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BUSINESS AND OPERATIONAL PLAN 2019/20-2021/2022
South Australian Arid Lands Natural Resources Management Board
REGIONAL NRM PLAN (VOLUME 2)
It’s your place
Attachment 1
I, Hon. David Speirs, Minister for Environment and Water, after taking into account and in accordance with the requirements of section 80(3) of the Natural Resources Management Act 2004 hereby adopt these amendments to the South Australian Arid Lands' regional natural resources management plan.
Hon David Speirs
2
3
Contents FOREWORD 5
OUR FIRST PEOPLE 6
INTRODUCTION 7
The NRM Act, the Board and NRM Groups 8
The NRM Act 2004 8
The Board 8
The NRM Groups 8
SAAL REGIONAL NRM PLAN 10
The Planning Framework 10
Vision, Goals and Guiding Principles 10
Delivering the Regional NRM Plan 11
Our strategies 11
Our targets 11
Delivery agents 12
Weighing up competing priorities – decision making 12
Measuring progress (MERI) 12
THE BOARD’S BUSINESS PLAN 2019/20 - 2021/22: DELIVERING ON THE REGIONAL NRM PLAN 13
Investments 2019/20- 2021/22 15
Support for NRM Groups 16
Board governance and administration 16
State water planning and management 16
Infrastructure and land 16
Funding sources 2019/20- 2021/22 17
4
State Government funding 17
Australian Government funding 17
Industry Partnerships Program 17
NRM levies 19
Basis and rates of NRM levies 19
Regional (land-based levy) NRM levy 19
NRM water levy 22
WATER AFFECTING ACTIVITIES 24
5
Foreword The South Australian Arid Lands (SAAL) community
depend heavily on the sustainable management and use of
our natural resources. These resources sustain our
regional economy and the wellbeing of our remote and
diverse community. The rich natural pastures, extensive oil
and gas reserves, natural beauty and unique biodiversity
are what makes our region so special.
The South Australian Arid Lands NRM Board (the Board)
has legislative responsibility through the Natural Resources
Management Act 2004 (the Act) to ensure the sustainable
use and care of these natural resources for the generations
to come. While we play a leadership role in this process,
we can only be successful with partners. This means it’s
our shared responsibility; a joint effort between all of those
who live, work and have a connection to the region – the
SAAL community, towns, tourists, industry and
government.
In developing the revised 10 year NRM plan for the region
the Board has engaged with the community to prepare a
strategic path that will maintain and enhance the region’s
natural resources. Part of that strategic document is this
rolling three year business plan which articulates the
activities the Board will undertake to deliver components
of the regional plan and to fulfil its statutory obligations.
Both plans are developed in partnership with community
with the business plan subject to review at least once every
three years. This plan has been reviewed to align with
changes in our State Government, the reform of the NRM
system in South Australia, as well as the conclusion of five-
years of Commonwealth Government funded programs,
and the commencement of new Commonwealth funding
for the next five years.
This business plan is transitional in nature: the program of
work planned for the 19/20 financial year will begin to look
different as the Board finalises its next round of National
Landcare Program funding (Regional Land Partnerships).
The community will continue to play a key role in decisions
about the Board’s investment in NRM, and how this plan is
implemented, using a dynamic and interactive approach.
The management of the State’s natural resources is
undergoing significant reform. The State Government has
announced it will introduce a new Landscape SA Bill into
Parliament in the first quarter of 2019 to replace the
Natural Resources Management Act 2004.
The new legislation is intended to strengthen community-
led delivery of natural resources management at local and
whole of landscape scales. The focus is on empowering
communities and land managers to be directly responsible
for the sustainable management of their region’s natural
resources with an emphasis on soil quality, water
management and pest plant and animal control.
The SA Arid Lands NRM Board welcomes the
Government’s reform agenda and aims to capitalise on the
opportunities to strengthen the delivery of practical on
ground works that address local priorities.
As the Board promised following its review of the levy
structure in the 2015/16 business plan, levies generated by
the Board will increase by no more than CPI.
In reviewing this business plan as part of the Board’s 10
year regional plan, the SAAL NRM Board has sought to
maintain continuity of valued Board programs, leverage
further investment from
partners as well as the
South Australian and
Commonwealth
Governments while
continuing to devise a
pathway to the adoption
of a landscape scale
approach to Natural
Resources Management
in the region.
Janet Brook
PRESIDING MEMBER
6
Our first people The SA Arid Lands (SAAL) Natural Resources Management
(NRM) Board acknowledges and respects the Aboriginal
custodians of the land and waters of our region. We pay
our respects to the elders past and present and
acknowledge and respect their strong spiritual and
physical connection to the land and the ongoing
relationship that Aboriginal people have to Country.
There are a number of Aboriginal language groups whose
traditional lands are in this region – some communities
remain directly connected to country through a diversity of
landholdings including pastoral leases and Indigenous
Protected Areas, some have a role in management through
co-management arrangements on national parks, and
others no longer live on country but remain indelibly
attached to the land.
