Environment protection
Aim: Increase protection, awareness and appreciation of Australia's environment and heritage.
PRIORITIES
- Ensure efficient and effective environmental regulation, especially in relation to matters of national environmental significance.
- Promote a partnership approach to environmental protection and management.
- Assist in the cooperative implementation of Australia's international environmental responsibilities.
- Contribute to closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
- Continue to make world-leading law and policy reforms in biodiversity conservation and ecosystem protection.
- Encourage governments, businesses and communities to value biodiversity and ecosystems and comply with government legislation.
- Protect and increase awareness and enjoyment of our heritage assets.
- Protect the places and stories that make Australia special.
The minister's work under environment protection includes:
Environmental decisions and approvals under national environmental law (EPBC Act 1999)
The minister oversees and makes decisions under Australia's main national environment law - the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 - relating to listings of threatened species, marine reserves, ecological communities, and heritage places; international wildlife trade; and developments that could have a significant impact on nationally protected matters.
The minister's key decision-making role with federal environmental assessments is to ensure that matters covered by national environment law are protected. These matters are:
- world heritage properties
- national heritage places
- wetlands of international importance (Ramsar wetlands)
- nationally threatened species and ecological communities
- migratory species
- Commonwealth marine areas
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
- Australian whale sanctuary
- the environment where nuclear actions are involved (including uranium mines).
Heritage
The minister ensures that significant heritage places are identified and grouped (by type) into lists that guide the protection and management of heritage values. These include World heritage, National heritage, Indigenous heritage, Commonwealth heritage, overseas heritage and Historic Shipwrecks.
LATEST NEWS
Environmental decisions and approvals
- Media release: Anketell Point Port Project approved - 16 May 2013
- Media release: Strict conditions for South of Embley bauxite mining project - 15 May 2013
- Transcript: Press conference: Tasmanian Forestry Peace Deal - 30 April 2013
- Media release: Grants to help communities help the environment - 9 April 2013
- Media release: Tarkine Forest Drive project to go ahead - 27 March 2013
- Media release: Gillard Government protects rare Western Sydney natural environment - 18 March 2013
- Media release: Koongarra protected at last - 14 March 2013
- Media release: 60,000 crown-of-thorns starfish culled to protect the Great Barrier Reef - 7 March 2013
- Media release: Great Keppel Island tourism and marina development recieves federal approval - 5 March 2013
- Media release: Ripples of environmental change to flow across Queensland schools - 13 February 2013
- Transcript: Interview - Emma Alberici - ABC Lateline - Super Trawler, MRRT - 12 February 2013
Heritage
- Transcript: Launch of Australian Heritage Week Heritage with Heartbeat at Rymill House in Adelaide - 18 April 2013
- Media release: Indigenous Heritage Program grants - 1 March 2013
- Media release: Terms of Reference Finalised for Independent Review of the Port of Gladstone - 19 February 2013
- Media release: Celebrating multicultural Australia - 15 February 2013
- Transcript: Announcement on Wet Tropics of Queensland national heritage listing - 9 November 2012
- Media release: Wet Tropics of Queensland's Indigenous heritage given national recognition - 9 November 2012
- Media release: Post offices placed on Commonwealth Heritage List - 30 August 2012
- Speech: Keynote Address at the World Heritage Symposium in Cairns - Australia's World Heritage - Keeping the Outstanding Exceptional - 9 August 2012
- Media release: World Heritage Committee decision on Great Barrier Reef - 29 June 2012
- Media release: Heritage grant to share footprints of convict history - 11 June 2012
- Transcript: UNESCO State of Conservation report - 2 June 2012