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Impacts of native vegetation and biodiversity regulations

Inquiry report

Released 10 / 08 / 2004

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  • Contents

Preliminaries
Cover, Copyright, Letter of Transmittal, Terms of reference, Contents, Abbreviations and explanations, Glossary, Overview, Recommendations and findings

1   Introduction
1.1   About this inquiry
1.2   Background to the inquiry
1.3   Scope of the inquiry
1.4   The Commission's approach
1.5   Conduct of the inquiry

2   Analytical framework
2.1   Benefits of native vegetation and biodiversity
2.2   ‘Optimal' provision of native vegetation and biodiversity
2.3   Private provision of native vegetation and biodiversity
2.4   A role for government?
2.5   Who should pay?
2.6   Summary

3   State and Territory regulatory arrangements
3.1   State and Territory native vegetation and biodiversity legislation
3.2   Development and introduction of the regimes
3.3   Key features of the regimes
3.4   Implementation and administration
3.5   Summary

4   Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act
4.1   Description of the EPBC Act
4.2   Development of the EPBC Act
4.3   Administration and implementation
4.4   Summary

5   Promoting environmental goals
5.1   Environmental objectives
5.2   Environmental benefits
5.3   Perverse environmental outcomes
5.4   Summary

6   Impacts on landholders, other industries and regional communities
6.1   Impacts on landholders
6.2   Quantitative assessment of regional economic impacts
6.3   Impacts on regional communities and other industries
6.4 Government measures to mitigate negative impacts
6.5   Summary

7   Assessment of current regimes
7.1   A framework for assessing regulation
7.2   Achieving environmental goals
7.3   Prescription and flexibility
7.4   Accessibility, transparency and accountability
7.5 Integration and consistency with other regulations
7.6   Effective communication
7.7   Compliance burden
7.8   Monitoring and enforcement
7.9   Overall assessment and reform of current arrangements

8   Criteria for policy selection
8.1   Characteristics of the policy problem
8.2   Objectives
8.3   Context
8.4   Criteria for evaluating policy options

9   Policy options for native vegetation and biodiversity conservation
9.1   Non-market approaches
9.2   Market approaches
9.3   Government approaches
9.4   Conclusions

10   Conclusions and draft recommendations
Step 1: Implement regulatory best practice
Step 2: Encourage private conservation effort
Externalities and public goods
Step 3: Clarify landholder and community responsibilities
Concluding remarks

A   Public consultation
A.1   List of submissions
A.2   Visits
A.3   Initial public hearings
A.4   Draft report public hearings
A.5   Modelling workshop

B   Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act
B.1   Introduction
B.2   Description of the regulatory regime
B.3   Development of the regime
B.4   Promotion of environmental goals
B.5   Administration and implementation
B.6   Impacts on landholders, other economic activities and regional communities
B.7   Summary

C   New South Wales
C.1   Introduction
C.2   Description of the regulatory regime
C.3   Natural resource management reform
C.4   Development of the regulatory regime
C.5   Promoting environmental goals
C.6   Administration and implementation
C.7   Impacts on landholders
C.8   Impacts on regional communities and other economic activities
C.9   Summary

D   Victoria
D.1   Introduction
D.2   Description of the regulatory regime
D.3   Development of the regulatory regime
D.4   Promotion of environmental goals
D.5   Administration and implementation
D.6 Impacts on landholders
D.7   Impacts on regional communities and other economic activities
D.8   Summary

E   Queensland
E.1   Introduction
E.2   Description of the regulatory regime
E.3   Development of the regulatory regime
E.4   Promotion of environmental goals
E.5   Administration and implementation
E.6   Impacts on landholders
E.7   Impacts on regional communities and other economic activities
E.8   Summary

F   South Australia
F.1   Introduction
F.2   Description of the regulatory regime
F.3   Development of the regulatory regime
F.4   Promoting environmental goals
F.5   Administration and implementation
F.6   Impacts on landholders
F.7   Impacts on regional communities and other economic activities
F.8   Summary

G   Western Australia
G.1   Introduction
G.2   Description of the regulatory regime
G.3   Proposed regulatory arrangements
G.4   Development of the regulatory regime
G.5   Promotion of environmental goals
G.6   Administration and implementation
G.7   Impacts on landholders
G.8   Impacts on regional communities and other economic activities
G.9   Summary

H   Tasmania
H.1   Introduction
H.2   Description of the regime
H.3   Development of the regulatory regime
H.4   Promoting environmental goals
H.5   Administration and implementation
H.6 Impacts on landholders
H.7   Impacts on regional communities and other economic activities
H.8   Summary

I   Northern Territory
I.1   Introduction
I.2   Description of the regulatory regime
I.3   Development of the regulatory regime
I.4   Promotion of environmental goals
I.5   Administration and implementation
I.6   Impacts on landholders
I.7   Impacts on regional communities and other economic activities
I.8   Summary

J   Australian Capital Territory
J.1   Introduction
J.2   Description of the regulatory regime
J.3   Promotion of environmental goals
J.4   Impacts on landholders
J.5   Summary

K   Estimating regional impacts of broadscale clearing restrictions
K.1   Introduction
K.2   Measuring impacts
K.3   Estimated returns to clearing
K.4   Estimated clearing with and without clearing restrictions
K.5 Results