Native title consent determinations are further
acknowledgement of the important role Aboriginal people
play in managing the land in the region. A number of
Native Title claims will be progressed over the projected
life of this Plan and will further extend the understanding
where and with whom the cultural authority and
responsibility for caring for country in the region belongs.
Aboriginal values and connection to country came out
strongly through our community values collection and are
reflected throughout the plan. The Regional NRM Plan
provides an approach for respecting and utilising local
knowledge and ensuring Traditional Owners have a role to
play in informing and delivering natural resources
management in the region.
7
Introduction This document is the SA Arid Lands Natural Resources
Management Board’s Business Plan for 2019/20 to
2021/22.
The document is presented in three parts:
Part 1: Introduction
Introduces the role of the Board and its NRM
Groups
Introduces the State Government’s commitment to natural
resources management and the new approach to NRM
through legislative change.
Part 2: The NRM Plan
Positions the Business Plan (and the Board) in the
context of the Board’s broader planning
framework and strategic priorities
Part 3: Investment and Expenditure
Provides an investment program for 2019/20 to
2021/22 that will enable progress to be made
against delivering Volume 1 of the Regional NRM
Plan;
Identifies the Board’s expected sources of
investment funds for 2019/20 to 2021/22; and,
Details the NRM Levies component of the
investment funds.
Part 4: Water Affecting Activities Policy
Articulates the Board’s policies in relation to the
management of water affecting activities
requiring a permit under Chapter 7 of the Natural
Resources Management Act 2004.
8
The NRM Act, the Board and NRM Groups
The NRM Act 2004
The Natural Resources Management Act 2004 (the Act)
provides the legislative framework for the creation of
eight NRM regions within South Australia and the
establishment of a regionally based, community
driven NRM Board for each region.
The SAAL NRM Region (Figure 1) and associated
NRM Board were established on 9 December 2004
and became operationally responsible for the region
on 1 July 2005.
Under the NRM Act 2004, the Board’s key roles are to:
Provide regional leadership in natural resource management through strategic planning and policy setting, and;
Guide investment in regional natural resource management. This investment is funded from a range of sources including Board funds generated by State appropriation and levies, Commonwealth and State grants, industry support, and in-kind contributions through partnerships and collaborations.
The Act requires regional NRM boards to develop
regional natural resource management plans
providing a basis for management of natural
resources (soils, water, biodiversity etc.) over at least
the following 10 years.
Landscape SA Act
It is proposed that the NRM Act 2004 be repealed and
replaced with a new Landscapes SA Act, anticipated to be
tabled in Parliament in 2019.
Under a new Landscapes SA Act, the focus is on
strengthening community and land manager-led delivery
of natural resources management. A ‘back to basics’
approach is one of the key principles for reform, placing an
emphasis on soil quality, water management, pest plant
Fig. 1
and animal control, and other stewardship priorities
including revegetation works.
The Board
The South Australian Arid Lands NRM Board is
established in line with the NRM Act. The Board
consists of community members appointed on a skills
basis and has representatives from State Government
departments.
While all community members’ appointments are
based on their skills, many work in key industries
(pastoralism, mining etc.), while others have specific
expertise relevant to the region.
The NRM Groups
The Board is supported in its role by six active NRM
Groups at the district level:
Marla-Oodnadatta
Marree-Innamincka
North Flinders
Gawler Ranges
Kingoonya
North East
The NRM Group members live in and/or are involved
in the SAAL Region, providing the Board with a social
and local context for delivery of its programs and
encouraging broader community engagement.
Marree-Innamincka
Kingoonya
Marla-Oodnadatta
Gawler Ranges North EastPastoral
North Flinders
Yunta
Olary
Marla
Hawker
Marree
Moomba
Whyalla
Woomera
Tarcoola
Iron Knob
GlendamboKingoonya
Andamooka
Iron Baron
Parachilna
Curdimurka
Anna Creek
Oodnadatta
Innamincka
Roxby Downs Leigh Creek
Coober Pedy
Algebuckina
Port Augusta
Coward Springs
Arkaroola Village
Legend
Waterways and Lakes
Dog Fence
National Parks and Reserves
Our region
GEOGRAPHIC EXTENT: 520,000 square kilometres, over 50 per cent of South Australia
POPULATION: Geographically dispersed, less than two per cent of South Australia
CLIMATE: Arid and semi-arid
RAINFALL: Irregular and unpredictable creating a ‘boom’ and ‘bust’ environment
WATER: Mainly sourced from Great Artesian Basin groundwater and infrequent rainfall events
TOWNS: About 20 towns with the largest, Coober Pedy and Roxby Downs, both associated with mining and less than 5000 people
LAND TENURE: Pastoral leases; mineral and petroleum exploration and development; conservation through public and private management; variety of Aboriginal managed lands
MAIN INDUSTRIES: Pastoralism (sheep and cattle); mining, gas and petroleum; tourism
SIGNIFICANT FEATURES: Rich Aboriginal and European heritage; internationally significant floodplains and wetlands; largest percentage of intact ecosystems and biodiversity in South Australia; sparse population; rich mineral and energy deposits; the great inland water system of Kati-Thanda-Lake Eyre; flood and drought events; huge sheep and cattle stations; environmentally significant conservation reserves and national parks; the Great Artesian Basin and mound springs; Birdsville, Strzelecki and Oodnadatta Tracks
Photo: Gibber plain
10
SAAL Regional NRM PlanThe Planning Framework
The SAAL Regional NRM Plan is pivotal to supporting the
sustainable management and use of the region’s natural
resources. It describes the Board’s priorities and provides
direction for all partners – be they community groups,
industry, government agencies or individuals – who
invest in the region.
