

Effectiveness of land management
Effectiveness of land management
Understanding: The general nature and pattern of climate-induced pressures has become clearer, although revised funding priorities suggest that adaptation research will become a greater focus than improving basic understanding
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Understanding: The general nature and pattern of climate-induced pressures are becoming clearer, although many uncertainties remain at finer scales
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Planning: Modelling to inform planning decisions increasingly advanced in some areas, and plans to support climate change adaptation, such as in supplementing the protected area estate, becoming increasingly sophisticated
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Planning: Most planning remains at an early stage, in part reflecting the rapidly evolving understanding of how climate-induced pressures are likely to impact on the land environment
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Inputs: There have been substantial initial investments in national and state-scale research on likely impacts and possible management responses
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Inputs: There have been substantial initial investments in national and state-scale research on likely impacts and possible management responses
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Processes: National and state-level bodies and industry sectors continue to engage with the issues of climate change. However, there remains a lack of consensus at the highest political levels about strategies to mitigate climate change, or adapt to its consequences
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Processes: National and state-level bodies and industry sectors are now engaging with the issues of climate change. However, there is not yet consensus at the highest political levels about strategies to address and mitigate climate change
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Outputs and outcomes: Outputs continue to focus primarily on the knowledge and information base necessary to inform management responses, but there are a growing number of practical actions being implemented
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Outputs and outcomes: Outputs focus on the knowledge and information base necessary to inform management responses to the likely impacts of climate change
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Understanding: There is a generally high level of understanding of the impacts of bushfires on environmental values, and an increasing recognition that some approaches to risk mitigation for life and property have negative environmental impacts, which is leading to novel management solutions
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Understanding: There is a generally high level of understanding of the impacts of bushfires on environmental values, strategies for mitigating adverse impacts, and the responsibilities of land managers
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Planning: There is generally a high level of planning for bushfire management both for risk mitigation and enhancing environmental consequences of bushfires
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Planning: There is generally a high level of planning for bushfire risk mitigation
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Inputs: While inputs for bushfire risk mitigation and management have increased, particularly for public land in southern Australia, there remain insufficient funds to manage the impacts of bushfire on environmental values
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Inputs: The overall level of inputs for bushfire risk mitigation and management has increased, particularly for public land in southern Australia. In general, there are insufficient inputs to minimise the impacts of bushfire on environmental values of the extensively managed rangelands and tropical savannas of all tenures
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Processes: There are well-developed processes for evaluating the impacts of bushfire management strategies on environmental values, and for adaptive management
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Processes: There are well-developed processes for evaluating the impacts of bushfire management strategies on environmental values, and for adaptive management
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Outputs and outcomes: In general, the greater recognition and understanding of both the positive and negative impacts of bushfires means that management approaches are increasingly considering the full range of consequences before initiating action
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Outputs and outcomes: In general, the greater recognition and understanding of bushfire impacts on environmental values means that these are less impacted by planned fire. The impacts of wildfire are more difficult to manage, and more variable
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Understanding: The impacts of land clearing on environmental values are well understood
Understanding: The impacts of land clearing on environmental values are well understood
Planning: All states and territories, other than the Northern Territory, where legislation is now being enacted, have legislation to control land clearing
Planning: All states and territories, other than the Northern Territory, where legislation is now being enacted, have legislation to control land clearing
Inputs: The availability and quality of monitoring and reporting systems and tools are key inputs; these continue to be improved nationally and within jurisdictions
Inputs: Timely monitoring and reporting systems and tools are key inputs; the availability and quality of these have improved nationally and within jurisdictions
Processes: Processes vary between jurisdictions; reversals in legislative control of land clearing in some jurisdictions
Processes: Processes vary between jurisdictions, but all are more effective than they have been in the past
Outputs and outcomes: Land clearing continues to threaten environmental values in some areas, both as a consequence of ongoing clearing but also because of cumulative impacts of other threatening process on fragmented habitat
Outputs and outcomes: The national rate of land clearing is now balanced by that of regrowth, but land clearing continues to threaten environmental values in some regions
Understanding: There are well-established, coordinated national arrangements for identification of, minimisation of and response to biosecurity risks, and national and state strategies for managing priority pest animal and invasive plant species
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Understanding: There are well-established, coordinated national arrangements for identification of, minimisation of and response to biosecurity risks, and national and state strategies for managing priority pest animal and invasive plant species
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Planning: There are high levels of national, state and regional-level planning for priority invasive species
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Planning: There are high levels of national, state and regional-level planning for priority invasive species
