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South Australian Natural Resources Management Investment Strategy 2016

South Australian Govenrment entities partnering: Council of NRM Presiding Members, Primary Industries and Regions SA, Department of Environment, Water and Natural ResourcesDraf

tGovernment

of South Australia

protects valuable assets

Our common cause is achieving excellence in collaborative management

1 | South Australian Natural Resources Management Investment Strategy 2016

Our visionSouth Australia’s peak bodies and stakeholders in managing natural resources have prepared this strategy to ignite community action that leads to self-supporting and adaptable landscapes and people. Our common cause is achieving excellence in collaborative management of natural resources that supports prosperous business and community well-being, protects valuable assets and demonstrates global leadership.

The South Australian organisations contributing to this strategy include:

• Natural Resource Management Boards (NRM Boards)

• Primary Producers SA (PPSA)

• Conservation Council of SA (CCSA)

• Local Government Association of SA (LGASA)

• Landcare Association of SA (LASA)

• Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA)

• Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources (DEWNR)

• Aboriginal leaders

• Members of the NGO NRM Alliance in SA1

We have developed this strategy together, to build on our track record of delivering improvements in our management of natural resources through collective action. We make a renewed commitment to bring together primary producers, local government, Aboriginal peoples, businesses, conservationists and other community representatives to deliver shared benefits. New priorities for investment are proposed that will deliver significant benefits for all South Australians, who can share in the economic success and greater wellbeing that will result. We also put forward the principles for co-investment that we believe future collaborative investments should uphold.

1 Trees For Life, Friends of Parks, Nature Foundation SA, National Trust SA, Conservation Council of SA, Nature Glenelg Trust, Nature Conservation Society SA, The Wilderness Society SA, Conservation Volunteers Australia, Greening Australia SA, ZoosSA

Sandy Pitcher Chief Executive Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources

Frank Brennan Chair of the Council of NRM Presiding Members

Craig Wilkins Chief Executive Conservation Council of SA

Gerry Butler Chairman Landcare Association of SA

Scott Ashby Chief Executive Primary Industries and Regions SA

Rob Kerin Executive Chairman Primary Producers SA

collaborative management of natural resources that supports prosperous business and community well-being,

protects valuable assets and demonstrates global leadership.

Our common cause is achieving excellence in

prosperous businesscommunity well-being

protects valuable assets global leadership

Our common cause is achieving excellence in collaborative management natural resources

South Australia Natural Resource Management Investment Strategy 2016 | 2South Australia Natural Resources Management Investment Strategy 2016 | 2

Collectively, our co-investment with the Australian Government and community to date has supported South Australia’s global reputation for clean food and wine production and eco-tourism experiences. Many human and natural assets have been protected, restored and enhanced, and community wellbeing has been improved.

Together, we have demonstrated world-leading approaches to managing natural resources in South Australia.

• The Ngarrindjeri Regional Authority received the Thiess Australasian Riverprize award in 2015 for its long-term commitment to integrated river basin management

• The management of the Lake Eyre Basin has won both the National (2014) and International (2015) Thiess Riverprize

• The Forest Water Licensing programme in the South East region won the United Nations Association of Australia World Environment Day Award for Excellence in Water Management in 2016.

• In 2013, 30 percent of wastewater (31.6 gigalitres) was recycled across the state, the highest rate in Australia2, much of it used for agricultural production.

• The restoration of Piccaninnie Ponds was recognised with Ramsar listing in 2012.

• Major reductions in soil erosion risk have been achieved across the state due to widespread adoption of no-till farming.

• South Australia has been an international innovator in developing and implementing a pest risk management system to prioritise species control programmes at local, regional and state scales.

• South Australia has Australia’s only regulatory framework specifically tailored to aquaculture, which underpins the sustainable growth of the second largest aquaculture industry in Australia, and Australia’s most valuable seafood sector, Southern Bluefin Tuna.

• In the first such case in Australia, the State Government agreed to a plan that gives local traditional owners control over water resources on their lands within the Alinytjara Wilurara NRM region.

• The highly successful Trees For Life ‘Tree Scheme’ has delivered over 32 million native seedlings across the state over three decades.

• Naturally Yorke is an ongoing, community delivered programme of mammal re-introduction, pest management and habitat restoration across 300,000 hectares of southern Yorke Peninsula, which is generating benefits for agriculture, eco-tourism and Aboriginal employment.

• South Australia leads the country in reporting on outcomes of investment in the management of natural resources, recently releasing a suite of trend and condition report cards for our regions and State.

• South Australia’s regional partnership approach for our Climate Change Adaptation Framework was awarded the 2013 National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility’s Adaptation Champions Award, and the 2013 Resilient Australia National Award.