The Plan consists of three volumes:
Volume 1 summarises the status of natural
resources in the region, identifies the key drivers
of change, and sets out strategies for the
management of the regions natural resources. It
is reviewed at least every 10 years.
Volume 2 (this volume) comprises the three-year
Business Plan which guides the Board’s own
investments and activities. Volume 2 also outlines
the Board approved policies for Water Affecting
Activities. The Board has a statutory function
under s75 (3) (k) of the Act to set out matters that
should be taken into account when a relevant
authority is exercising a power to grant or refuse
permits under Chapter 7 Part 2 of the Act. The
Water Affecting Activities section has been
included in the Business Plan to ensure these
policies are reviewed regularly and can be
modified as required. The Business Plan is subject
to a review at least once over a three year period.
Volume 3 is the Far North Prescribed Wells Area
Water Allocation Plan. In accordance with the
Act, this part of the plan is the subject of a
separate development and consultation process.
The current version of the Far North Prescribed
Wells Area Water Allocation Plan was adopted in
February 2009. The Board has committed to
rewriting this volume in the immediate future.
Vision, Goals and Guiding Principles
The development of the region’s new 10 year strategic
plan has resulted in the articulation of a vision, goals, key
drivers of change and strategies to address these drivers in
a document that reflects the balance of social, cultural
environmental and economic values of the community of
resource users across the region. The Board’s vision for
the Region:
“The South Australian Arid Lands Natural Resources
Management region is made up of healthy, functioning
ecosystems (landscapes) which sustain our industries
(livelihoods) and communities (lifestyles)”
This vision is expanded into goals that emphasise each of
its three keys elements: environmental (landscapes),
economic (livelihoods) and social/cultural (lifestyles).
Goal 1: Lifestyles: People who have the capacity,
commitment and connections to manage natural
resources.
Goal 2: Livelihoods: Diverse industries that
innovate, adapt and support local economies
within ecologically sustainable limits.
Goal 3: Landscapes: Functioning, healthy
environment with connected ecosystems that are
understood, valued and protected.
In addition to these goals, the Board (and its partners) will
be guided in the delivery of the Plan by the following set
of principles:
We are collaborative, consider community values, and
involve people in decision-making.
We facilitate resilient and adaptable lifestyles,
livelihoods and landscapes.
We are accountable, transparent, adaptive and
action-oriented.
We take a landscape (systems) approach (not assets
e.g. plants, animals, soils, water) to regional planning.
We drive decision-making by understanding system
resilience and ‘tipping points’.
We use evidence-based decision-making
incorporating best available science, local and cultural
11
knowledge that improves understanding of system
resilience.
We maximise public return on investment.
We comply with legislation.
These guiding principles will underpin the way the Board
does business, where and in what the Board invests its
resources, and the decision-making processes.
For more information, see Volume 1 of the Regional NRM
Plan.
Delivering the Regional NRM Plan
A variety of individuals, organisations and agencies
contribute to delivering the strategies outlined in the SAAL
Regional NRM Plan. In its strategic role, the SAAL NRM
Board works in partnership with government, industry
and the community to develop and deliver natural
resource management solutions and it influences others
through its leadership and effective governance
arrangements.
Our strategies
The strategies the Board has adopted to address the
key drivers of change in the region are (under broad
headings):
Knowledge and capacity management
1. Encourage sustainable living and engagement
with nature.
2. Increase and diversify participation and
capacity in natural resources management
activities.
3. Support cross-cultural innovation and
knowledge sharing (traditional, local and
scientific).
Economic impacts management
4. Support and encourage sustainability in all
industries reliant in natural resources.
5. Support and encourage diversified and
sustainable economic development.
6. Promote recognition of both the intrinsic and
economic value of biodiversity.
Land and water management
7. Prioritise management of contested areas
where both productivity and biodiversity are
highly valued
8. Maintain an effective cross-jurisdictional
biosecurity system
9. Reduce land-based impacts to aquatic
ecosystems through appropriate land
management
10. Manage prescribed and non-prescribed water
resources within sustainable limits
Climate change
11. Provide opportunities for production systems
to adapt or transform
12. Build the capacity of communities to adapt
13. Provide opportunities for landscapes to adapt
Our targets
The Board’s business plan (Volume 2) may apply for three
years, but will be reviewed annually and may be updated
in light of changed financial circumstances or Board
priorities. Volume 2 also sets out short-term (usually one
to five year) targets, which will contribute to the longer
term goals and strategies. These targets cover the
priorities for Board investment in the region in the three
year period to which the business plan applies.
