Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee, , 3:08:36 to 3:32:47
Officials report on housing project approval targets and the effectiveness of the Saving Native Species and Saving Koalas funds.
Topics: Infrastructure, EPBC Act, Animal welfare
Speakers: Jackie Raynor, Hon Murray Watt, Sarah Hanson-Young, Dr Fiona Fraser, Dean Knudson, Hon Sarah Henderson, Rachel Parry, Speaker 19, Speaker 23, Tim Wyndham, Varun Ghosh
>> Thank you, Senator Win. Um, Senator Walker.
>> Thanks, Chair. Um, I've just got a few questions about housing approvals under EPBC if the relevant officials want to I'm wondering as at May 2022, how many housing projects were waiting >> Uh, Senator Tim Wyndham, uh, Environment Regulation Division. So, as at May 2022, there were 92 housing projects under referral or assessment uh, under the act.
>> Thank you. At a previous estimates round, it was evidence was provided that at one point during the previous environmental project environmental were approved in accordance with the statutory time frame. Is that correct?
>> Uh that's correct, Senator. And uh there was a question on notice. I can get the number of that for you that responded in >> Uh I don't know, Senator. Okay. >> Yeah. So Senator, since May 2022, the government has given the go-ahad to 76 housing projects supporting around about 59,000 homes.
to urban areas?
>> Uh there are definitely projects both within cities and and regional areas but maybe I'll ask my colleague Miss Gallan to step through some details.
>> Thank you. Kate Gallen from the branch chair from the New South Wales assessments and ACT assessments. Um, Senator, I've only got figures from the 24th of August, which is when the minister set up the housing strike team, and the figures tell us that it's an equal split between metropolitan and regional areas. We've got um, yeah, roughly 20 projects have been approved under the well, not roughly, 20 projects have been approved under the housing strike team, and we have 20 in regional areas, 20 in metropolitan areas. I know in August 2025 the government announced a target of approving 26,000 homes by June this year. How is the department tracking against that target? >> So that's again my my uh question there, Senator. Thank you. Um so we're tracking uh well towards that target. We've actually passed the halfway mark and as of the 31st of January um we're looking
at supporting around 17,000 homes. So
towards our target of 26,000.
>> Right on track. >> Now that the reforms for the EPBC act have pass the Senate, what impacts is that going to have on housing approvals?
>> So I think Senator, the the um aside from the task force and the and the strike team where we are reaching in and accelerating those housing approvals, the EPBC reforms are going to have economywide benefits. they're going to have significant product productivity benefits by making very clear upfront the kind of information requirements that proponents um need to have. We are uh looking at different tools that states as we've canvased earlier whether it's bilateral agreements or strategic assessments that we can enter into to get um to get those approvals working through the systems faster. We've put in clear boundaries of um what is acceptable and what is not acceptable. So again, giving proponents that information. So all of those um changes to the act will have an economywide benefit and given that housing is our third highest um referral sector, it will have a benefit for housing for the housing sector as well.
>> Thank you. Um I've just got one final question. It's for the minister. Uh why is timely consideration of housing developments under federal environmental law necessary and what are some alternate approaches?
So, um, as you can see from the answers you've received from the officials, we've made a significant effort since coming to office to speed up the processes for appro for assessment and approvals or at least a decision about housing um, applications. You know, we know as a country we need more homes built urgently. And if we can be getting the processes for approval of those homes or rejection if they're rejected done more quickly, that will get things moving from a housing perspective is not the only issue that we need to deal with to get houses built. Um, but it's a significant issue and I really commend the department on the work they've been doing in this space.
>> Thank you, Senator Walker. Senator Hanson.
I just want to ask about the savings native species program. Thanks. Um, is it correct that the saving native species program finishes
biodiversity division. Um, thank you for your question, Senator. Uh, yes, you're correct that the funding for the saving native species program concludes on the 30th of June, 2026.
And is there any um so there's no direction to have that extended or for new money to go into that?
>> Um at this point in time that would be a matter for government. Uh we are seeing that the projects 166 of those projects under the the program continue to roll out and be delivered. Um and we expect that they would be delivered by the 30th
>> Okay. That so they would be completed by
that to be the case. Uh I will flag that there are some externalities that are currently affecting some of those projects. So we have had uh recent uh natural disasters. Uh so in those instances we're working with those project proponents to understand the impacts of um of those disasters on their projects uh and to confirm that
terminating uh at the end of the fiscal year. There are a number of programs across government that terminate each year. There's also a process led by central agencies where they look at all terminating programs through the cabinet process etc. So this will be considered
>> um so it was a program that was worth 225 million over four years.
uh 224.5
>> to be precise. Thank you. Um and is there another program that will save native species?
>> Arguably many things this department does in in fact I would say inarguably many things that this department does protect native species. But as you've already heard, this program was funded for a certain number of years that expires on the 30th of June this year and any decision about extension of that funding will be made through budget processes.