• The Goyder Institute for Water Research was established in July 2010 as a partnership between the South Australian Government, CSIRO, Flinders University, the University of Adelaide, and the University of South Australia. It provides leading-edge science to support evidence based water policy.

Building on world-leading achievements

Snorkelling in the Piccaninnie Ponds © SATC

2 https://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/1602789a-dae0-49fe-9e6b-5d46691b9f64/files/recycled-water-target-final-report.pdf

Improved soil protection and adoption of no-till farming


Co-investment benefits the whole communitySouth Australia has one of the few natural resources management systems that is supported by specific legislation and provides for the collection of NRM levies. Our regional system for managing natural resources is underpinned by sound governance, which combines community input to planning and action with state-level strategic planning and delivery.

We know that government investment, including substantial investment from the Australian Government, is critical in generating co-investment in landscape-scale improvements that benefit multiple stakeholders. We have seen the best returns on investment when government leverages significant co-investment and action from a range of stakeholders – including industry, NGOs, Aboriginal groups, local government and primary producers.

For instance in South Australia in 2015-16 it is conservatively estimated that more than $560 million was co-invested to manage our natural resources and produce benefits for the community.

Figure 1 illustrates the relative investments made in 2015-16, including Australian Government investment in strategic and regional programmes, SA Government investment in state-wide and regional planning and delivery, and the associated investment of the SA NRM levies, as well as an estimate of the community investment leveraged from Australian Government investment. This does not include investments by local government and substantial investments that are made by land managers independently of government interventions.

SA Government statewide investment ($151m)

SA Government regional investment

($93m)

Estimated Community investment* ($195m)

Australian Government investment ($82m)

SA NRM Levies ($48m)

* Community investment is estimated by multiplying Australian Government investment by 2.6, consistent with an estimation from the 2003 Review of Landcare Program report. The community investment in NRM presented here is significantly underestimated as it does not include investment leveraged from State Government investment. It also does not include investment by local government or private sector.

INVESTMENT

• NATIONAL

• STATE

• REGIONAL

• LOCAL COMMUNITY

• LAND MANAGER

PLANNING AND DELIVERY

SHARED BENEFITS FOR THE

COMMUNITY

Figure 1: 2015-16 Investment in managing natural resources in South Australia

South Australian Natural Resources Management Investment Strategy 2016 | 4

Investment priorities

The proficient management of natural resources for multiple outcomes has been repeatedly shown to support economic growth, human wellbeing and environmental sustainability. There are outstanding opportunities in South Australia for new co-investment into the management of natural resources to deliver even more benefits.

The organisations contributing to this strategy have agreed that the following six programmes provide the largest benefits and are our highest priorities for future investment. Although presented separately, they are best delivered as part of integrated programmes that draw on elements of all six, driven by local community aspirations and leadership.

1. South Australians attain greater prosperity and wellbeing from our clean and productive environment

The food and wine sector is worth $18.2 billion per year to the South Australian economy, and employs over 140,000 people. We produce 80 percent of Australia’s premium wines, and our fresh fruit is sought after internationally because of our fruit fly free status. The growing demand for naturally healthy food and beverage products, arising from a growing middle class in Asia, has created immense new opportunities for Australian primary producers.

There is increasing evidence of a co-dependence between primary production systems and broader environmental health. Many production systems are reliant on a range of natural support systems, such as pollination, soil health, pest control, nutrient cycling, wind breaks, water purification, and climate moderation. We want to dramatically increase the number of primary producers who are gaining commercial value from stewardship of natural resources and systems, including market access, market premiums, improved agricultural productivity and profitability, and resilience to changing conditions.

New priorities for investment include:

Farming systems and natural systems - Supporting the co-dependence between farming systems and natural systems, such as protecting and planting habitat for pollination services, stock feed, wind breaks, clean water, ongoing pest and weed control.

Soil management - Soil management knowledge and technology, including re-engineering Australia’s soils to overcome constraints, improve soil health, increase farm resilience and lead to greater productivity and prosperity. This can be a game changer, particularly for farmers on poorer soils where South Australian research has shown yield increases of 70 to 200 percent, by allowing crops access to previously unavailable soil moisture.

Adaptation - Ongoing and improved monitoring of natural resource condition trends and outcomes, to underpin the ability of primary producers to confidently and effectively adapt to changing conditions and climate.

Financial incentives - Promoting and coordinating primary producer access to financial incentives from sound management of natural resources for broader community benefits – including stewardship payments, premiums for products in international markets and stewardship payments such as auctions for biodiversity protection and carbon credits.