The targets describe in broad terms the activities the Board
will prioritise for funding and direct action. The SAAL
targets are summarised as follows:
1. Increase the capacity of people to manage natural resources.
2. Increase protection and preservation of Aboriginal culture through active participation of Aboriginal people in natural resources management.
12
3. Improve the capacity of land managers to adapt to climate change impacts.
4. Manage all water resources sustainably.
5. Ensure that water is available and managed to enhance and maintain ecological function and resilience of water dependant ecosystems.
6. Increase the ecological function and resilience of native ecosystems
7. Reduce threats to native species and ecological communities
8. Protect and improve soil condition and stability to support productive capacity
9. Reduce the impact of pest plants and animals on ecosystem health and productive capacity
Delivery agents
The Board’s own funding is directed to running projects
and activities across a diversity of areas including
community engagement, pastoral property management,
water management and plant and animal management.
These projects are delivered by Natural Resources SA Arid
Lands (NRSAAL), Department of Environment and Water
(DEW).
NRSAAL is a dedicated team of people who work with
community, industry and government to deliver a diverse
range of programs and projects on behalf of the SAAL
NRM Board, Pastoral Board and DEW. Its head office is at
the Natural Resources Centre in Port Augusta.
The SAAL NRM Board has established six District NRM
Groups within the region, which reflect local natural
resource management needs and provide a conduit
between landholders and the work of the Board. District
NRM Groups influence the investment priorities of the
Board, and support delivery of Board programs with
landholders and the broader community.
Weighing up competing priorities – decision making
The Board – and its partners – will play a key role in
delivery, informed by the strategies outlined in this 10-year
plan, with the Board’s own activities and investments
identified in its three-year Business Plan (Volume 2). It will
use the following criteria to assess potentially competing
priorities to help decide which it will fund through its
Business Plan.
The activity should:
Reflect community values
Contribute to meeting at least one strategy
Assist in reducing at least one pressure on a
system
Contribute to regional targets contained in its
three-year Business Plan (Volume 2) or other
agency plans
Contribute to testing our understanding of the
system
Represent an innovative approach to doing things
Build on existing work
Be collaborative in nature and actively involve
others in implementation
Be a statutory requirement
Satisfy a cost benefit and/or risk analysis
The Board also encourages its partners to consider their
own investments against these criteria.
Measuring progress (MERI)
Under the NRM Act, the SAAL NRM Board is responsible
for monitoring and reporting on the implementation of the
Regional NRM Plan. The Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting
and Improvement (MERI) framework, signed off by the
Board in June 2011, provides an overarching framework to
guide this process.
All externally-funded projects require a MERI plan which
guides the collection of data needed to determine the
impact, effectiveness, appropriateness and efficiency of the
project. The information collected through these MERI
plans is used in an adaptive management approach to
assist in improving project delivery.
Collectively, this information also enables an assessment of
progress towards achievement of SAAL Regional NRM Plan
targets and therefore, over time, represents an integral
element of the NRM planning process.
13
The Board’s Business Plan 2019/20 - 2021/22: delivering on the Regional NRM Plan This draft plan has been developed in line with current legislative requirements and the Government’s priorities for natural resources management. Consistent with the government’s policy, the Board’s plan proposes that annual levy increases from 2019-2022 are limited to CPI.
Through the new business plan, the SA Arid Lands NRM Board is investing resources in a range of programs that contribute to the State Government’s priorities of soil quality, water management and pest plant and animal control. A number of examples have been highlighted here.
Table 1 provides information on the proposed Board
expenditure by investment area for 2019/20 and the
following two years.
Aggregated figures are given for investments/expenditure
in 2019/20 2021/22 and the Board will prioritise the
actions to be undertaken each year.
Table 1: Proposed Board expenditure by investment area for 2019/20-21/22
Investment 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 Projects/Activities
Soil quality $507,000 $516,000 $485,000 NLP2 Landscape Legacies
NLP2 Grazing BMP
NLP Regional Agriculture Landcare Facilitator
Pest plant and animal control
$667,000 $688,000 $225,000 Pest animal control
Wild dog Management
Roadside weed management
Bounceback and Beyond
Water Management $1,324,000 $1,348,000 $1,242,000 GAB modelling
NLP2 Coongie Wetland Wonders
Local water projects
Sustainable water use projects
Water licensing and permits
Water Allocation Planning
Bore Compliance
State Government water planning & Management charges
Stewardship $2,250,000 $2,243,000 $1,983,000 NLP2 Bounceback and Beyond
District NRM Group governance
Local project/events/initiatives
Community Grants program
Planning
Community capacity building
TOTALS $4,748,000 $4,795,000 $3,935,000
14
Incorporated across each of the four key priority areas within Table 1 is the investment to administer and facilitate these
activities. This includes facilitation and leadership of six district NRM Groups, regional communications, board administration
and governance, monitoring and evaluation, planning and delivery of core services for projects awarded through the National
Landcare Program 2.
