The paper, Paths to a Green Economy is the third combined pre-budget submission to State government prepared by the Australian Conservation Foundation, the Nature Conservation Council of NSW, the National Parks Association of NSW (NPA) and the Total Environment Centre.

This document comprises a series of balanced revenue and expenditure proposals aiming to address inadequacies in the existing Government fiscal strategy and promote an environment-led state economy. The summary below outlines the recommendations of greatest interest to the NPA.

Biodiversity

¨ An additional $20million for general acquisitions by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) each year for the next decade. This funding is imperative for private land purchases to add to the national park system, especially in high priority areas where little public land remains available, such as Western NSW. Currently, less than 5% of the productive, and hence expensive, bioregions in the NSW Central Division are protected within conservation reserves.

¨ An additional $5million p.a. for the NPWS to ensure lands owned but not yet reserved or dedicated under the National Parks and Wildlife Act are properly managed. At present, the NPWS receives no funding for the management of the approximately 300,000 ha of land with high conservation value in this category.

¨ $1million p.a. to implement a rural ecotourism program encouraging primary producers to seek ecologically sustainable alternative incomes derived from the sound management of native habitats.

¨ An additional $10million p.a. to the NPWS, Department of Agriculture, State Forests, Department of Land and Water Conservation and NSW Fisheries for effective implementation of the NSW Biodiversity Strategy adopted by the State government in 1999. Inadequate resource allocation to date has meant that 80% of priority actions have not been achieved. These range from managing threats to biodiversity to supporting land managers achieving biodiversity outcomes and data analysis and collection.

¨ $70,000 p.a. to fund a Community Biodiversity Survey Co-ordinator for three years. Their role would be to train community groups in the use of the ‘Community Biodiversity Survey Manual’ recently published by the NPA and NPWS.

¨ An additional $10million p.a for four years to State government departments for the control, eradication and management of feral animals and plants. Feral animals and pest species are considered the second greatest threat to native biodiversity in NSW and Australia after habitat destruction.

¨ An additional $8.5million for the implementation of the Threatened Species Conservation Act. Despite the recommendation by a parliamentary inquiry that additional financial support was required, supplementary funding was discontinued in the 2001-02 budget. The core funding of $4million for the NPWS should thus be expanded to $10.5million per year, with an additional $2million per annum directed at local government on a continuing basis.

Resource Management

An additional $5million per annum for three years to implement the NSW Firewood Action Plan. This is due to be completed mid-2002 and is the product of a state commitment to the ANZECC ‘National Approach to Firewood Collection and Use’, which requires the NSW Government to reduce the environmental impacts of firewood collection and use and prepare an action plan.

¨ $15million in 2002 to instigate the preservation of 20% of NSW marine waters as no-take zones. Funding should increase as reserves dedicated expand. At present, only 0.05% of NSW marine and coastal waters are protected, compared to 7% of terrestrial land in national parks and reserves.

¨ Funding for RACAC to undertake comprehensive regional assessments of Western NSW and the Murray Mineral Sands region. $3million is required for Red Gum/Riverina, $2million for Nandewar and $2million for the Murray basin bioregion. These are required to establish well-informed conservation priorities and provide a basis for strategic decisions regarding sustainable development.

Footnote: The NSW Budget is released mid-May, so keep an eye on whether these proposals were accepted. A later Journal will report the successes.