Blueprint for the Bush
Blueprint for the Bush is a 10-year partnership plan between the Queensland Government, AgForce and the Local Government Association of Queensland to foster and support sustainable, liveable and prosperous rural communities in Queensland.
The Blueprint introduces new strategies for rural infrastructure and services, and strengthens existing measures that are working well.
The Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) is a major contributor to the whole-of-government Blueprint for the Bush strategy because of its legislative, planning and management role as custodian of Queensland’s land, water and vegetation resources.
The department has a number of significant projects to help landholders with practical ways of addressing rural issues and needs. These projects, developed in response to consultations on the Blueprint for the Bush, are aimed at helping landholders adapt to changing conditions and improving the sustainable management of natural resources.
Significant projects
DERM's suite of measures comprises the following.
Delbessie Agreement
$19 million over four years to 2010, and $5 million ongoing to deliver the Debessie Agreement (State Rural Leasehold Land Strategy). This will provide a framework for improved management and use of more than half of the state’s total land area by adopting a balanced mix of regulation and lessee incentives.
Reclaim the Bush, a Pest Offensive
$11 million over three years, including $3 million in 2006–07, to address the three critical aspects of pest management in the state—specifically, preventing and eradicating new pests, reducing the impacts of widespread pests and developing innovative solutions.
Environmental Partnership Scheme
$5.5 million over three years, including $1.5 million in 2006–07, to combine and enhance several existing vegetation management programs toto give landholders incentives to protect areas of special environmental value.
OnePlan initiative
$3 million over four years to provide rural landholders with a framework for streamlining and simplifying regulatory planning requirements through existing property level planning, farm management and best management practice systems. This includes implementing processes for integrating multiple land management requirements and better aligning regulatory requirements and industry programs.
Cape York tenure resolution
An additional $1 million a year from 2006–07 to resolve the tenure of parcels of State-owned land in Cape York, as required under the Cape York Heads of Agreement.
High-Priority Artesian Bore Capping Initiative
$500,000, to encourage landholders to participate in the capping and rehabilitation of nine identified high-risk bores on properties in the Great Artesian Basin. This scheme limits the landholder contributions for initial access works to $20,000 per bore. The funds may also be used to help landholders cap and pipe uncontrolled bores close to significant mound springs.
Preparing for climate change
A number of other major state government policy developments, such as ClimateQ: toward a greener Queensland, will support the overall plan for Blueprint for the Bush and help Queensland prepare for climate change and a lower carbon economy.
Key initiatives for the primary industries sector include:
- identifying the carbon potential of native vegetation ($3.5 million)
- helping primary producers adapt to climate change ($3.2 million)
- identifying the carbon potential of land uses ($60,000)
- Rural Water Use Efficiency initiative (RWUE) ($4.5 million)
- recognising carbon rights on leasehold land.
For further information visit <www.climatechange.qld.gov.au>.
Last updated: 05 October 2009