Graphical Description of Investment in State Government Priorities 2019/20
Proposed expenditure based on the goals of Landscapes, Lifestyles and Livelihoods in the SAAL Board Regional NRM Plan is
captured in Table 2.
Table 2: Proposed expenditure by Goal/Program area for 2019/20-2021/22
Proposed Budget 2019/20 to 2021/22
Goals/programs 2019/20 2020/21 2021/2022
Goal 1: Lifestyles Program $1,122,000 $1,148,000 $1,009,000
Goal 2: Livelihoods Program $1,058,,000 $1,089,000 $572,000
Goal 3: Landscapes Program $2,568,000 $2,558,000 $2,354,000
TOTALS $4,748,000 $4,795,000 $3,935,000
Graphical Description of Plan Goal priority investment 2019/20
15
Investments 2019/20- 2021/22
The SAAL NRM Board’s investment in natural resources
management is broken up into four main areas:
1. Investment in projects that support landscape,
livelihood and lifestyle values of the region,
through improved:
Soil Quality
Water Management
Pest Plant and Animal Control
Other Stewardship Priorities
2. Board support for community involvement in
NRM planning and project delivery through its
district NRM Groups
3. Board governance and administration
The Board’s investment will be delivered through a range
of projects and approaches including direct investment,
contracts for works or services, and grants to community
organisations.
Some of these projects include;
Landscape Legacies
Successful stories of soil rehabilitation will be recorded and
shared in this one-year project. The collection of historical
data to capture stories from sites where soil management
works have occurred over the past four decades is a key
component of the project. This will provide land managers
with key information of tried and tested soil management
works on arid properties prior to starting or expanding
their own projects.
Wetland Wonders
The project will protect environmental values of the
Coongie Lakes recognised through the Ramsar Wetlands
Agreement. This will include protecting the habitat of
endangered animals such as the Dusky Hopping Mouse,
and Crest-Tailed Mulgara, as well as maintaining diversity
of native fish species in the waterholes. Monitoring of the
populations of species will also be carried out along with
acoustic surveillance to determine the presence of the
Night Parrot.
The funding will see invasive weeds including Buffel Grass
and Mimosa Bush treated. Pest animals including feral pigs
and large feral herbivores will also be controlled to reduce
damage to waterholes and vegetation.
Bounceback and Beyond
This project consolidates and
builds on the conservation gains made through
coordinated landscape scale threat management across
the Flinders, Gawler and Olary Ranges achieved by the
long-running Bounceback Program. It will focus on
improving conservation outcomes for a greater number of
threatened species across a broader range of threatened
species habitat, including the Yellow-footed Rock-Wallaby,
the Western Quoll, Malleefowl, the Plains Wanderer and
the Spotted Gudgeon.
Control of feral cats and foxes as known predators is key to
the project, along with reducing competition from feral
goats. Data gathered through animal surveys over the
five-year project will inform on whether effective
management of predators at landscape scales improves
residency and detectability of the threatened species in
arid regions.
Threatened plant species assessments will also occur and
track long-term trends for the Slender Bell-fruit, Menzell's
Wattle, Purple-wood Wattle, Xerothamnella parvifolia,
Spidery Wattle, Ooldea Guinea-flower and West Coast
Mintbush and will assess the threat posed by introduced
herbivores in goat managed versus unmanaged areas.
16
Support for NRM Groups
The six district based NRM Groups have an integral role in
the support of regional programs generally, as well as
conducting specific local projects. They help assess and
prioritise project proposals, can initiate Group area
projects, and provide an important project community
liaison role. Importantly, the strategic priorities identified
by each district NRM Group are used both in regional
planning and in Board support for Group activities. Direct
funding to support governance costs of NRM Groups is
divided across the program areas.
District groups can access funds for a wide range of group
projects through the Board. However, the funds for NRM
Group projects will remain with the Board to reduce the
administrative burden on groups, and deliver efficiencies
where projects cover more than one Group area. This
approach is supported by the Groups as being a more
efficient process in the SAAL region. The core responsibility
of the Board’s funded community engagement officers is
to provide support to Groups as well as keep the
community involved and connected with the work of the
board through volunteerism, Aboriginal partnerships,
education, community events and NRM extension support
alongside other board resources and programs. These
roles are a part of the core services that support the
Australian Government Regional Land Partnerships
projects.
Board governance and administration
Board governance expenditure covers those areas of
expenditure that establish the core structure of the Board
and cannot be directly attributed to Board project
investments or support to Groups. For example, it covers
Board meeting costs, general administration and related
administration salaries. These costs are divided equally
across the program areas.
