Developing a national approach
Principal Landscape Planner Peter Hazell talking with John West, a landholder in the Mulloon Rehydration Initiative*. [Photo: Nviro Media]
planning for bigger things
In our Resilience Summer 2022 edition, I applauded the NSW Government’s positive move to amend its Infrastructure State Environment Planning Policy (ISEPP) to define ‘Landscape Rehydration Works’ and make them exempt from the Planning Act. While this was a wonderful step forward and a reward for the Mulloon Law Committee’s superb work, many more hurdles still remain for farmers and landholders wanting to undertake this environmental repair and regeneration work.
The law committee are now focused on establishing a national code that will more easily enable landscape rehydration and regeneration works. Under the leadership of board member Matt Egerton-Warburton, our pro-bono law committee is convinced such a code would help open the floodgates (pun intended) on environmental repair and regeneration across Australia.
Regenerative Agriculture Consultant Sam Skeat speaks with landholders in Queensland. [Photo: Nviro Media]
TAKING IT NATIONAL
When we first identified that the NSW Planning Act was effectively preventing environmental repair, we brought this problem to the NSW Government and provided them with a solution, which ultimately resulted in changes to the ISEPP.
At a national scale, we have simarly identified the problem and are currently drafting a national code for federal, state and territory governments to consider. Dr Gerry Bates has led the way in developing this code in his role on the law committee, along with fellow committee members Matt Egerton-Warburton and Wilf Finn, and very ably assisted by TMI’s Peter Hazell and Dr Laura Fisher, and oversight from CEO Managing Director Carolyn Hall.
Our experience has shown that there are millions of kilometres of eroded and degraded watercourses throughout the country, with farmers and landholders who are keen to do something about repairing them. But when faced with the hurdles of multiple applications, studies and reports that cost a fortune before work can even begin, too many of them are saying, “its just too hard”.
A national code would closely resemble something like the National Construction Code, which is “Australia’s primary set of technical design and construction provisions for buildings”. A similar code for landscape rehydration and regeneration would help alleviate many of the ‘too hards’ encountered when trying to undertake landscape repair work.
taking it to the minister
To really get this moving nationally, I’ve written to the Federal Minister for Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek, outlining the reasons why a national code for landscape rehydration and regeneration is so urgently needed. I highlighted that such a code would directly solve problems identified in the recent State of the Environment Report, along with recommendations made in the Samuel’s Review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. Minister Plibersek has made it clear she wants the Federal Government to act on these issues and that there is little time to wait. I’ve encouraged her to take this national code through the National Cabinet process, which would be the most efficient and effective way of achieving the change nationally.
In my letter to Minister Plibersek, I pointed out that from our experience, up to $400k could be spent on the designs, reports and investigations needed to obtain approval for landscape rehydration works when they may only cost $40k to design and implement. It seems non-sensical when these works have been scientifically shown to repair degraded environments, increase biodiversity, improve agricultural productivity (with the right farm management) and positively mitigate the effects of climate change.
Gary Nairn AO
Mulloon Institute - Chairman
LEARN MORE: Calling for a national code for landscape rehydration and regeneration
*The Mulloon Rehydration Initiative is jointly funded through the Mulloon Institute and the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program, with support from the NSW Government’s Environmental Trust.