Working with Nature Restoring landscapes and supporting regional economic recovery
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Working with Nature Restoring landscapes and supporting regional economic recovery
Photo credit: Tobias Rowles 2
Working with Nature
Restoring landscapes and supporting
regional economic recovery
March 2021
This report is based on a proposal for a conservation and land management employment
program, developed in response to the economic impacts of COVID-19 and supported by
more than 100 conservation, farming and land management organisations, including:
National NQ Dry Tropics Victoria
Australian Association NRM Regions Queensland Environment Victoria
of Bush Regenerators Queensland Conservation Council Landcare Victoria Inc.
Australian Conservation Foundation Queensland Trust for Nature Victorian Farmers Federation
Australian Land Conservation Alliance Queensland Water & Land Carers Victorian National Parks Association
Australian Marine Conservation Society Rainforest Rescue
Australian Wildlife Conservancy Reef Catchments Tasmania
Bush Heritage Australia Southern Gulf NRM Cradle Coast Authority
Conservation Volunteers Australia Southern Queensland Landscapes Landcare Tasmania
Country Needs People North East Bioregional Network
Field and Game Australia New South Wales NRM North
Greening Australia Landcare NSW South Coast NRM
Invasive Species Council Nature Conservation Council Tasmanian Land Conservancy
Landcare Australia NSW Farmers Association
National Farmers Federation Northern Territory
National Landcare Network South Australia Arid Lands Environment Centre
NRM Regions Australia Conservation Council of SA Environment Centre NT
South Endeavour Trust Landcare Association of SA Landcare NT
The Nature Conservancy – Australia Nature Conservation Society SA NT Cattlemen’s Association
The Pew Charitable Trusts Nature Foundation SA Territory NRM
Vertebrate Pest Managers Primary Producers SA
Association of Australia SA Nature Alliance Australian Capital Territory
WWF – Australia Trees for Life ACT NRM
Conservation Council ACT
Queensland Western Australia Landcare ACT
AgForce Conservation Council of WA
Burnett Mary Regional Group Environs Kimberly
Cairns and Far North Environment Centre Perth NRM
Cape York NRM Rangelands NRM
Desert Channels Queensland South Coast NRM
Fitzroy Basin Association South West Catchments Council
Healthy Land and Water Wheatbelt NRM
Northern Gulf Resource WA Landcare Network
Management Group
For more information, visit www.workingwithnature.org.au
Working with Nature: Restoring landscapes and supporting regional economic recovery. 3
Foreword
Over the past century, federal and state governments in Australia and overseas have
looked to create jobs in times of need by implementing programs in the conservation
and land management sector.
From the US Civilian Conservation Corps there are still hundreds of thousands of improvements in the condition of key
of the Great Depression to the present people out of work and past experience environmental assets, enhance landscape
day, these programs have demonstrated teaches us that the benefits of economic resilience and support long-term agricultural
an ability to deliver employment and skills recovery can be unevenly distributed. productivity.
development outcomes for participants Young and unskilled workers are particularly
By employing and training vulnerable
while leaving lasting benefits for the broader susceptible to the risk of long-term
workers to restore and revitalise
community and the natural environment. unemployment, while regional areas with less
landscapes, we can create a natural legacy
diverse economies may be vulnerable to long
In Australia, the work completed by for all Australians to be proud of.
term impacts from a short term crisis.
participants in these programs has left
In rebuilding the nation’s economy, let’s not
an enduring natural legacy, improving the Motivated by our concern for vulnerable
forget the land that it was built on.
health of our soils and rivers, restoring our workers and regional communities,
forests and building tracks and trails in and an enduring commitment to
our national parks. These programs have improving the health and productivity
helped our natural landscapes recover, and of Australia’s natural landscapes, more Jim Adams
benefitted industries such as agriculture than 100 conservation, farming and land Chief Executive Officer
and tourism, while keeping Australians management organisations have come National Landcare Network
actively engaged in work during times of together to support a proposal for a
economic crisis. national conservation and land management
employment program.
