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National Landcare Program Investment Framework: 2008-2012
The National Landcare Program (NLP) fosters the landcare ethic of caring for land, water and biodiversity. It targets the adoption of sustainable management practices by Australian primary producers to achieve its goal of a profitable and resilient primary production sector.
Landcare activities occur primarily in rural Australia and, as managers of 60% of land and 70% of diverted water across a vast range of landscapes, primary producers are crucial to achieving the Australian Government’s natural resource management (NRM) goals. Around 75% of primary producers are involved in landcare type activities or benefit from the shared knowledge gained from these activities. Surveys have shown that producers who have been involved in landcare type activities are twice as likely to have adopted innovative practices to address NRM issues as other producers who have not.
The NLP provides funding to a variety of stakeholders for work targeted at the broad range of primary industries across Australia, and which protects and improves the natural resource base and reduces off-farm impact for the benefit of all communities.
NRM reviews in 2006 found that many primary producers have little contact with regional NRM organisations, and that the NLP provides an entry point for primary industry to become engaged in NRM by focussing on profitable, sustainable agriculture. Accordingly, the Australian Government will continue to deliver the NLP as an additional and complementary program to the Natural Heritage Trust.
Australian Government funding for the NLP over the 4 years from 2008-9 to 2011-12 will be $151 million ($36.6 million, 2008-9; $37.4 million, 2009-10; $38.1 million, 2010-11; and $38.9 million, 2011-12). This phase will continue to highlight profitability as a key driver for the adoption of best management practices, empower landholders; promote innovation and foster the strong, positive engagement of stakeholders at the local level, as a way to reinforce social networks which are essential for the resilience of rural and regional communities.
NLP funding is delivered under the Natural Resources Management (Financial Assistance) Act 1992 (see box for objectives).
The Natural Resources Management (Financial Assistance) Act 1992
The NLP is funded through the Commonwealth Natural Resources Management (Financial Assistance) Act 1992. The Act provides for payments to be made to the states and to other activities and establishes the Australian Landcare Council which advises the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources on matters concerning natural resources management.
The primary objective is to facilitate the development and implementation of integrated approaches to natural resources management in Australia that are efficient, sustainable and equitable and consistent with the principles of ecologically sustainable development.
Key objectives are:
- to promote community, industry and governmental partnership in the management of natural resources in Australia
- to assist in establishing institutional arrangements to develop and implement policies, programs and practices that will encourage sustainable use of natural resources in Australia
- to assist in enhancing the long term productivity of natural resources in Australia, and
- to assist in developing approaches to help resolve conflicts over access to natural resources in Australia.
Outcomes
Outcomes to be achieved from the NLP investments include:
- increased skills and knowledge of effective NRM practices amongst primary producers;
- increased landholder engagement and adoption of sustainable and innovative NRM practices by primary producers;
- farms with a more resilient resource base in periods of drought and other adverse natural events;
- greater primary industry and community engagement in NRM and landcare activities, including a strong commitment to the landcare ethic;
- national leadership and approaches to NRM by primary producer groups and research organisations; and
- stronger contribution of primary industries to the regional delivery of natural resource management through partnerships between primary producer groups and regional NRM organisations.
Scope of activity
NLP investment seeks public benefit outcomes and treating NRM issues at their source, rather than off-site, continues to be a key objective.
Continuous improvement and voluntary adoption of best practice NRM, including integration of conservation activities into farming systems, will continue to be encouraged. Changed practices which are beneficial to resource managers who can claim ownership for management changes are likely to result in improved NRM practices and lead to public benefits. Engaging land managers through linking increased profitability to effective NRM practices will continue to be a focus of the NLP.
Alliances between primary industry groups, regional NRM organisations, research organisations and local government will continue to be encouraged. NLP partnerships formed from such alliances are based around shared responsibility which supports “bottom up” approaches to achieve on-going improvements in natural resource management.
The following areas of activity define the scope of the NLP investment:
- encouraging engagement of primary industry and the wider community in landcare and NRM activities at local, regional and national levels;
- assisting on-ground implementation of projects that contribute to NLP outcomes;
- encouraging innovation, including greater links with science, and recognising or promoting success;
- raising awareness and knowledge of improved NRM practices;
- facilitating communication, particularly between the landcare community and the Australian Government; and
- maintaining the landcare ethic.
Program structure
- In line with advice to the Australian Government from the Australian Landcare Council and findings of reports such as the Keogh report (2006), the NLP framework 2008-09 to 2011-12 will build on key components from the current NLP such as landcare support structures and on-ground works. There will be increased emphasis on providing critical support to increase the links between primary industry and regional NRM processes.
The NLP will work across three broad areas, providing funding for:
- primary industries to engage in NRM and promote the development and adoption of innovative practices;
- community-based on-ground and awareness-raising activities that will significantly increase uptake of sustainable practices; and
- landcare support and activities that have broad-scale or national relevance.
These areas will be addressed at three levels:
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Industry –to encourage primary industries to engage in NRM and promote the development and adoption of innovative practices, through:
- National Strategies - foster strategic industry activities that lead to adoption and recognition of best management practices for NRM;
- Innovation - promote and support the adoption of innovative practices, production techniques, technologies and products that contribute to sustainable production;
- Partnerships - increase engagement between primary industries and regional NRM bodies, including supporting multi-regional partnerships and developing models for regional/industry engagement. This element is intended to be catalytic, and so projects would be short term in nature with a maximum timeframe of two years.
- Community – community and primary production groups to undertake on-ground activities that can significantly increase the uptake of sustainable production practices, increase skills in and promote implementation of best management practice, and improve the integration of NRM into business plans at the enterprise level.
- National – funds activities that have a broad or national relevance with investments aimed at promoting landcare to the broader Australian audience, forging links with the landcare movement, and supporting information exchanges. Activities include support for the landcare movement through Australian Landcare Council , Landcare Australia Ltd , National Landcare Facilitator , State Landcare Coordinators , and Community Landcare Coordinators .
Monitoring and evaluation
The NLP monitoring and evaluation activities will be consistent with the national NRM monitoring and evaluation framework.
M&E will evaluate the efficiency, effectiveness and appropriateness of NLP investments against the program’s goal and outcomes. This will be done through a comprehensive examination of the scope and range of investments and their impact on the awareness and adoption of sustainable practices, through both quantitative and qualitative analysis, including the triennial ABARE NRM surveys. M&E results will inform further evolution of the program over the next 4 years, and the program structure beyond 2011-12.
References
Keogh, K., Chant, D., Frazer, B., Review of arrangements for regional deliver of natural resource management programs, Report prepared for the Ministerial Reference Group for Future NRM Program Delivery, March 2006.