Table 15: Other provisions
Section
|
Total
|
Late
|
Reasons for delay
|
194Q(3) Decision whether to include item
|
53
|
2
|
Administrative delays
|
266B(6) Approved conservation advice for listed threatened species and listed threatened ecological communities
|
53
|
53
|
Administrative delays
|
303CI Time limit for making permit decisions – CITES
|
1 060
|
1
|
Administrative delays
|
303EG(1) Timing of decision about proposed amendment of list
|
7
|
4
|
Administrative delays
|
Appendix B—Committees
Threatened Species Scientific Committee
The committee advises the minister on the amendment and updating of the EPBC Act’s lists of threatened species, threatened ecological communities, and key threatening processes, and on the making or adoption of recovery plans and threat abatement plans.
Table 16: Membership of the Threatened Species Scientific Committee at 30 June 2011
Membership
|
Associate Professor Peter Harrison
|
Dr Andrea Taylor
|
Dr Bill Humphreys
|
Dr Tony Lewis
|
Dr John Woinarski
|
Dr Rosemary Purdie
|
Mr Guy Fitzhardinge
|
Associate Professor Keith Walker
|
Dr Gordon Guymer
|
The position of chair of the committee was vacant at 30 June 2011 following the retirement of Associate Professor Bob Beeton.
Indigenous Advisory Committee
The Indigenous Advisory Committee established under section 505B of the EPBC Act provides advice to the minister on the operation of the EPBC Act by incorporating Indigenous people’s knowledge of land management and the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.
Table 17: Membership of the Indigenous Advisory Committee at 30 June 2011
Membership
|
Ms Melissa George (Chair)
|
Ms Chrissy Grant (Deputy Chair)
|
Mr Jason Field
|
Mr Dave Johnston
|
Mr Frank Loban
|
Mr Damein Bell
|
Ms Francine McCarthy
|
Mr Joe Morrison
|
Mr Kado Muir
|
Mr Daniel Oades
|
Mr Klynton Wanganeen
|
[Vacant position]
|
Appendix C—2010–11 publications
Guidelines and policy statements
EPBC Act policy statement 3.25—Referral guidelines for the endangered northern quoll, Dasyurus hallucatus
EPBC Act policy statement 3.26—Referral guidelines for the vulnerable black-eyed susan, Tetratheca juncea
EPBC Act policy statement 3.31—Cumberland Plain Shale Woodlands and Shale-Gravel Transition Forest – a guide to identifying and protecting the nationally threatened ecological community
EPBC Act policy statement 5.1—Magnetic Island, Queensland (Region)
Guidelines for Section 516A reporting—Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
EPBC Act—Draft referral guidelines for the endangered southern brown bandicoot (eastern), Isoodon obesulus obesulus
EPBC Act policy statement 3.28—Referral guidelines for the vulnerable striped legless lizard, Delma impar
EPBC Act—Draft referral guidelines for the nationally listed Brigalow Belt reptiles
EPBC Act—Survey guidelines for detecting Australia’s threatened fish
EPBC Act—Survey guidelines for Australia’s threatened mammals
EPBC Act—Survey guidelines for Australia’s threatened reptiles
Australia’s in situ recovery uranium mining best practice guide: groundwaters, residues and radiation protection—guide
Pamphlets, factsheets and other publications
Advice on the presence of hybrids in listed ecological communities
Bushfire management and national environment law—fact sheet
Compliance audits completed during 2010—summary of findings
Compliance audits completed during 2011—summary of findings
Farming and national environment law—fact sheet
Farming and nationally protected coolibah—black box woodlands—fact sheet
Farming and nationally protected grey box woodlands and grasslands—fact sheet
Farming and nationally protected New England peppermint (Eucalyptus nova-anglica) grassy woodlands—fact sheet
How does national environmental law apply to the natural disasters clean-up?—fact sheet
How does the listing of gamba grass and four other grasses as a key threatening process affect me?—Q&A
National environment law—project assessments basics—fact sheet
Northern Territory cattle production and national environment law—fact sheet
Oil and gas industry and national environment law—fact sheet
Protecting Australia’s world heritage properties—fact sheet
Rumours, myths and misconceptions...farming and national environment law—fact sheet
Strategic assessments frequently asked questions
A brochure on wildlife trade and CITES (jointly produced in collaboration with the New Zealand CITES Management Authority) was translated into Bislama (Vanuatu)
If in doubt–check it out—does your luggage break wildlife laws?—updated brochure
If in doubt–check it out—luggage tags to promote the message of wildlife trade regulations to travellers.