State water planning and management
The South Australian Government recovers
water planning and management costs from each NRM
Board in a similar approach to the National Water Initiative
which recovers costs on an ‘impactor pays’ basis. An
‘impactor’ is defined as a beneficiary of the activity.
These activities are undertaken by the Department for
Environment and Water and include water science,
planning, licensing, monitoring and compliance activities,
along with the review and amendment of Water Allocation
Plans and debt recovery.
The amount that the SAAL region will be required to
contribute in 2019/20 is $65 000.
Wild Dog Management
The Board runs a comprehensive Wild Dog Management
Program in partnership with PIRSA, landholders, Livestock
SA and other investors such as the Australian Government
and Sheep Industry Fund. The development of the Wild
Dog Management Best Practice Guidelines by the Board
sees a rigorous regime of management strategies guided
through 21 local area groups across the SA Arid Lands
Region.
Infrastructure and land
The Board owns no infrastructure or land.
17
Funding sources 2019/20- 2021/22
The role of the Board is to guide investment in regional
natural resource management. These investments are
funded by a range of sources. In particular the Board
seeks appropriate contribution by resource users including
landholders and industry.
As well as Board funds such as levies, there are also in-kind
contributions, partnerships and collaborations that support
the delivery of Board projects.
Board funding sources (Table 3) include funds derived
from the NRM levy (both land-based and water-based);
State Government; Australian Government; industry; and
opportunistic grants from various funding bodies.
Continued effort is applied towards sourcing
complementary funding of NRM activities via industry or
community opportunities. It is difficult to provide an
accurate forecast on the levels of funding available from
grant bodies and industry when preparing this business
plan. The proposals in this business plan are based upon
the best information available at the time.
If additional external funding is obtained by the Board
after this business plan is prepared, the community can be
confident that it will be directed to projects that will
contribute to targets in the SAAL Regional NRM Plan.
State Government funding
State funds provide a base for the Board to deliver basic
governance and some of its core NRM Act responsibilities.
On-going core funding from the State at levels provided in
the past may vary as the new legislation is introduced and
changes occur under the new Landscape SA regions.
Australian Government funding
The SAAL NRM Board receives funding from the
Australian Government through the National Landcare
Program. Details of known funding from these sources
are listed in Table 3. Of particular importance to the
SAAL NRM Board is the Regional Delivery component of
the National Landcare Program, known as Regional Land
Partnerships. This funding comes from both the
Department of Environment and Energy and the
Department of Agriculture and Water Resources.
Recent completion of the National Landcare Program (1)
has seen the Board successfully leverage new funding for
the next five years, some of which continues to be
negotiated and some with new contracts and work plans
already well underway. Given some of these projects are
still being negotiated at the time of this plan being
reviewed, some minor changes may occur relating to the
portion allocated in particular years, with the quantum of
investment remaining the same.
The SA Arid Lands is a preferred program provider for the
Australian Government which positions it favourably for
any future funding that becomes available.
Industry Partnerships Program
The Board continues to seek industry partnerships as it
believes that more appropriate and efficient outcomes are
achieved through joint funding and delivery of projects.
18
Table 3: Income sources to fund Board expenditure for 2018/2019-2021/22
Funding Source
Adopted Plan Budget
Proposed Budget
Proposed Budget
Proposed Budget
2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 NRM levies
Regional NRM levy13 $472,000 $425,000 $436,000 $448,000
NRM water levy234 $1,737,000 $1,741,000 $1,779,000 $1,135,000
State Government State recurrent allocation -NRM Fund5 $332,000 $332,000 $363,000 $363,000
Other $28,000
Commonwealth Government
NLP2 Core Services $488,000 $495,000 $502,000 $509,000
NLP2 Landscape Legacies $242,000
NLP2 Bounceback and Beyond
$790,000 $810,000 $775,000 $730,000
NLP2 Coongie Wetland Wonders
$651,000 $488,000 $488,000 $488,000
NLP2 Grazing BMP $250,000 $250,000 $250,000
Drought funding7 $100,000
Other Industry Partnerships Program6
$201,000 $187,000 $189,000
Interest $20,000 $20,000 $10,000 $10,000
Total Income $5,061,000 $4,748,000 $4,795,000 $3,935,000
1 Inside Council Areas will increase by standard CPI estimate (2.7%). Outside council areas will be levied based on property size; a standard CPI increase (2.7%) applies to these levies annually.
2 Increased by Standard CPI estimate (2.7%).
3 The proposed levy increases for 2020-21 and 2021-22 are indicative and will be subject to adjustment, in line with to the actual Consumer Price Index (All Groups Index for Adelaide) for the associated periods.’
4 Subject to variation through licence application and approval.
5 The Natural Resources Management (NRM) Fund is a statutory fund established by the Natural Resources Management Act.
6 Includes Sheep industry Funds for Wild dog control.
7 Predominantly used for Wild Dog control
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NRM levies
To assist the Board to undertake its functions, the NRM Act
2004 provides for two types of levies to be raised:
Regional (land-based) NRM levy (Division 1):
Section 92 of the NRM Act authorises levies to be
collected by constituent councils from rate
payers. The Board specifies the amount to be
contributed by constituent councils towards the
cost of performing its functions under the NRM
Act (Division 1 regional NRM levy). The division 1
NRM levy can also be collected from outside
council areas.
