commission report’s recommendations and the Australian

Government response are available on the Treasurer’s

website. Copies of the report may be downloaded from the Productivity

Commission website.

CANBERRA

10 August 2004

Contacts:

Amanda Kennedy

Treasurer’s Office

02 6277 7340

Wayne Grant

Minister for the Environment and Heritage Office

0407 845 280

Paul Chamberlin

Minister for Transport and Regional Services Office

02 6277 7680

Tim Langmead

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Office

02 6277 7520