Former Programs

Natural resource management

Landcare

Invasive species management

Land and salinity

Environmental Management Systems (EMS) programs

Vegetation

Monitoring/NLWRA

Natural resource management

Natural Heritage Trust

National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality

The Natural Heritage Trust and the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality ceased operating on 30 June 2008.

Caring for our Country commenced on 1 July 2008. It integrates delivery of the Australian Government’s previous natural resource management programs, including the Natural Heritage Trust, the National Landcare Program, the Environmental Stewardship Program and the Working on Country Indigenous land and sea ranger program.

It also incorporates the delivery of a range of other natural resource management funding elements including Community Coastcare, World Heritage, regional investments and relevant 2007 election commitments.

For more information about these former programs, visit:

For information about Caring for our Country, visit:

Landcare

National Landcare Program

The National Landcare Program ceased on 30 June 2008. The Caring for our Country initiative includes funding for landcare-related activities.

For information about DAFF’s involvement with landcare, visit:

Invasive species management

Defeating the Weed Menace Program

The Defeating the Weed Menace Program ceased on 30 June 2008. It has been replaced by the National Weeds and Productivity Research Program.

For more information, visit:

National Feral Animal Control Program

The National Feral Animal Control Program ran from 1996 to 2008. It has been replaced by the Australian Pest Animal Management Program.

For more information, visit:

Land and salinity

Healthy Soils for Sustainable Farms Program

The Healthy Soils for Sustainable Farms Program was an Australian Government initiative funded through the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. The Grains Research and Development Corporation was a major co-funder, and the program was managed by Land and Water Australia.

For details of the program, including the Healthy Soils for Sustainable Farms Program Report (July 2008), visit:

Environmental Management Systems (EMS) programs

The Australian Government undertook a number of initiatives to encourage the adoption of Environmental Management System (EMS) approaches to improve the productivity, competitiveness and sustainability of Australian agriculture and rural and regional communities. The EMS National Pilot Program, which ran from April 2003 to June 2006, involved 15 pilot projects across Australia, from a diverse range of industries, regions, partnerships and natural resource management issues.

They answered questions about the practical and effective adoption of EMS on the ground, including EMS as an integrated management tool, effective tools for use within an EMS, EMS and the potential of markets to value the natural resource base that sustains agriculture, EMS in a regional context, and improving resilience through EMS implementation.

For more information, see:

EMS - National Implementation Plan

The EMS National Implementation Plan was developed by a joint Australian/State Government EMS Implementation Working Group and designed to implement Australia’s National Framework for Environmental Management Systems in Agriculture.

EMS – Pathways to sustainable agriculture

The EMS Pathways to Sustainable Agriculture Program fostered partnerships between industries, research organisations and NAP/NHT Regional bodies to broaden the uptake of EMS approaches in Australian agriculture.

The program sponsored 23 projects – 15 from industry and eight from regional groups. The projects ranged across all areas of agriculture, including aquaculture, viticulture, cropping and livestock production.

Pathways to Industry EMS

The Pathways to Industry Environmental Management Systems (2004–07) assisted 19 industry bodies to develop and implement EMS and other environmental assurance approaches towards:

  • the adoption of profitable and sustainable farming practices
  • improved natural resource management and environmental outcomes, and
  • demonstrating environmental stewardship to domestic and international markets.

For reports on the program, see:

EMS newletters 2005-07

The EMS Newsletter was an e-newsletter from the Environmental Management Systems team in the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

Vegetation

National Market-Based Instruments Pilot Program

The National Market-Based Instruments Pilot Program ceased on 30 June 2008.

For information about market-based instruments, visit:

For fact sheets about market-based instruments, visit:

For information about the former National Market-Based Instruments Pilot Program, visit:

  • National Market-Based Instruments Pilot Program

Native Vegetation Regional Pilot Projects

In the Native Vegetation Regional Pilot Projects initiative, the Australian Government worked with state and territory governments, industry groups and natural resource management regions to test ways of improving arrangements for sustainable native vegetation management on farms.

The program ceased on 30 June 2008.

Monitoring/NLWRA

National Land and Water Resources Audit

Phase 2 of the National Land & Water Resources Audit office ended on 30 June 2008. The second phase of the Audit achieved significant outcomes in developing information to help assess changes in natural resources as a result of government programs. Its main activities were:

  • identifying information needs and management
  • reporting through assessments
  • building capacity through partnerships
  • providing strategic advice.

The Australian Government Land and Coasts team, jointly managed by the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, will oversee any follow up activities built on the work of the Audit.

For further information on the conclusion of Audit programs, please contact:
Land & Water Australia – 02 6263 6000

For further information on the management of the Audit legacy and future NRM information management, please contact:
Australian Government Land and Coasts – 02 6272 5232

The final report on the monitoring and evaluation of the National Land and Water Resources Audit provides an overall assessment of the Audit's performance over its five-year term.

Signposts for Australian Agriculture

The Signposts for Australian Agriculture project looked at the role of agriculture in natural resource management, economic growth and community life and aimed to develop a framework for consistent reporting on the contributions of Australia’s agricultural industries to environmentally sustainable development.

For more information about Signposts for Australian Agriculture, see:

Last reviewed:
06 Feb 2012
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