Appendix D—Key threatening processes and threat abatement plans
Table 18: Key threatening processes and threat abatement plans
Key threatening process
|
Date of effect
|
Threat abatement plan required?
|
Approved threat abatement plan
|
Competition and land degradation by rabbits
|
16 July 2000
|
Yes
|
2008
|
Competition and land degradation by unmanaged goats
|
16 July 2000
|
Yes
|
2008
|
Dieback caused by the root-rot fungus (Phytophthora cinnamomi)
|
16 July 2000
|
Yes
|
2001*
|
Incidental catch (bycatch) of sea turtles during coastal otter-trawling operations within Australian waters north of 28 degrees south
|
4 April 2001
|
No
|
|
Incidental catch (or bycatch) of seabirds during oceanic longline fishing operations
|
16 July 2000
|
Yes
|
2006
|
Infection of amphibians with chytrid fungus resulting in chytridiomycosis
|
23 July 2002
|
Yes
|
2006
|
Injury and fatality to vertebrate marine life caused by ingestion of, or entanglement in, harmful marine debris
|
13 August 2003
|
Yes
|
2009
|
Invasion of northern Australia by gamba grass and other introduced grasses
|
16 September 2009
|
Yes**
|
|
Land clearance
|
4 April 2001
|
No
|
|
Loss and degradation of native plant and animal habitat by invasion of escaped garden plants, including aquatic plants
|
8 January 2010
|
No
|
|
Loss of biodiversity and ecosystem integrity following invasion by the yellow crazy ant (Anoplolepis gracilipes) on Christmas Island, Indian Ocean
|
12 April 2005
|
No#
|
2006#
|
Loss of terrestrial climatic habitat caused by anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases
|
4 April 2001
|
No
|
|
Predation by European red fox
|
16 July 2000
|
Yes
|
2008
|
Predation by exotic rats on Australian offshore islands of less than 1000 square kilometres (100 000 hectares)
|
29 March 2006
|
Yes
|
2009
|
Predation by feral cats
|
16 July 2000
|
Yes
|
2008
|
Predation, habitat degradation, competition and disease transmission by feral pigs
|
6 August 2001
|
Yes
|
2005
|
Key threatening process
|
Date of effect
|
Threat abatement plan required?
|
Approved threat abatement plan
|
Psittacine Circoviral (beak and feather) Disease affecting endangered psittacine species
|
4 April 2001
|
Yes
|
2005
|
The biological effects, including lethal toxic ingestion, caused by cane toads (Bufo marinus)
|
12 April 2005
|
Yes
|
2011
|
The reduction in the biodiversity of Australian native fauna and flora due to the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta (fire ant)
|
2 April 2003
|
No#
|
2006#
|
* This threat abatement plan was disallowed in the Senate on 17 November 2009. Until such time as a new or revised plan is made, the 2001 threat abatement plan remains in place.
# Both of these key threatening processes are covered by the 2006 threat abatement plan: ‘The impacts of tramp ants on biodiversity in Australia and its territories’ and so separate threat abatement plans for each are not required at this time.
** Section 273 of the EPBC Act requires a plan to be made and in force within three years of the decision to have the plan, in this case by September 2012.
Resources
The following resources relate to information referred to in Outcome 1, Biodiversity and Ecosystems Legislation.
Assessments and approvals www.environment.gov.au/epbc/notices/index.html.
Bilateral agreements www.environment.gov.au/epbc/assessments/bilateral/index.html.
Compliance audit plan www.environment.gov.au/epbc/compliance/auditing.html
Compliance and enforcement www.environment.gov.au/about/publications/compliancepolicy.html
EPBC Act www.environment.gov.au/epbc/review. www.environment.gov.au/epbc/publications/epbc-review-govt-response.html
EPBC Act review www.environment.gov.au/epbc/review/submissions/.
www.environment.gov.au/epbc/review
www.environment.gov.au/epbc/publications/epbc-review-govt-response.html
Fisheries assessment and approvals www.environment.gov.au/coasts/fisheries/index.html
Natural Resource Management www.nrm.gov.au/publications/books/caring-outcomes.html.
www.nrm.gov.au
Outcome 2: Sustainable environment
‘Promoting waste reduction and regulating hazardous substances, wastes, pollutants, ozone depleting substances and synthetic greenhouse gases.’
At a glance
-
2 983 fuel samples from across Australia were tested in 2010–11 against the requirements of the Fuel Quality Standards Act 2000.
-
64 signatories to FluoroCycle, a voluntary scheme to reduce the amount of mercury entering the environment from the disposal of mercury-containing lighting.
-
Pollution emission and transfer data for over 4 200 reporting facilities published on the National Pollutant Inventory website.
-
The Product Stewardship Act 2011 was passed by parliament on 22 June 2011. It establishes a national framework for the effective management of the environmental, health and safety impacts of products and materials such as televisions and computers.
Outcome 2: Sustainable Environment
Outcome 2
Improved capacity of Australian communities and industry to protect the environment by promoting waste reduction and regulating hazardous substances, wastes, pollutants, ozone depleting substances and synthetic greenhouse gases
Environment Quality Division
|
Main responsibilities for this outcome
|
Reduction and management of wastes, hazardous substances, pollutants, ozone depleting substances and synthetic greenhouse gases.
|
Objectives
To provide a cleaner and healthier environment through frameworks, standards, regulation and monitoring of the management and use of wastes, hazardous substances, air pollutants, ozone depleting substances and synthetic greenhouse gases.