The tourism industry in South Australia is worth $5.9 billion per year and employs 36,000 people. The State Government, tourism industry and stakeholders are committed to making South Australia a nature-based tourism destination of choice for international and domestic travellers. Our state is home to wildlife and habitats of international importance and uniqueness, the value of which is only just being recognised by the national and global market. Co-investment to support this growing industry will allow local businesses to confidently promote South Australia as a desirable tourism destination.

Oyster reefs, once present across more than 1,500 kilometres of coastline in South Australia, play an important role. They filter and clean water, trap sand, protect the shore from erosion, and support healthy seagrass and fish breeding grounds. Large areas of these reefs could be re-established, modelled on successes in the Gulf of Mexico. This would substantially increase numbers of fish and other marine life, supporting commercial, indigenous and recreational fisheries as well as high-value tourism businesses.


2. Aboriginal people attain greater wealth and wellbeing by taking a lead in natural resources management

Aboriginal people want to contribute more meaningfully to the management of natural resources, building on ongoing employment programmes, and stepping up to a lead role in the design and implementation of future programmes. Potential benefits are that Aboriginal people achieve greater connection and pride in their culture, and more responsibility and hope for the future. Expected outcomes include improved health and reduced crime, family violence and incarceration.

Aboriginal leaders and the South Australian Government agree that within ten years, Aboriginal people should play a lead role in managing national parks, land to which they are strongly connected. By taking a lead role, Aboriginal people can tell the cultural story of parks, making a richer experience for visitors and powerfully passing culture and language to the next generation. We have started moving towards this by signing co-management agreements on ten parks across the state.

The capacity of Aboriginal people to take on leadership roles in parks needs to be progressively improved. On parks, community-held and private land, more capable and confident Aboriginal people can use their knowledge and skills in managing natural resources to build sustainable employment and businesses in tourism, food, pastoralism and bush medicine.

3. Contributing to a low carbon economy

South Australia has a target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, including establishing Adelaide as the world’s first carbon neutral city. To reduce the state’s carbon footprint and achieve our targets, South Australia will need to purchase carbon offsets. We place a high priority on co-investing in programmes that help our own primary producers, Aboriginal communities and other individuals and businesses to sequester carbon in soils, vegetation and coastal habitats that can then be used to offset the state’s carbon emissions. These programmes would also provide significant co-benefits that enhance climate change resilience of communities across our State. Co-benefits include enhancing agricultural productivity, diversifying income streams, strengthening regional communities, and supporting ecosystem adaptation.


4. South Australians gain more value from natural and human systems by better controlling weeds and pest animals

Farmers consider weed and pest management to be amongst the highest priority natural resource management activities. Our pest and weed risk management system prioritises species control programmes at local, regional and state scales. It taps established landholder networks to foster strategic co-investment from government and landholders in prevention, eradication, containment and impact reduction activities.

South Australia’s regional system of natural resource management is the vehicle for investment in managing pests and weeds of national significance, consistent with the Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper. The next generation of co-investment will build on the already strong partnerships between farmers, NRM Boards, Biosecurity SA (PIRSA) and DEWNR. It will seek to prevent new pest and weed establishment and spread, and to reduce the impacts of established pests and weeds.

New programmes aim to make important advances in our collective efforts to manage pests and weeds and reduce their damage to human and natural systems. Our priorities for co-investment are in real-time data collection and dissemination technology, applying genetics to control some species (carp, fruit fly, some predators), new biocontrol technology, and using sensing technology to better target control effort.

5. A new wave of economic growth is fuelled by improved water management

To thrive in the driest state, South Australian primary producers and industry have become highly efficient water users and active participants in water markets. South Australia has implemented provisions of the National Water Initiative to create water planning and management arrangements that aim to fairly balance economic demand for water with the desire of South Australians to protect our environment. South Australia was an early adopter and extensively uses water recycling and managed aquifer recharge.

There is more to be done to improve water management – to make it highly responsive and provide a transparent, evidence-based and widely understood process to respond to risks. More robust and flexible water management systems across the state could support fit-for-purpose responses to issues and economic opportunities that relate to each water resource.

There are still major untapped wastewater and stormwater resources, as well as improvements in irrigation efficiency, that could be used to expand economic production – particularly in the horticultural areas north of Adelaide. This needs to be underpinned by a good understanding of land, production and groundwater responses to ensure sustainable resource use.

Major co-investment by government and irrigators in the Riverland to maintain industry viability has resulted in world-class standards in irrigation improvement over the past few decades. The technology and knowledge gained from these improvements must be extended more broadly, particularly to other significant irrigation areas. Experience from the Riverland suggests that profit and productivity will increase, with water efficiency improvements enabling new economic opportunities.


