NSW Environmental Trust Annual Report 2011-2012
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NSW Environmental Trust ANNUAL REPORT 2011–12 Cover photographs: 1. Through the Green Corridors Program the Great Eastern Ranges Initiative will continue to forge conservation partnerships such as ‘Scottsdale’ near Bredbo which was protected under Phase 1. Photo courtesy Stuart Cohen OEH. 2. Landholders with private conservation agreements are benefitting from the NSW Environmental Trust’s new Community Bush Regeneration Program. Photo courtesy Stuart Cohen OEH. 3. A grant from the NSW Environmental Trust helped Waterfall Springs expand its captive breeding program for the endangered brush-tailed rock wallaby. Photo courtesy Piers Thomas OEH. Published by Office of Environment and Heritage 59 Goulburn Street, Sydney NSW PO Box A290, Sydney South NSW 1232 Phone: (02) 9995 5000 (switchboard) Phone: 131 555 (environment information and publications requests) Phone: 1300 361 967 (national parks, climate change and energy efficiency information, and publications requests) Fax: (02) 9995 5999 TTY users: phone 133 677 then ask for 131 555 Speak and listen users: phone 1300 555 727 then ask for 131 555 Report pollution and environmental incidents Environment Line: 131 555 (NSW only) or [email protected] See also www.environment.nsw.gov.au For more information contact the NSW Environmental Trust Level 2, 1 Fitzwilliam Street PO Box 644 Parramatta NSW 2124 Phone: (02) 8837 6093 Fax: (02) 8837 6099 Email: [email protected] Website: www.environmentaltrust.nsw.gov.au OEH 2012/0852 ISSN 1445-3177 October 2012 Printed on 100% recycled paper. Contents About the NSW Environmental Trust 1 Highlights of 2011–12 2 Trust Programs and Achievements 3 Land Acquisition 4 Restoration and Rehabilitation 6 Restoration and Rehabilitation Grants 11 Protecting Our Places Program 14 Community Bush Regeneration Program 16 Contaminated Land Management Program 19 Emergency Pollution and Orphan Waste Clean-up Program 21 Environmental Education 24 Environmental Education Grants 27 Eco Schools Program 29 Environmental Research 32 Environmental Research Grants 34 Green Corridors Program 36 Waste and Sustainability Program 38 River Red Gums Program 44 Devil Ark and Flying-fox Programs 49 Private Native Forestry Program 50 Urban Sustainability Program 51 NSW RiverBank Program 54 Dissemination Program 56 BioBanking Trust Fund 58 Finance 59 Appendices 75 Administration of the Trust 76 Internal Audit and Risk Management Statement for the 2011–12 Financial Year for the Environmental Trust 80 Membership of the NSW Environmental Trust 81 Membership of Trust Subcommittees 82 Membership of Trust Technical Committees 84 Contact Information 86 NSW Environmental Trust Annual Report 2011–12 i The Honourable Robyn Parker MP Minister for the Environment Parliament House Macquarie Street Sydney Dear Minister I have pleasure in presenting to you the 2011–12 annual report for the NSW Environmental Trust. The report has been prepared in accordance with the Public Finance and Audit Act 1983 and the Annual Reports (Statutory Bodies) Act 1984. The Trust is managing a number of new programs this year including the NSW Government’s Green Corridors Program. This $40-million program will protect strategic areas of high conservation value habitat and ensure more connected bushland across Sydney and NSW. In addition, new major projects awarded under the Restoration and Rehabilitation Program will deliver important biodiversity outcomes for iconic environments including the Snowy River and Lord Howe Island over the next four years. The Trust’s Waste and Sustainability Program has continued to support a range of initiatives including waste minimisation campaigns, business sustainability programs, a range of resource recovery programs and support for councils and regional waste groups. The Devil Ark project was launched in September 2011 and a successful breeding season at the purpose built facility at Barrington Tops saw the birth of 32 joeys. Yours sincerely SALLY BARNES Secretary, NSW Environmental Trust October 2012 ii NSW Environmental Trust Annual Report 2011–12 About the NSW Environmental Trust Functions of the Trust The NSW Environmental Trust (the Trust) is an independent 3. to promote environmental education and, in particular, statutory body established by the NSW Government to encourage the development of educational programs to support projects that will enhance sustainability and in both the public and private sectors that will increase environmental values in NSW. Funding is provided through public awareness of environmental issues of any kind a diverse range of programs including the Trust’s annual 4. to fund the acquisition of land for national parks and other contestable grant programs, major