Regional NRM water levy (Division 2): Section
101 of the NRM Act enables the Minister to
declare a water levy or levies to be paid by
holders of water licences. This water levy is
collected from all water licence holders.
The NRM levies provide a primary source of funding for
the management of the region’s natural resources. Funds
raised through the levies ensure that works are undertaken
to achieve the Board’s vision. The levies also provide the
Board with the ability to leverage significant, additional
government funding to greatly increase the volume of
work that can be accomplished in our region.
Basis and rates of NRM levies
Under the NRM Act, each NRM Board defines the most
appropriate basis and rates for regional (land-based) NRM
and water levies, taking into account specific matters of
importance for each region.
To inform the development of the Board’s 2019/20-
2020/21 Business Plan, the Board has reviewed its work
program, particularly in light of the revised 10 year NRM
Plan. The review process was undertaken with a view to
transitioning to the new way of doing business as
articulated in the revised NRM Plan. This also includes the
requirement for the Board to identify future funding for
program delivery which meets the Board’s statutory
obligations under the Act, as well as deliver programs
valued by the community and are therefore afforded the
highest priority.
In its determination of appropriate basis and rates for the
NRM levies, the Board:
Considered its Guiding Principles for decision-
making of levies (see box, p. 24);
Considered the revised NRM plan and the
process to transition to a systems approach to
managing our natural resources; and
Consulted with key industry stakeholders and
Local Government.
Regional (land-based levy) NRM levy
Section 92 of the NRM Act enables a board to specify in its
Regional NRM Plan an amount to be contributed by
constituent councils within the Board’s region. There are
two councils in the SA Arid Lands region: the District
Council of Coober Pedy and Municipal Council of Roxby
Downs.
To enable councils to be reimbursed for their contribution,
the NRM Act requires the councils to apply a regional
NRM levy on all rateable land. In addition, Section 97 of
the NRM Act enables the Board to specify a regional NRM
levy to be collected from landowners outside of council
areas.
The Board can only specify in its business plan an amount
(the base contribution amount) to be contributed by the
constituent councils for the region towards the costs of the
Board performing its functions. The actual amount paid by
each ratepayer is determined by dividing this amount by
the number of rate payers. Rate payer numbers are usually
not finalised until after the business plan has been
consulted upon.
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Proposed changes to Regional (land-based) NRM levy
After defining the Board’s required work program for
2019/20 – 2021/22, and considering both projected
income and funds required to deliver on this program, the
Board is not proposing to change the basis of the levy for
any properties in its region.
For the out of council areas of the region, the Board has
recommended that the basis of the Regional NRM Levy is
maintained as a ‘tiered’ rate dependent upon the area of
rateable land. A land levy based on area of rateable land is
viewed as having stronger alignment with a ‘beneficiary
pays’ principle i.e. larger properties that receive greater
NRM support and investment have higher levy rates. The
property size categories and applicable rates are detailed
in Table 4.
The various land size categories were selected on the basis
of the representative land uses for that size of property in
the region. Properties over 100,000ha are predominantly
used for cattle grazing; those between 100ha and
100,000ha are sheep properties; less than 100ha and
greater than 10ha are largely lifestyle blocks that are used
for conservation or hobby farming; and blocks of less than
10ha are residential blocks.
The Board has recommended that properties inside council
areas continue to be charged a fixed rate commensurate
with the <10ha outside of council levy rate.
Where multiple allotments form a single enterprise, the
levy will only be charged once based on the aggregated
area of the multiple allotments.
For 2019/20 and 21/22 it is recommended that a standard
estimated CPI increase of 2.7% be applied to all land based
levies (both inside and outside council areas).
Table 4: Out of Council levy rates based on rateable land per property size
Property size 2018/19 rate 2019/20 2020/21
<10ha $61.40 $63.10 $64.80
>10 ha - <100ha $204.80 $210.30 $216.00
>100ha - <100,000ha $409.70 $420.80 $432.20
>100,000 ha $716.90 $736.30 $756.20
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Collecting the Regional (land-based) NRM Levy
The Board has consulted with the Councils regarding
collection costs. Given the Board’s consultation with both
the District Council of Coober Pedy and Municipal Council
of Roxby Downs each council will be reimbursed its
collection costs for 2019/20 as detailed in Table 5.
Each council-share of the Regional (land-based) NRM levy
amount to be collected in its council area is also detailed in
Table 5.