Strategies
The work towards ensuring a cleaner and healthier environment and reducing pollution covers three interconnected areas. These are:
-
leading and promoting national approaches to environmental issues
-
engagement on international agreements
-
responsibility for the development and operation of national legislation and policy initiatives.
Leading and promoting national approaches
National Waste Policy
The National Waste Policy endorsed by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) in October 2010, provides the strategic national framework for waste management and resource recovery over the next 10 years. It aims to avoid the generation of waste, reduce the amount of waste for disposal, and manage waste as a resource to deliver economic, environmental and social benefits.
The amount of waste in Australia is growing. In the four years to 2007, the amount of waste generated grew by nearly a third to around 44 million tonnes, which is the equivalent
of over 2 000 kilograms of waste for each Australian each year. Over the same period, the amount of hazardous waste doubled. If the amount of waste continues to grow at the current rate of 3.1 per cent per year, by 2020–21 national waste generation will have risen 53 per cent to 67.4 million tonnes.
The National Waste Policy sets six key directions: taking responsibility, improving the market, pursuing sustainability, reducing hazard and risk, tailoring solutions and providing the evidence. Arising from these directions are 16 priority strategies. The department, in collaboration with the states and territories, leads 10 of the 16 strategies. These are being delivered against the implementation plan endorsed by the Environmental Protection and Heritage Council on 5 July 2010.
A status report on the first 12 months of the National Waste Policy outlined strong progress against the 2010 milestones. The report outlined work on product stewardship (strategy one), packaging and litter (strategy three), and the provision of a comprehensive hazardous waste system (strategy 12). The full status report and implementation plan are available on the Environment Protection and Heritage Council website.
Environment Protection and Heritage Council
The department supported the minister in his role as chair of the Environment Protection and Heritage Council. This ministerial council is the peak national body for addressing environmental protection matters. It incorporates the National Environment Protection Council, which is responsible for making National Environment Protection Measures (NEPMs). These measures provide the national policy frameworks for coordinating action on air quality (including air toxics), diesel vehicle emissions, national pollutant inventory, the movement of controlled waste, assessment of contaminated sites, and used packaging materials.
Chemicals reform agenda
In conjunction with states and territories, the department is implementing COAG’s 2009 environmental chemicals reform agenda through the Environment Protection and Heritage Council. This agenda relates to three recommendations in the Productivity Commission’s 2008 report on chemicals and plastics regulation. The reforms address whether there should be mandatory labelling of chemicals for their environmental impact; establishing a standards-setting body to manage the risk to the environment from chemicals, and developing a performance measurement framework for chemical monitoring.
An organised chemical storage shed. Murrumbah is a ChemCert Healthy Farm where produce is quality assured.
Air quality
The department released the State of the Air in Australia 1999–2008 report in 2010–11. Prepared in collaboration with state and territory agencies, the report found that ambient air quality was generally good but that particle and ozone levels continued to exceed national standards in some cities.
To reduce vehicle emissions, the Australian Government regulates fuel and vehicle emission standards. Work undertaken by the department in 2010–11 included administration of fuel quality standards under the Fuel Quality Standards Act 2000, and the release of a public consultation paper to inform a regulation impact statement on a proposed new standard for ethanol blend (E85) automotive fuel.
Early evening traffic on the streets of the Melbourne CBD.
Engagement on international agreements
The department leads Australia’s participation in a number of international agreements that seek to minimise impacts from hazardous chemicals, hazardous wastes and ozone-depleting substances. Some of the major agreements are listed in Table 1.
In 2010–11 the department progressed the domestic control of the growing list of hazardous chemicals (such as some flame-retardant chemicals listed under the Stockholm Convention) and led Australia’s negotiations on an emerging global agreement to reduce the adverse impacts of mercury.
Table 1: Major international agreements
Agreement
|
Purpose
|
Basel Convention on Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal
|
Management of hazardous wastes
|
Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade
|
Management of hazardous chemicals
|
Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants
|
Management of hazardous chemicals
|
Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management
|
Management of hazardous chemicals and wastes
|
Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer
|
Protection of the ozone layer
|
National legislation and policy delivery
Fuel quality
The department administers the Fuel Quality Standards Act 2000 to ensure that fuel supplied to consumers meets quality standards, minimises emissions, and maintains efficient engine operation. Fuel quality standards exist for petrol, automotive diesel, biodiesel (B100) and LPG (autogas).
Australian Government fuel quality testing.
Protecting the ozone layer
Australia meets its Montreal Protocol phase out obligations through the operation of the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Act 1989. The department’s administration of this legislation delivers a national approach to the import, manufacture, use and destruction of ozone-depleting substances and synthetic greenhouse gases.
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