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Small Steps for Nature

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Small Steps for Nature Small Steps for Nature A review of progress towards the National Objectives and Targets for Biological Diversity Conservation 2001-2005 Prepared by Griffin NRM Pty Ltd August 2004 First published in August 2004 © WWF Australia and Humane Society International ISBN: 1 875941 76 2 Authors: Griffin NRM Pty Ltd The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of WWF Australia nor Humane Society International. For bibliographic purposes, this report should be cited as: Griffin NRM Pty Ltd. 2004. Small steps for nature: A review of progress towards the National Objectives and Targets for Biological Diversity Conservation 2001-2005. WWF Australia and Humane Society International: Sydney. For copies of this report, please contact WWF Australia at [email protected] or call 1800 032 551. 2 Contents INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................ 5 Background ..............................................................................................................................5 Acknowledgments....................................................................................................................5 Methods....................................................................................................................................5 KEY FINDINGS ............................................................................................................. 7 Table A Summary of overall assessments for each target ................................................. 11 KEY ACTION 1: PROTECT AND RESTORE NATIVE VEGETATION AND TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS ............................................................................................................ 18 OBJECTIVE 1.1 REVERSE THE LONG TERM DECLINE IN THE QUALITY AND EXTENT OF AUSTRALIA’S NATIVE VEGETATION AND ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES AND THE ECOSYSTEMS THEY PROVIDE ...................................................................................... 18 Target 1.1.1 By 2001, all jurisdictions have mechanisms in place, including regulations, at the State and regional levels that: ............................................................... 18 Summary assessment .................................................................................................. 18 Background to Target 1.1.1.......................................................................................... 19 Australian Government measures................................................................................ 19 Progress towards Target 1.1.1 in the jurisdictions ...................................................... 20 Control across land tenures.......................................................................................... 22 Protected vegetation and exemptions.......................................................................... 23 Mechanisms for assessment of clearing applications................................................. 24 Regional initiatives in native vegetation management ................................................ 24 Historic influences......................................................................................................... 26 Main trends- tightening controls and coverage ........................................................... 26 Main trends- integration with wider biodiversity policy ................................................ 27 Table 1 Recent initiatives that strengthen clearing regulations and their coverage........................................................................................................................ 28 Main trends- application rates ...................................................................................... 29 Main trends- actual clearing rates................................................................................ 30 Table 2.1 Trends in clearing......................................................................................... 31 Table 2.2 Clearing figures from selected jurisdictions ................................................ 31 Target 1.1.1 By 2001, all jurisdictions have mechanisms in place, including regulations, at the State and regional levels that: ............................................................... 32 • prevent clearance of ecological communities with an extent below 10 per cent of that present pre-1750 ............................................................................................... 32 Table 3 Legislation to protect at risk biodiversity......................................................... 33 Challenges .................................................................................................................... 34 Target 1.1.2 By 2003 all jurisdictions: .................................................................................. 36 •Have clearing controls in place that prevent clearance of ecological communities with an extent below 30% of that present pre 1750 .............................. 36 Target 1.1.2 By 2003 all jurisdictions: .................................................................................. 37 •Have programs in place to assess vegetation condition........................................... 37 Target 1.1.3 By 2005, all jurisdictions have programs in place to protect areas of high quality vegetation .......................................................................................................... 38 Table 4 Conservation covenants in several jurisdictions ............................................ 39 Target 1.1.4 By 2001, all jurisdictions have clearing controls in place that will have the effect of reducing the national net rate of land clearance to zero........................ 40 Table 5 Clearing policy in the jurisdictions................................................................... 42 OBJECTIVE 1.2 PROTECT A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF AUSTRALIA’S TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS ....................................................................................... 42 Target 1.2.1 By 2001, management plans are developed and implemented for:.............. 42 Table 6 Summary of management plan status for formal reserves............................ 43 Target 1.2.2 By 2001, ANZECC has developed an action plan for the National Reserves System which includes targets for the protection and restoration of terrestrial ecosystems on indigenous owned estates and private land .............................. 45 Target 1.2.3 By 2005, a representative sample of each bioregion (as specified by the ANZECC action plan) is protected within the Natural Reserves System or network of indigenous protected areas or as private land managed for conservation under a conservation agreement ................................................................... 46 Table 7 Representativeness of reserves according to IBRA regions (CAPAD 2002) .............................................................................................................. 46 Indigenous estate.......................................................................................................... 48 Private land ................................................................................................................... 48 Target 1.2.4 By 2003, all jurisdictions have in place: .......................................................... 49 • Native vegetation restoration programs to recover ecological communities that are below 10% of that present pre 1750 or are nationally listed as critically endangered ........................................................................................................................... 49 Table 8 Legislation to protect at risk biodiversity......................................................... 50 • Effective incentives targeted to bioregions, provinces and/or catchments to support the protection of unreserved biodiversity and all threatened ecosystems ............ 52 OBJECTIVE 1.3. PROTECT THREATENED SPECIES AND ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES ....... 53 Target 1.3.1 By 2002, all jurisdictions have effective legislation to protect threatened species and ecological communities and to provide for recovery planning ................................................................................................................................. 53 Target 1.3.2 By 2004 recovery plans are in place for all nationally listed critically endangered and endangered species and ecological communities................................... 54 Target 1.3.3 By 2005, have incorporated the recovery of threatened species and ecological communities into integrated catchment/regional management plans............... 55 KEY ACTION 2: PROTECT AND RESTORE FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS ............................ 57 OBJECTIVE 2.1 ACHIEVE ECOLOGICALLY SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF AUSTRALIA’S WATER RESOURCES AND WATER-DEPENDENT ECOSYSTEMS .................... 57 Target 2.1.1 By 2001: all jurisdictions have, in accordance with the CoAG Water Reform Framework, completed implementation of environmental allocation for all river systems which have been over allocated or are deemed to be stressed .................. 57 • The majority of waterways substantially conform to the relevant standards in the guidelines o the National Water Quality Management Strategy, including those for chemical composition, turbidity and temperature................................................. 59 2 • Water resource management plans which
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