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Inputs: Significant financial inputs from the Australian Government, state and territory governments and local governments are highly targeted, but the scale of the threats, diversity of opinions about prioritisation, and range of impacts an invasive species may have depending on the environmental context means, inevitably, that there are always important impacts which are not adequately resourced. Private landholders and communities also make major contributions in managing invasive species at local levels
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Inputs: Australian Government inputs are focused on national priority species or on listed threatening processes. In addition, state and territory governments and regional natural resource management organisations commit resources to local priorities; these are complemented by considerable voluntary community and landowner commitments of time and resources. However, in general, financial resources available to manage established invasive species are less than those that would be necessary to substantially impact on pest populations. In some cases, this is because control measures that are effective and feasible have not been identified
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Processes: Management processes vary widely, depending on the nature of the invasive species or threat. Processes are public, and stakeholders are appropriately engaged. An ongoing challenge is that resources are often tied to formal risk categorisation, which means that eradication opportunities may be missed as new incursions become too well established before effective management can begin
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Processes: Management processes vary widely, depending on the nature of the invasive species or threat. There is generally an emphasis on integrated management responses, drawing on a range of control measures. Processes are public, and stakeholders are appropriately engaged
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Outputs and outcomes: The success of strategies for individual invasive species varies, both spatially and temporally, but overall, invasive species are expected to become more, rather than less, threatening for land environmental values
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Outputs and outcomes: Containment, rather than elimination, is the feasible goal of most invasive species management strategies. The success of strategies for individual invasive species varies, both spatially and temporally, but overall, invasive species are expected to become more, rather than less, threatening for land environmental values
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Understanding: The objectives of the national reserve system, and for management of conservation reserves, are explicitly specified in national and state-level policy statements and in management plans
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Understanding: The objectives of the national reserve system, and for management of conservation reserves, are explicitly specified in national and state-level policy statements and in management plans for reserves
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Planning: Management plans are the basis of planning for individual reserves. Incorporation of data to underpin the decision making processes is improving, and scenario planning approaches are engaging with community expectations
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Planning: Management plans are the basis of planning for individual reserves. Planning to adapt to the impacts of climate change, and to improve the resilience and effectiveness of the national reserve system, is under way
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Inputs: Despite considerable investment, resource inputs across the conservation system as a whole are insufficient for the realisation of management objectives, especially as the likely effects of climate change become better understood
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Inputs: Resource inputs across the conservation system as a whole are insufficient for the realisation of management objectives
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Processes: Processes governing management of conservation reserves are generally clear and transparent, draw on stakeholder input, and report to stakeholders. However, legislative challenge to reserve integrity suggests that these processes are not necessarily stable
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Processes: Processes governing management of conservation reserves are generally clear and transparent, draw on stakeholder input, and report to stakeholders
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Outputs and outcomes: Short term management outcomes are usually achieved, but longer term aspirational outcomes will require ongoing attention to management of threatening processes
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Outputs and outcomes: Management outcomes are usually realised in the short term, but the longer term outcomes sought of conservation reserves depend also on the impacts of processes, such as those described in this table, that threaten maintenance of their values
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Understanding: Indigenous land managers consider the sector to be highly politicised, confusing and bureaucratic in nature.
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Understanding: Indigenous Australians have formal management rights to increasing areas of their country under a number of tenure regimes
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Planning: Greater Indigenous input at early stages of planning, and wider use of Indigenous reference groups for major projects and programmes, is ensuring that in many regions Indigenous representation is more meaningful and more powerful. There is still great room for improvement
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Planning: Planning processes are best developed for Indigenous Protected Areas, and for areas for which Indigenous ranger groups are active
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Inputs: Continued investments from governments and transition to fee for service model enables many successful Indigenous management units to function successfully; short term fluctuations in fund availability, and competing demands for skilled workers, means that staff turnover can be an issue in some regions
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Inputs: Financial inputs derive predominantly from government programs, and are threatened by planned changes to workforce programs. Significant resources have been committed from the private and philanthropic sectors for some projects
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Processes: Ongoing challenges with short-term project funding, mandatory reporting on issues which have limited or no local cultural relevance
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Processes: Processes respect Indigenous culture and interests as well as the interests of funding entities
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Outputs and outcomes: Some Indigenous groups are having significant impact in improving land management within their regions. In other regions, competing interests, inconsistent funding or lack of capacity are restricting impact.