Table 5: Regional (land-based) NRM levy collection in council areas - 2018/19 to 2020/21
Council 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22
Estimated levy
per property
Total Levy
amount
collected by
Councils
Estimated Council
Levy Collection
Fees12
Total Levy amount
collected by
Councils12
Total Levy
amount
collected by
Councils12
Roxby
Downs
$63.10 $118,565 $2,968.14 $121,759 $124,954
Coober Pedy
$63.10 $101,970 $2,903.31 $104,717 $107,464
Total $220,535 $226,476 $232,418
1 Based on Standard Estimated CPI increase of 2.7%
2 The proposed levy increases for 2020-21 and 2021-22 are indicative and will be subject to adjustment, in line with to the actual Consumer Price Index (All Groups Index for Adelaide) for the associated periods.’
Collection of the regional (land-based) NRM levy from land owners outside council areas is undertaken by the Department for
Environment and Water.
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NRM water levy
Section 101 of the NRM Act enables the Minister to declare an NRM water levy or levies to be paid by water licensees in
prescribed water resources areas. This excludes water allocated for stock and domestic purposes. Also excluded from the water
levy is water allocated to bore-fed wetlands as defined in the Water Allocation Plan, Far North Prescribed Wells Area.
Revenue from the NRM water levy is variable, largely dependent on the level of industry activity.
Proposed changes to the NRM water levy
It is recommended that a standard estimated CPI increase of 2.7% be applied to the 2018/19 rate for all classes of licence. The
same rate of CPI increase will apply to the subsequent years to which this plan applies as demonstrated in Table 6.
Table 6: Proposed NRM water levy increases by Licence Type - 2018/19 to 2021/22.
Type of water levy Existing Levy
2018/19
Indicative
2019/20
Indicative
2020/21
Indicative
2021/22
c/kL c/kL c/kL c/kL
Mining; including product
processing, dewatering, mining
camp supply, and associated mining
uses
6.5 6.68 6.86 7.05
Co-produced water 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9
Commercial (including irrigation),
Town Water Supply, Industrial,
Tourism and Recreation
4.2 4.31 4.43 4.55
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Guiding principles for decision-making on NRM levies
The SAAL NRM Board has a vision for regional natural resource management which provides for a shared responsibility
by all citizens for individually and collectively managing the natural resources which underpin our shared prosperity. In
this way, all residents of the region are natural resource beneficiaries and managers
Our investment will be dispersed across the highest priority outcomes contained within the Regional NRM Plan,
regardless of how it is raised. Noting this, the below principles are used by the Board to determine how NRM levies are
determined/raised.
1. Beneficiary pays – implies that the people who are the beneficiaries of natural resources management both indirectly
and directly in the region should contribute accordingly.
2. Equity – no single person, organisation or group of organisations is treated more or less favourably than others.
3. Certainty – the levy arrangement should deliver a certain outcome for both the managers of the natural resources of
the region and the ‘users’ of the natural resources, so that they can plan and budget accordingly.
4. Flexibility – the levy arrangements should accommodate any unusual volatility in the resource managers’ funding
requirements in a controlled manner.
5. Resource use efficiency – the basis for determining the levy should encourage efficient and sustainable use and the
protection and enhancement of the region’s natural resources.
6. Administrative efficiency – the basis for determining the levy should ensure that the levy collection and management
procedures are undertaken in a manner that minimises costs.
7. Accountability – The Board as a natural resource manager financed by the levy should be publicly accountable for
their use of funds.
8. Enterprise based - where contiguous land parcels and combined to form single enterprises levies will be applied to
the whole enterprises rather than to individual land parcels.
The Board has also resolved that when determining the levy income quantum to:
a) Share the budget implications of reductions in water allocations across all water levy payers;
b) Add the value of increases resulting from the issue of new water allocations to the levy income quantum;
c) Increase the land and water levy income by CPI or as needed to meet the work plan priorities of the Board
considering the impact of changes to income;
d) Review the rates of the NRM levies annually.
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Water Affecting Activities The landscapes and ecosystems of the SA Arid Lands Natural Resources Management (NRM) region are relatively intact
compared with other regions of the State. The region’s semi-arid to arid climate and highly variable rainfall means water
resources, and their management, are critical to maintaining the health and integrity of the plants, animals, ecosystems and
people that rely on them. There are a range of activities undertaken within the SA Arid Lands NRM boundary that have the
potential to affect the condition, persistence and connectivity of water resources.
There are a number of mechanisms available to the SA Arid Lands NRM Board (the Board) to use to assist in preventing
impacts to water resources. One of the mechanisms is through the Natural Resources Management Act 2004 (the Act) as it
provides for regulatory control of activities that affect water resources. The primary instrument for this regulation is through a
water planning framework, which includes this policy, a permit assessment process, education and support.
This Water Affecting Activity Policy (Appendix 1 of this Business Plan – separate document) aims to regulate water affecting
activities to ensure the sustainable use of water resources and protection of natural ecosystems, cultural and social values, and
provide balanced support for the development of community and economic activities.
The objectives and principles outlined in this policy are intended to inform and guide those who may need to apply for a Water
Affecting Activity Permit, and the relevant authority when determining whether to grant or refuse a Water Affecting Activity
permit.