projects, and various categories of dedicated and reserved land for the national NSW Government initiatives. parks estate The Trust is chaired by the NSW Minister for the 5. to fund the declaration of areas for marine parks and Environment. Members of the Trust are the Chief Executive related areas of the Office of Environment and Heritage (under delegation from the Director General of Premier and Cabinet) and 6. to promote waste avoidance, resource recovery and representatives from the Local Government and Shires waste management (including funding enforcement and Associations of NSW, the Nature Conservation Council regulation and local government programs) of NSW and NSW Treasury. The Trust generally meets 7. to fund environmental community groups four times annually and is administered by the Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) within the NSW 8. to fund the purchase of water entitlements for the Department of Premier and Cabinet. Further information on purposes of increasing environmental flows for the administration of the Trust and its membership is provided in State’s rivers, and restoring or rehabilitating major the appendices of this report. wetlands. The Trust is empowered under the Environmental Trust Act The Trust’s support staff are employed within the 1998. The objectives of the Environmental Trust are: Environmental Funding Programs section of the Sustainability Programs Division of OEH. For issues of compliance (such as 1. to encourage and support restoration and rehabilitation disability plans, equal employment opportunity, multicultural projects in both the public and the private sectors that policies and services, occupational health and safety etc.) will or are likely to prevent or reduce pollution, the waste refer to the OEH section within the Department of Premier stream or environmental degradation, of any kind, within and Cabinet Annual Report for 2011–12. any part of NSW 2. to promote research in both the public and private sectors into environmental problems of any kind and, in particular, to encourage and support: z research into and development of local solutions to environmental problems z discovery of new methods of operation for NSW industries that are less harmful to the environment z research into general environmental problems z assessment of environmental degradation. NSW Environmental Trust Annual Report 2011–12 1 Highlights of 2011–12 The Trust spent $58.7 million on environmental programs in A new biobanking agreement was signed on a property 2011–12. These funds have contributed to a diverse range of at Cobbity. Purchase of the biodiversity credits through outcomes that include biodiversity conservation, restoration the Growth Centres Program has secured the protection of natural habitats, improved sustainability practices, and of 20 hectares of critically endangered Cumberland greater environmental awareness through environmental Plain woodland and five hectares of endangered Sydney education. coastal river-flat forest. Nearly $11 million dollars was provided for the delivery of A number of long-running Trust programs concluded this waste and sustainability programs. Outcomes include: year including the Urban Sustainability Program and NSW RiverBank. Several new programs commenced this year z the commencement of innovative projects that will including contestable community bush regeneration grants, increase the recovery of glass fines and expanded the Green Corridors Program, and Devil Ark which is helping polystyrene from the waste stream to conserve Tasmanian devils. In addition, a number of new z the training of 184 people to improve environmental major projects awarded this year under the Restoration management at landfill and recycling facilities and Rehabilitation Program will deliver major biodiversity outcomes for iconic environments including the Snowy River z the launch of a new online calculator aimed at and Lord Howe Island over the next four years. increasing the reuse of timber packaging and pallets The following are some of the highlights for 2011–12: z 44 CleanOut events throughout the Sydney, Hunter and Illawarra regions that allowed more than 30,000 Eight new properties covering 23,732 hectares were households to dispose of 1.12 million kilograms of purchased under the Land Acquisition Program. This hazardous materials included two strategic properties that will nearly double the size of the new Gwydir Wetlands State Conservation z continued growth of the Sustainability Advantage Area and ensure protection of high-quality waterbird program with 630 member organisations improving habitat and five threatened vegetation communities. business sustainability and environmental performance with cumulative productivity and Over $12.5 million in contestable grants were awarded resource