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Outputs and outcomes: The outputs of Indigenous land management include cultural, social and economic elements, as well as land management itself. The outcomes of greater Indigenous land management include a more effective conservation reserve system, and more sustainable land management
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Understanding: Native forest management is regulated in all states and territories by legislation. Plantations are also regulated in most states. Many plantation owners have obtained independent certification
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Understanding: Management of both public and private native forests harvested for wood production is regulated by codes of forest practice in all states and territories. Plantation forestry practices are regulated similarly in some states, but less prescriptively in others. Many large-scale forest owners in both public and private sectors have sought and received third-party forest certification
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Planning: Management plans are required in most jurisdictions
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Planning: Intensive planning of forest operations is required for native forests in all states and territories, and for plantation forests in most jurisdictions
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Inputs: Commercial investment in production forestry has declined, putting the industry at risk
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Inputs: High levels of inputs, funded on a commercial basis, are associated with production forestry
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Processes: High levels of stakeholder engagement in management of public forests
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Processes: Processes for public native forest management have high levels of stakeholder engagement; those for private native forests and plantation forest are generally more limited
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Outputs and outcomes: Outputs are typically assessed against commercial objectives, and these have been declining. Outcomes are assessed against certification and legislative requirements
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Outputs and outcomes: Outputs are typically assessed against planning and commercial objectives. Outcomes are intended to ensure that forestry operations comply with the principles of sustainable forest management and forest certification systems
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Understanding: Good understanding of grazing practices, and land management practices associated with best practice management
Understanding: There is a good understanding of climate variability, trade-related matters and greenhouse gas abatement, and these directly affect grazing practices. Animal welfare issues are prominent
Planning: Property planning is routinely of a good standard. Positive engagement with best practice proposals
Planning: The standard of property planning continues to improve, especially in larger integrated grazing operations
Inputs: Funding declines mean that long term monitoring has largely ceased
Inputs: Monitoring of grazing systems has improved. Insufficient resources are available to protect ecosystem services, due to the absence of a funding mechanism for these public goods. Survey and monitoring programs are poorly resourced
Processes: Improved through industry and agency support, but reduced funding and challenging financial environment mean best practice not fully implemented
Processes: These have advanced significantly through Landcare and related activities
Outputs and outcomes: Legacy of degradation through overgrazing and drought years mean that while progress steady, some outcomes still sub-optimal
Outputs and outcomes: Good progress, but chronic forms of land degradation are widespread in the grazing lands of Australia
Understanding: Improving understanding of how to improve management for least environmental impact
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Understanding: There is a good understanding of climate variability, trade-related matters and the potential impacts of climate change
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Planning: Improved forecasting and cropping models support farm planning
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Planning: Sophistication continues to increase, and leading farmers use sophisticated modelling and forecasting tools to plan operations
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Inputs: Reduced investments mean environmental efficiencies not routinely achieved
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Inputs: Weakening human capital and patchy information systems constrain economic efficiency and environmental management
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Processes: Reduced investments in research and changes to extension services
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Processes: Weakening investment in research and development and ongoing changes to extension services are significant matters
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Outputs and outcomes: Ongoing contribution to exported sediment loads and salinity reducing through management, but still significant
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Outputs and outcomes: By international standards, dryland cropping in most regions is very efficient, although environmental performance is often difficult to assess
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Understanding: Good understanding of how to manage for best practice, and models suggest this is being implemented
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Understanding: The industry is in the middle of a major water reform process, which is leading to improved efficiency but inevitable disruptions. These changes are strongly contested, although a much clearer view is emerging about future development pathways (e.g. northern Australia, Murray-Darling Basin)