>> Um so there's 166 projects that this program funded. How many native species
have been saved? Uh so um I can talk about um the number of species that have had uh projects that have been allocated to them. Uh at this stage we're still um working with a number of those project proponents to look at the outcomes that have been delivered through those projects. But I'll just run through a few of the high level figures. What I can talk about is the amounts of money that have been contracted for the different components um of of the prioritized uh through this program. Uh and there are 20 priority places that are prioritized through this program. What we've seen is an allocation of 94.1 million that has gone towards those two components. Uh and they do look at um multiple species. Uh so it is hard to pinpoint the exact outcomes for each of the different species but I could um hand to my colleague Dr. Fraser to go through some of the particular outcomes if that would help. Um I could also talk
so has it been a useful program? Uh
through already even though we haven't had an opportunity to do a full program evaluation at this point. One of the quite strategically focused um to address uh the decline that we've been seeing uh in species and to also support recovery. Um but at the same time it does look at how do you bring in a range of different sort of participants um that are responsible for species recovery longer term. And so we have sectors, you've got governments also coming in together as well, state, territory and commonwealth. So I think that that would be one of the areas I would say there has been demonstrated success in the program and that's something that we definitely do still see that momentum building.
was if it's useful, I've got some specific examples of
>> Well, I'd like I I'd like some specifics. Yes.
>> Okay. Um and I apologize in my advance for the pronunciation of some of these species if I don't get it exactly right. Um so, uh one that is probably Oh, no. It's the Glen the Glennel freshwater muscles uh which turns out to be in Victoria's Crawford River. world first release of captive bred Glenn Elgel freshwater muscles has boosted their last remaining population in Victoria's Crawford River. These critically endangered muscles were returned to their wild habitat where reveation, fencing, and sediment control works have been undertaken to increase their chance to thrive. Uh, the border range border rangers lined fern has been rediscovered in Queensland as a result of this program. Adult ferns have been recorded in Queensland for the first time in 40 years thanks to a saving native species project led by Tweed Land Care. Uh this is the one I was a bit worried about pronunciation. I believe it's the Krbit Tinker frog. Uh more captive bred Krumbbit tinker frogs are being released into the wild in Queensland's Krbit Tops National Park. Uh this is a positive step forward for these critically endangered frogs. the noisy scrub bird population. Its resilience has been increased by moving birds to two habitats in southwestern and Western Australia. One where they had been lost due to a bushfire and one that will act as an insurance population against future bushfires and climate change. I could go on if you'd like me
>> So, um, thank you, Minister. Um, you said that there was 20 priority >> Places. Could you name them for me?
Senator Dr. Fiona Fraser, the threatened species commissioner. So those just to step back quickly, that saving native species program has been instrumental in the delivery of targets under the threatened species action plan. Those 20 priority places are published in the threatened species action plan and they encompass some of our most important natural and biodiverse landscapes and seascapes around the country. So I could I could name all 20 um but also we can just refer to them online. There's there's at least one in each state and territory. And also
>> what's the one in South Australia?
>> In South Australia, there's Kangaroo Island. South Australia also includes the Melly Birds ecological community and also um a a priority place that spans the volcanic plains in Western Victoria across to the Limestone Coast in South Australia. So for each of those priority places, landscapes and seascapes, we've got landscape scale action underway generally to address threats in those landscapes. They could be invasive species such as um you know weeds and and feral animals, but it also could be um instigating better fire regimes in those places, but also focusing on reintroductions in some places as well.
>> Um and so what species has been saved in
priority place and it um so it it has a range of endemic and also threatened species. One of the key focuses on Kangru Island, but certainly not the only one has been the eradication of feral cats on the Dudley Peninsula and and you'll be aware there was a recent announcement on further funding for that under the saving native species program late last year. So kangaroo so the eradication of feral cats on the Dudley Peninsula will be very important. And when you say save species, I guess there's different different things you can have in mind, but the way I would describe that will be critical for the the long-term recovery and protection of many of the birds and the mammals that are threatened and even those [clears throat] that are not threatened on Kangaroo Island at the moment.
>> Senator, if I may just come in for a second to get to your question as well, one of the things that's happened in the last couple years that we could never do before, we would talk about how much money we spent planting trees. So we normally talk about money then we got to the point where we could talk about what the input was what what have we what have we done on the ground but we could never aggregate that up to tell a national story. So for the first time we're actually able to tell what the outcome looks like for a number of the species because we've got consistent methodologies for measuring what the change in the status of that species is where we've intervene. Um it's a really important thing because what it's showing is when you have sustained funding for a long period of time along the lines of what the minister but also my colleagues have outlined it makes a difference. So that's one thing I just wanted to say. The other thing is if um uh Dr. Fraser would also have information on what we've used the saving native species program for. Is there some emergency funding where they are not the 110 priority species in the threatened species action plan where we needed to do an intervention and as uh Dr. Fraser just talked about a number of those species are critically endangered and the interventions are making a difference and we don't have that long-term uh history of what's happening for the species but we can provide additional information if that's what you're looking for on some of those emergency interventions under the
program. What I'm what I'm keen to understand is um where the money has been spent and what the outcome has been especially seeing as it's finishing in 4 months time.
>> So Senator one of the
>> current funding would it would it obviously your primary interest is in South Australia?
>> No, my primary interest is saving native species.