6. High-value natural assets are protected through integrated approaches to managing whole landscapes

Investment in the conservation of natural systems has been shifting – from managing individual issues and sites, to a systems approach that considers whole landscapes. South Australia has demonstrated success in applying a systems approach to landscape scale management through programmes such as Bounceback, WildEyre and Naturally Yorke. The scope of these types of programmes can be expanded to include coastal and urban systems.

We propose a new programmes that aims to protect natural assets at a whole-of-landscape scale through collaboration between primary producers, conservationists, all levels of government, and communities. This would include matters of national environmental significance, such as wetlands of international significance (Ramsar), threatened species and ecological communities, and migratory species protected under international agreements. Such programmes would integrate multiple components, for example:

Re-wilding – Australia has globally unique mammal species and one of the highest rates of mammal extinctions in the world. Recent efforts to provide safe habitats for reintroducing mammals have proven successful, with viable populations re-established in some areas. A priority for South Australia is for new investments that build on these programmes, setting challenging new conservation targets, more effectively managing threatened species and considering novel approaches – such as novel predators, new trapping methods, increasing fear response of mammals to predators – that also support tourism, cultural and environmental outcomes across the state.

Climate adaptation – The geographic range of most native species is set by the climate conditions they are adapted to survive. As climate patterns shift, these species will need to either evolve quickly through natural selection or migrate to follow suitable conditions. Programmes will be delivered to introduce selected species outside of their historic range so they can provide important ecological functions under future climates, support threatened species to adapt and strengthen and maintain existing native habitats and corridors.

Managing over-abundant species – Over-abundant herbivores cause significant losses in primary production systems, damage habitats for threatened native flora and fauna, and place existing and new investment in revegetation and other on-ground activities at risk. A coordinated, integrated approach across regions, and involving both private and public land managers, is required. We must take advantage of new and innovative technical, policy and management approaches, including integrated management that accounts for relationships between predators and herbivores.

Coastal protection – Coastal dune systems, mangroves, coastal flats, samphire flats and estuaries are important barriers that protect critical economic and social infrastructure, provide important fish and crustacean nurseries as well as conserving important biodiversity. The impact of rising sea levels on these critically important coastal systems needs to be mitigated against to protect internationally important ecological assets and billions of dollars of economic infrastructure.

Wetlands of international significance – South Australia has wetlands of international significance such as Bool Lagoon, Piccaninnie Ponds, Fleurieu Swamps, wetlands along the River Murray, the Lower Lakes and Coorong, Coongie Lakes, and the Mound Springs of the Great Artesian Basin. All of these wetland systems are home to high concentrations of native birds and other species that are found nowhere else in the world. Many are under threat from changed hydrological conditions and a changing climate. International agreements oblige Australia to protect these habitats and their endemic bird species. Protection and enhancement of these wetland habitats can stop their endemic species from becoming extinct.

Urban biodiversity – There is increasing evidence to show that urban biodiversity may be the most tangible and cost-effective public health intervention available to mitigate many health issues related to urban living. Whole-of-landscape management should include a focus on the social and economic benefits to population health through urban and suburban management of green spaces

Western Quoll - Ikara - Flinders Ranges NP “Idnya”


Investment principles

As South Australia’s leading organisations in managing natural resources we have decades of experience in delivering programmes on the ground. We have learned what works and what doesn’t, and have continuously refined our approach over time. We are ready to adopt a new approach that supports people and landscapes to become adaptive and self-sustaining.

Drawing on our experience, we propose a set of six principles to guide future co-investment programmes. We believe that if these principles are followed, future investment will leverage the greatest

possible outcomes for our natural assets, our economic prosperity, and our community wellbeing.

Confidence in achieving outcomes

Outcomes to be achieved from co-investment should be transparent,

attainable and agreed upon by all collaborating stakeholders before investment begins. Investments

must be underpinned by evidence that gives confidence that

outcomes can be achieved.

Fund outcomes not activities

Co-investment is best targeted at delivering outcomes rather than activities, to encourage

innovation and more transparent benefits.

Evaluate performanceCo-investments must include

funding to collect information on performance, so that stakeholders

can learn and adapt over time.

Regional governance

Regional governance capacity must be

maintained to ensure effective financial oversight,

adaptive management systems and participatory

decision-making.

Community ledThe community must provide leadership, drive action and

be major co-investors.

Multiple participation

pathwaysThere must be multiple pathways for participation, including small

landholder grants, NGO involvement and larger strategic

programmes.

Outcomes


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South Australian Govenrment entities partnering: Council of NRM Presiding Members, Primary Industries and Regions SA, Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources

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