Information for farmers

Farmers and the national environment law (EPBC Act)

The Department recognises the important role farmers, agricultural organisations and natural resource managers play in protecting our environment.

Farmers need to know about Australia’s national environment law as some agricultural activities may need federal government approval. This could be in addition to state or local government approvals. .

• Farmers and the national environment law (EPBC Act)

Protected matters on your farm - what is protected?

National environment law only applies to matters of national environmental significance. You can check if there are likely to be protected matters on or near your property by using the environment reporting tool.

• What is protected? Matters of national environmental significance
• Search online - Protected Matters Search Tool

Single Touch Approvals

The Australian Government is committed to delivering Single Touch Approvals. It will accredit state planning systems under national environmental law, to create a single environmental assessment and approval process for nationally protected matters.

• Single Touch Approvals

Emissions Reduction Fund

The Emissions Reduction Fund allows farmers and land managers to earn carbon credits by storing carbon or reducing greenhouse gas emissions on the land.

• Emissions Reduction Fund

Climate change in Australia - projections for Australia's NRM regions

Information about observed and projected climate change in Australia.

• Climate change in Australia
• Regional Climate Change Explorer - climate change projections for Australian regions

Australia's National Greenhouse Accounts

The Department publishes Australia’s National Greenhouse Accounts, which track national emissions – including from the land sector - from 1990 onwards.

• Tracking Australia's greenhouse gas emissions.
• Search online - Australian Greenhouse Emissions Information System (AGEIS)

National Landcare Program

The National Landcare Program will support sustainable land management practices to deliver long-term benefits to our communities, our environment, our economy and our country.

• National Landcare Program
• Grants reporting tool - MERIT

20 Million Trees

The Australian Government will work with the community to plant 20 million trees by 2020, to re-establish green corridors and urban forests. The programme will involve competitive grants, delivered by individuals and organisations, and larger-scale plantings, delivered by service providers

• 20 Million Trees

More resources

• Australia's biodiversity conservation strategy
• Coal, Coal seam gas and water
• Native vegetation - Native vegetation framework

Programs

• BushBlitz
• Conservation Covenants
• Continuing investment – National Landcare Program

National Environmental Science Programme

The National Environmental Science Programme will assist decision-makers to understand, manage and conserve Australia’s environment by funding world-class biodiversity and climate science. The programme brings together the Australian Climate Change Science Program and the National Environmental Research Program.

• National Environmental Science Programme

National Environmental Research Program

The National Environmental Research Program has been amalgamated into the National Environmental Science Programme. The National Environmental Research Program invests $20 million each year in environmental research to support decision making.

• National Environmental Research Program

Climate science

The Australian Climate Change Science Programme and the national framework for climate change science focus on delivering policy and governance arrangements, and providing essential systems knowledge.

• Australian Climate Change Science Programme
• Climate science

More resources

• Independent Expert Scientific Committee on Coal Seam Gas and Large Coal Mining Development
• Threatened Species Scientific Committee

Threatened species and ecological communities

The Australian Government is working in partnership with state, territory and local governments, non-government organisations, tertiary institutions and community groups to ensure the protection of our native species.

• Threatened species and ecological communities

The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) protects Australia's native species and ecological communities by providing for:

• identification and listing of species and ecological communities as threatened
• development of conservation advice and recovery plans for listed species and ecological communities
• development of a register of critical habitat
• recognition of key threatening processes
• where appropriate, reducing the impacts of these processes through threat abatement plans and non-statutory threat abatement advices

Search online

• Search online - SPRAT - Species Profile and Threats Database
  SPRAT is designed to provide information about species and ecological communities listed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
• Search online - Conservation Advices and Recovery Plans by NRM Region
  The NRM region Search Module will display EPBC listed species or ecological communities for which a Conservation Advice or Recovery Plan is available

Invasive species

Information about diseases, fungi and parasites, insects and other intertebrates, and feral animals in Australia - cane toads, feral cats and feral pigs.

• Invasive species
• The Kimberley Cane Toad Clean Up Programme
• Pest animal and weed management

Weeds

Invasive weeds are among the most serious threats to Australia's natural environment and primary production industries. They displace native species, contribute significantly to land degradation, and reduce farm and forest productivity.

• Weeds in Australia
• Weeds in Australia - information for farmers
• Search online - Search for weeds
• Search online - Weed identification tool

Threatened Species Commissioner

The commissioner works collaboratively with the national Threatened Species Scientific Committee and the community, including the non-profit sector, industry, scientists and all levels of government to broker solutions that avoid the extinction of Australia’s native species.

