The Gillard government has axed the flagship project for its troubled $2 billion Caring for Our County national environment grants program.
The $200 million Great Barrier Reef Rescue program has been dumped in this week’s budget, ending one of of Australia’s most successful and globally-emulated landcare conservation projects.
The widely-praised program, launched by the former Rudd government in 2007 to deliver on an election campaign promise, will end next year.
Reef rescue, which was endorsed by both the World Wildlife Fund Australia and the Queensland Farmers Federation, funded practical farm research projects to reduce chemical pollution from agricultural run-off containing high loads of fertiliser.
More than 1600 farmers across Queensland took part, working with agricultural scientists to develop new farming technologies to cut levels of nitrogen, phosphorus and organic waste entering rivers. The program was regarded as setting new standards for environmental management across Australia.
The program’s dumping appears to contradict claims by the Gillard government that it had maintained its commitment to Caring for Our Country for a further five years.
Australian Greens natural resources spokeswoman Rachel Siewert has questioned the government’s claim, describing federal investment in the grants program as ”a smoke and mirrors affair” involving cost-shifting.
”Despite their spin, the government have effectively cut the budget, with funding for Caring for Our Country not increasing, despite the fact that programs are being transferred into it,” Senator Siewert said.
The government has announced that from July next year, the grants program - which was developed to assist community landcare efforts - will be ”delivered through two specific streams - one dedicated to sustainable environment, and the other to sustainable agriculture.”
According to the budget papers, $110 million of savings achieved through reallocating program costs has ”already been included in the forward estimates as an offset for funding to assist the Tasmanian forestry industry to move to a more sustainable footing.”
Senator Siewert said expenditure on areas such as the Tasmanian forests package should not be included in the grants program.
Other cuts to the environment portfolio include reduced departmental funding of $61.2 million to water reform measures for the Murray Darling Basin, and a $25.7 million cut to national urban water and desalination projects. More than 90 jobs are projected to be lost.