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Planning: Good understanding of how to manage for best practice, and models suggest this is being implemented
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Planning: This has improved significantly at the farm and district scale, but regional and national planning has not been able to resolve competing contemporary and future needs for agriculture and the environment
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Inputs: Investments in research and development from multiple sources are increasing adaptive management capacity
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Inputs: Weakening human capital and patchy information systems constrain current performance and capacity to adapt
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Processes: Some indications that full implementation of best practice not being achieved due to changes in extension services
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Processes: Generally good at the local and district scale, but processes for dealing with reduced water allocations are only partly effective
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Outputs and outcomes: Still a major source of sediment and chemicals in run-off but significant improvements apparent
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Outputs and outcomes: Irrigated agriculture has improved its environmental performance (e.g. salinity management, reduced pesticide use, improved nutrient management), and the economic return per unit of water has increased
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Understanding: Improved understanding of impacts, and work to ensure all stakeholders aware of impacts and their mitigation
Understanding: Unprecedented industry expansion is a profound development for Australia. Most of the industry has a much greater sensitivity to the need for environmental management and a social licence to operate. The local impacts of mining on the land environment are nearly always major, and conflict with stakeholders is inevitable. The scale of expansion is now a major issue because of emerging regional impacts (e.g. Hunter and La Trobe valleys, northern New South Wales, central Queensland)
Planning: Significant investment in Bioregional Assessments and state and territory work to plan for shale gas
Planning: Existing mechanisms are being tested, particularly when mining and agriculture interests are at odds
Inputs: Reduced commercial investment in the sector, but increased government inputs to ensure clear understandings of costs and benefits
Inputs: Insufficient environmental information is hampering decision-making and policy (e.g. mapping of prime agriculture land, assessing groundwater dynamics and contamination risks)
Processes: Statutory requirements for management and monitoring, and for approvals phase. Insufficient emphasis on rehabilitation
Processes: Management of mine sites has generally improved, as has mine-site rehabilitation. Processes for some types of mines and mining continue to be contested
Outputs and outcomes: Significantly improved, though shortfall in investment for rehabilitation will provide a regrettable legacy
Outputs and outcomes: Significantly improved, but the scale of expansion and related environmental impacts are now the key issues
Understanding: Clear understanding of the impacts of urban development, and growing research into sustainable urban design
Understanding: Impacts on the land environment are acknowledged
Planning: Innovative design is not consistently taken up, and short-term perspectives are storing up challenges with modelled sea level rise
Planning: The incremental nature of expansion rarely translates into an event or conflict that results in major change to planning systems. Strategic planning is only partially successful. The planning profession has lost ground in recent decades, and the need for innovation in planning is now stronger than ever
Inputs: Large private sector investment leading to an oversupply
Inputs: Large private-sector investment, with modest public-sector investment
Processes: Implementation of sensitive planning design not routinely followed
Processes: Many innovations to improve urban environments are occurring (e.g. through landscape architecture, community initiatives, urban agriculture), and urban development has less of an impact (e.g. erosion and sediment control, water-sensitive design)
Outputs and outcomes: Alienation of agricultural land and native vegetation continues with limited evidence of major change to approaches to development
Outputs and outcomes: Urban sprawl continues. The demand for land on the eastern seaboard will result in the loss of prime agricultural land and continuing environmental impact, unless major changes are made in urban design and planning
Understanding: Impacts clearly understood; innovative approaches to use recycled products in train
Understanding: Global, national and local imperatives to reduce waste and recycle are now widely supported
Planning: Continued improvement needed as landfill sites close. Ongoing investment in preventing rather than disposing of waste required
Planning: Still evolving, but future constraints are significant and improvements are needed. For example, rehabilitation of existing contaminated sites and shortage of landfill sites are major challenges
Inputs: Increasing private investment in waste management and recycling. Significant public engagement
Inputs: Industries and public agencies have invested in waste disposal and recycling technologies
Processes: Legislative control in place at all levels. Monitoring not adequate at all landfill sites
Processes: Surveillance of existing and potentially new contaminated sites is inadequate given the potential economic costs, environmental impacts and consequences for human health
Outputs and outcomes: Continued improvement
Outputs and outcomes: Much improved
Comments
OzFlux is a national ecosystem research network set up to provide the Australian and global ecosystem modelling communities with nationally consistent observations of energy, carbon and water exchange between the atmosphere and key Australian ecosystems (http://ozflux.org.au/)