Indicator: BD-24 Government investments to protect biodiversity for public good purposes
Data
A number of examples are provided:
Auction/tender schemes - Land Management Tenders in NSW; BushTender in Victoria
These schemes are being trialed as mechanisms for engaging private landholders in biodiversity conservation. Significant amounts of land of high conservation potential are found on private property. For example, in Victoria 15 per cent of the State’s threatened vegetation types are reliant solely on private land for their survival while another 35 per cent of threatened vegetation types occur largely on private land.
The schemes involve governments allocating funding for conservation work, based on the merits of agreed management plans and relative conservation value of the land.
Source: Stoneham, G, Vivek Chaudhri, V, Ha, A and Strappazzon, L 2003, Market-based tools for environmental management Proceedings of the 6th annual AARES national symposium 2003, viewed N/A, http://www.rirdc.gov.au/reports/AFT/04-142sum.html.
NSW Environmental Services Scheme
The NSW Government has selected 25 landholders to take part in the Environmental Services Scheme to provide greater recognition for the environmental services produced on farms. The $2 million project will focus on environmental services related to salinity control, remediation of coastal acid sulfate soils, carbon sequestration, biodiversity enhancement, soil retention and water quality improvement. Activities include improving pasture management and establishment, planting new forests, managing regeneration of native vegetation, replanting riverbank vegetation, or re-establishing wetlands all with the potential to generate environmental services.
Source: Uebel, K, Black, D and Grieve, A 2003, Market-based tools for environmental management, viewed N/A, http://www.rirdc.gov.au/reports/AFT/04-142sum.html.
Auctioning habitat links and carbon sinks
Vegetation sinks provide cost effective offsets for carbon dioxide emissions. Victoria’s ”Greenhouse Sinks” project will procure management contracts from landholders that establish permanent vegetation. The objective of establishing this revegetation is to provide both biodiversity improvements and carbon storage in a ”sink”. Projects will be in riparian zones, or in areas buffering a rare plant community or linking two remnants.
Source: Holden, J 2003, Market-based tools for environmental management, viewed N/A, http://www.rirdc.gov.au/reports/AFT/04-142sum.html.
What the data mean
Governments are funding conservation measures for public good purposes. Environmental outcomes from theses schemes are yet to eventuate.
Data Limitations
Quantitative data are difficult to find. Examples provided are at an early stage and the effectiveness of the projects is unknown.
Issues for which this is an indicator and why
Biodiversity — Species, habitats and ecological communities - Government action on species and ecological communities
An inventory of government funded incentives schemes provides contextual data for later evaluation of the effectiveness of government interventions.
Other indicators for this issue:
- BD-02 Conservation status of nationally significant species and ecological communities, compared with previous years
- BD-03 Summary of measures being implemented to respond to threats to biodiversity from invasive species
- BD-04 Listed threatened species or ecological communities for which recovery action is showing stable or increasing populations
- BD-05 Alignment of State/Territory and Australian Government listing processes
- CO-02 Number of marine species that are endangered or threatened and changes in population/ distribution of selected threatened species
- CO-33 Number of species legislatively protected, number with management plans or where management actions have been taken
- CO-34 Number and extent of Marine Protected Areas
Biodiversity — Landscapes - Government action on landscape protection
An inventory of government funded incentives schemes provides contextual data for later evaluation of the effectiveness of government interventions.
Other indicators for this issue:
- BD-17 Institutional response to loss of native vegetation
- BD-19 Extent and comprehensiveness of terrestrial protected areas
- NCH-01 Process of listing, area and distribution of identified natural heritage places
- NCH-05 Physical condition and integrity of a sample of natural heritage places
- NCH-09 Funding provided to heritage and other agencies for natural heritage places
- NCH-13 Changes in heritage legislation
- CO-34 Number and extent of Marine Protected Areas
- LD-27 Area and proportion of agricultural land under various aspects of "best practice"
- LD-28 Percentage and area of farms with planted trees
- LD-29 Area and proportion of forest under "best practice"
- LD-30 National area under plantation forestry
- LD-38 Regions with investments having a major focus on salinity
- AAT-13 Number and area of protected areas
Further Information
- Market-based tools for environmental management, Proceedings of the 6th Annual AARES National Symposium 2003
- Public funding for environmental issues: Where to now?
Key
Links to another web site
Links to data in the DRS
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