Submitted by
muavesim
on Wed, 08/24/2022 - 18:03
General Information
Resolution
49178
Period covered
Activities to implement this Resolution from Activity Reports
| Relevant operative para(s) of Res/Rec | Activities Overview | Description | Status | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other (please specify) | The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (the EPBC Act) is the Australian Government’s central piece of environmental legislation. It provides a legal framework to protect and manage nationally and internationally important flora, fauna, ecological communities, and heritage places (defined in the EPBC Act as matters of national environmental significance). The second Independent Review of the EPBC Act, led by Professor Graeme Samuel AC, was released in January 2021. The Review found that the EPBC Act required significant reform. The Australian Government has committed to deliver a full response to the Review by the end of 2022, which will include a new national Environment Protection Agency. The Australian Government is also committed to taking action and providing national leadership to protect Australia’s wildlife. The Australian Government has committed to new initiatives, such as the Saving Native Species Program and more funding for Indigenous Protected Areas, to boost outcomes for our wildlife. The Australian Government has also committed to strong action that will contribute to the implementation of the ambitious Post 2020 – Global Biodiversity Framework being developed under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. This includes setting a goal to protect and conserve 30% of Australia’s land and 30% of Australia’s oceans by 2030. Australia has a strong track record in protecting areas across our land and ocean. We have one of the world’s largest representative systems of marine protected areas, covering 45% of Australian waters, and we’ve committed to taking further steps to improve the health and biodiversity of Australia’s oceans and the life they support. Our National Reserve System, Australia’s network of terrestrial protected areas, currently covers more than 22% of Australia’s landmass – over 169 million hectares. |
On-going | Full activity report |
Actors involved from Activity Reports
| IUCN Members | IUCN Commissions | IUCN Secretariat | Other non-IUCN related organisations |
|---|---|---|---|
Challenges / lessons learned from Activity Reports
Report status
Published
I. IUCN Constituencies implementing this Resolution
IUCN Members
No other Members are/have been involved
IUCN Commissions
No IUCN Commissions involved
IUCN Secretariat
Yes
Other non-IUCN related organisations
IUCN ORO liaised with the Australian Committee for IUCN (ACIUCN) (https://www.aciucn.org.au) to prepare this report.
II. Implementation
Activities carried out to implement this Resolution
Convene stakeholders/Networking
Scientific/technical activities
Describe the results/achievements of the activities
The Australian Government undertook technical/legal analysis of the EPBC Act and convened stakeholder meetings and public consultations as part of Prof Samuels review. The review was undertaken by Professor Graeme Samuel and he "observed that Australia’s natural environment and iconic places are in an overall state of decline and under increasing threat, concluded: The EPBC Act is out dated and requires fundamental reform. It does not enable the Commonwealth to effectively fulfil its environmental management responsibilities to protect nationally important matters. (p. ii)". (https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/BriefingBook47p/ReformAustraliasEnvironmentalLaw). The new Australian Government has "committed to providing a full response to the Samuel Review, to working with stakeholders to reform the EPBC Act and to establishing an independent environment protection agency (EPA)".
Other Actions related to recovering and protecting species include:
July 2022 – Australian Government committed to protect 30% of Australia’s land by 2030, in line with global proposals being put to a UN biodiversity conference later this year. This will contribute to tackling the extinction crises.
October 2022 - Minister for the Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek released the Threatened Species Action Plan: Towards Zero Extinctions. This Plan sets out a pathway for threatened species conservation and recovery over the next 10 years see https://minister.dcceew.gov.au/plibersek/media-releases/minister-launches-threatened-species-action-plan-toward-zero-extinctions#:~:text=Minister%20launches%20Threatened%20Species%20Action%20Plan%3A%20Toward%20Zero%20Extinctions,-4%20October%202022&text=Minister%20for%20the%20Environment%20and%20Water%20Tanya%20Plibersek%20has%20today,over%20the%20next%2010%20years.
Other Actions related to recovering and protecting species include:
July 2022 – Australian Government committed to protect 30% of Australia’s land by 2030, in line with global proposals being put to a UN biodiversity conference later this year. This will contribute to tackling the extinction crises.
October 2022 - Minister for the Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek released the Threatened Species Action Plan: Towards Zero Extinctions. This Plan sets out a pathway for threatened species conservation and recovery over the next 10 years see https://minister.dcceew.gov.au/plibersek/media-releases/minister-launches-threatened-species-action-plan-toward-zero-extinctions#:~:text=Minister%20launches%20Threatened%20Species%20Action%20Plan%3A%20Toward%20Zero%20Extinctions,-4%20October%202022&text=Minister%20for%20the%20Environment%20and%20Water%20Tanya%20Plibersek%20has%20today,over%20the%20next%2010%20years.
Challenges/obstacles encountered in the implementation of this Resolution and measures taken
The focal point was not aware of the responsibility of tracking the progress of this Resolution. As a result, follow up with the proponents of this resolution on actions undertaken have not been carried out. The mitigate this, follow up and engagement will be carried out with the Australian Committee of IUCN Members together with the proponents of the Resolution and actions outlined below to be prioritised.
Future actions / activities needed for the implementation of this Resolution
1. Identify the organisations implementing this Resolution through engagement with the proponents and the Australian Committee of IUCN Members (ACIUCN).
2. In consultation with the ACIUCN, assess the status of the reforms currently undertaken by the Australian Commonwealth and develop an Action Plan for this Resolution and a budget.
2. In consultation with the ACIUCN, assess the status of the reforms currently undertaken by the Australian Commonwealth and develop an Action Plan for this Resolution and a budget.
Are these actions/activities planned?
No
III. Status of implementation
Implementation status of this Resolution
Initiated: first stages of implementation