>> Well, you asking questions about South Australia. Mhm. >> Um what I was
>> as a South Australian
>> that that was the point I was making. I wasn't having a go. [laughter] one thing we could do is provide on notice some further information about the activities in South Australia as an example of a and with some more information about the outcomes of that funding. Would that be useful?
>> Yes, that happy for you to take that on notice. That would be useful.
We do actually have information. What I guess one of the key things the saving native species program has done guided by that threatened species action plan is not just direct funds to the 20 priority places and the 110 priority species, but we've also developed a specific framework for identifying species which are highly imperile. that's a higher bar than critically endangered under the the um the EPBC act and taking specific interventions to prevent those species either going extinct or taking a significant step.
>> Which species are those that you've done
that for? >> So all up the saving native species program has supported um critical actions of that nature for around 80 species. That includes 55 species which were already prioritized um under the 110 species in the action plan, but a further 25 species which were not the focus of the action plan, but were identified as falling into that really critical gap, highly imperiled. And I won't I won't read all of those out, but we can certainly table those on notice. And Senator, we at the end of last year published what I would call a light touch um progress report for the threatened species action plan. We've got a much more wholesome report which is due in um after 2027 and that details some of the outcomes as well. It's not just for the saving native species program because of course we implement that program in a complimentary way with initiatives such as the natural heritage trust. Um
>> sure etc. >> What I'm keen to understand and I've heard I've heard the deputy secretary say it. I've heard the commissioner now say it that this program has been important and crucial. why would it be ending on June 30?
>> No, I know I know the point you're trying to misrepresent.
>> No, I just want to know what's going on.
>> No, no decision has been it is it is very normal in government programs for funding to be provided for two years, three years, four years at most because that's the length of the forward estimates. So this was an election commitment that we made in 2022. We provided what must have been four years funding or thereabouts that four and a half that is um that is actually a longer period of funding than many programs go for and decisions are then made about whether to extend that funding for that program as they are for hundreds of other programs. That decision-m is underway
>> and a decision hasn't been made yet.
>> No, because we haven't handed down the budget this year. Yeah. So, so no, it would be untrue to argue that um the decision that the program is ending, that funding is not being extended because all of those decisions
>> I might just add there that um the funding for saving native species being three and a half um years has now also sort of carried on into another program as well through the local environmental projects program. Um, so the LEP was a um a three-year program that was established uh following the last uh election and is made up of um $83.9 million worth of commitments. Uh
>> is that 83.9 in addition to the two?
>> Yes.
>> 245.
>> Yes, that's right. Yes. And so what you'll see in that lep is that um there are 40 projects in total and uh they do have a focus on both species and protecting species and achieving biodiversity outcomes and at the same time it looks at restoring heritage um places as well
>> and and when is that meant to um expire?
>> Uh this one goes from 202526 to 2027 28.
>> Mhm. Um, is there any other programs in relation to native species that uh is due to expire in the next 6 to 12
>> I I will mention there uh senator that we have the saving koalas fund um and that does draw funding from both the saving native species and also from the natural heritage trust fund. uh that one because of the SNS component does expire on conclude on the 30th of June uh uh 2026. There are some components for koalas such as uh funding for uh data and data mapping that continue into the future years.
>> So how much was that saving koalas fund
worth? Uh yes that was 76.9 million and 99% of that has been contracted to do
>> and and how much of that came from the existing 225 or 224.5
>> the component that came from saving native species is 24.39 million with the remainder coming from the NHT.
Um, >> and so how many koalas have been saved?
>> Uh, we we don't >> Senator Sen Senator
Henderson, please don't interject. Um,
earlier.
>> Well, I don't want any score evening in this committee and what we need to do is allow people to ask questions and the officials to answer. Um, Senator Hanson Young, but if I might also just indicate, I'll move the call shortly um
>> Oh, any uh so we actually do um invest and we have invested in a monitoring program. Uh so I would say that data still continues to evolve for koala monitoring as with other species monitoring particularly with koalas. Um it is quite hard to get accurate numbers um just due to their movements and that um but we have invested over um $10 million into um refining uh the modeling um and that's conducted by the CSRO on behalf of
>> and is that 10 million from the 76.9
>> uh the the $10 million um actually just have a look it comes from the natural heritage trust fund so the other funding Yes. So it's not from the 224.5.
>> No, but it's part of the 76.9 overall which is made up. Okay. So that comes from the natural heritage.
>> And Senator, just on the question of koalas, our recent analysis based upon this monitoring is showing an increase in the population. It's not a sufficient longitudinal trend. So we don't have enough data points over years to to give us absolute confidence. Um, part of this is driven by better technologies to find koalas and identify them in the wild. But nonetheless, it's encouraging and it's another example of um, if we invest and we monitor um, uh, we're in a much better position.
>> And if we stop chopping down the trees they live in, perhaps that helps.
>> Understood that habitat loss is one of the key things for for koas. Yes. Um, I
will I will come back to that, but could I just ask on notice, could you give me a list of where that saving koala fund money has been spent in terms of the projects that it's been used for? >> Yes. Thank you. Yeah, chair.