• More about the Threatened Species Commissioner

Threatened Species Scientific Committee

The committee advises the Minister on the amendment and updating of lists for threatened species, threatened ecological communities, and key threatening processes together with the making or adoption of recovery plans and threat abatement plans.

• More about the Threatened Species Scientific Committee

Resources lists

• EPBC Act Resources list - EPBC Act, policy statements on protected matters, grasslands and woodlands fact sheets
• Invasive species publications
• Threatened species and ecological communities publications

Basin Plan

The Murray-Darling Basin Plan delivers on the Australian Government's commitment to restore the Basin's rivers and wetlands to health while supporting strong regional communities and sustainable food production.

• The Basin Plan

Commonwealth Environmental Water Office

The Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder, supported by the Commonwealth Environmental Water Office, manages the Commonwealth’s environmental water portfolio, research projects that inform approaches to aquatic ecosystems and environmental watering policy, and major projects to improve water quality and the ecological health of iconic wetland assets in the Murray Darling Basin.

• Commonwealth Environmental Water Office
• Local Engagement Officers

Sustainable Rural Water Use and Infrastructure

Sustainable Rural Water Use and Infrastructure is a national programme investing in rural water use, management and efficiency, including improved water knowledge and market reform, and water purchase for the environment

• Sustainable Rural Water Use and Infrastructure

On-Farm Irrigation Efficiency Program

The On-Farm Irrigation Efficiency Program is aimed at assisting irrigators within the southern connected system of the Murray-Darling Basin to modernise their on-farm irrigation infrastructure while returning water savings to the environment

• On-Farm Irrigation Efficiency Program

Private Irrigation Infrastructure Operators Program in New South Wales

The Private Irrigation Infrastructure Operators Program (PIIOP) in New South Wales aims to improve the efficiency and productivity of water use and management of private irrigation networks and deliver water savings for the environment.

• More about the Private Irrigation Infrastructure Operators Program in New South Wales

Restoring the Balance in the Murray-Darling Basin - Water entitlement purchasing

Water buybacks obtain water for the environment from irrigators who wish to offer their water entitlement for sale.

• Restoring the Balance in the Murray-Darling Basin

Wetlands

Many different types of organisations and people look after wetlands, from the Australian Government to individual landowners. There are specific roles and responsibilities outlined in the Ramsar Convention, as well as national and state legislation, regarding how Ramsar and other wetlands are managed

• Wetlands
• Wetlands in Australia - roles and responsibilities
• Wetlands Australia (includes several feature articles on wetlands and agriculture)
• Wetlands and Agriculture
• Search online - Australian Wetlands Database

Coal, Coal seam gas and water

The Australian Government plays an important role in protecting our environment from potential impacts of development activity, with a focus on matters of national environmental significance.

• Coal, Coal seam gas and water

The Independent Expert Scientific Committee on Coal Seam Gas and Large Coal Mining Development (the IESC) provides scientific advice to decision makers on the impact that coal seam gas and large coal mining development may have on Australia's water resources.

• More about the Independent Expert Scientific Committee on Coal Seam Gas and Large Coal Mining Development
• Committee publications

Bioregional assessments

Bioregional assessments are being undertaken in up to 15 subregions within New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria. The assessments will provide baseline information on the ecology, hydrology, geology and hydrogeology in a particular geographic region, and an assessment of the cumulative impacts of coal seam gas and large coal mining developments on water related assets.

• Bioregional assessments
  www.bioregionalassessments.gov.au

Great Barrier Reef

The Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan is the overarching framework for protecting and managing the Great Barrier Reef from 2015 to 2050.

• Managing and protecting the Great Barrier Reef
• Reef Trust Investments - sugar cane farmers
• Australian Government Reef Programme
• Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority

Wildlife trade management plans

If you want to export for commercial purposes an Australian native wildlife specimen (unless exempt) and/or CITES-listed specimen sourced from Australia, it must come from an approved program such as a wildlife trade management plan.

• Wildlife trade
• Wildlife trade management plans

Commercial harvesting of native animals

Information about wild harvest of kangaroos and wallabies, wild harvest and farming of crocodiles, and wild harvest of Tasmanian common brushtail possums.

• Wild harvest of kangaroos, wallabies, crocodiles and possums - codes of practice

Australia's heritage places

Information about natural, historic and Indigenous heritage places throughout Australia.

• Australia's heritage
• Australia's heritage places and lists
• Search online - Australian Heritage Database