Unprecedented stimulus measures in
response to COVID-19 have assisted This ambitious and inspiring program of Kate Andrews
Australia’s economy and placed the nation work would reduce the impact of key Executive Officer
on a path to economic recovery. However, environmental threats, deliver large scale NRM Regions Australia
Conservation and land
management work helped keep
thousands of Australians in work
during the Great Depression
Picture: Shutterstock.
4
Contents
Executive summary...........................................................................................................................7
Introduction .........................................................................................................................................9
Responding to a national economic crisis.....................................................................11
Practical conservation and land management activities.....................................13
Case study: Caring for country in North Queensland....................................................................................................14
Independent analysis of economic and social benefits.......................................17
Case study: Tackling a destructive weed in the Northern Territory.................................................................22
Benefits for the tourism sector ............................................................................................21
Public support for investment in conservation stimulus.....................................25
Case study: Supporting regional employment in Victoria..........................................................................................26
Opportunities for investment in hard-hit regional areas.....................................28
Building on success..................................................................................................................... 31
Case study: New Zealand’s $1.1 billion Environmental Jobs Package...................................................37
Case study: United States’ investment in iconic national parks and wild lands............................38
Learning from experience......................................................................................................... 39
Principles for effective program delivery........................................................................42
Working with Nature: Restoring landscapes and supporting regional economic recovery. 5
6
Executive summary
More than 100 conservation, farming and land management organisations have come together
to support Working with Nature, a proposal for thousands of workers to be employed to deliver
practical conservation and land management work across the country. This initiative presents an
opportunity to deliver targeted economic recovery support to regional communities while leaving
lasting benefits for the environment, tourism, farm businesses and local communities.
This investment would deliver timely, and long-term productivity of our land,
targeted and temporary support for rivers, oceans and farming landscapes.
The program would
unemployed workers and can be scaled
as needed to meet the needs of regional
provide a pathway This proposal has been refined through
extensive consultation with stakeholders,
communities, in the context of broader from welfare to work
experts and policy makers, including
federal and state economic recovery for thousands of people, economic analysis by Ernst & Young which
priorities. including unskilled found that a $500 million investment
Consistent with the Australian workers and in this program will deliver nearly 7,000
Government’s planned transition away young people at risk full-time jobs and $1.2 billion in long-term
from economy-wide support measures, economic benefits.1
this program presents an opportunity to
of long-term
unemployment, at Investment in practical conservation and
assist those most impacted by the residual
land management work would be widely
economic impacts of COVID-19, including a substantially lower valued by a nation reeling from the impacts
young people and unskilled workers in cost than large-scale of drought, bushfires and COVID-19.
hard-hit regional communities.
infrastructure programs. Recent polling found that 83 per cent of
The types of practical activities that would Australians support investment in practical
be undertaken include weed management, conservation work, ranking it second out
soil erosion control, tree planting, bushfire • skill development and income of twelve potential economic recovery
recovery, restoration of bushland, rivers diversification for landholders and measures.
and creeks, feral animal control, fence regional communities This report outlines the diverse economic,
construction and restoration of coastal and
• improved human wellbeing through social and environmental benefits
marine habitats.
employment security and access to associated with government investment in
Investment in these activities will leave a nature. conservation and land management work,
positive long-term legacy, including: The program would provide a pathway illustrated with case studies, and outlines
from welfare to work for thousands of opportunities for further investment in hard-
• improvements in natural capital that
people, including unskilled workers hit regional communities.
boost farm health and productivity
and young people at risk of long-term
• improved recovery of landscapes and
unemployment, at a substantially lower
wildlife impacted by bushfires
cost than large-scale infrastructure
• restoration of important tourism and
programs. For workers, this program would
land management infrastructure
provide an income, the dignity of work,
• fishing and recreation opportunities new skills, mental health benefits and the
associated with healthy rivers and opportunity to contribute to the resilience
coasts
1. Ernst & Young (2020) Delivering economic stimulus through the conservation and land management sector, June 2020.
URL: www.alca.org.au/delivering-economic-stimulus-through-the-conservation-and-land-management-sector.
Working with Nature: Restoring landscapes and supporting regional economic recovery. 7
Working with Nature
A plan for restoring landscapes and
supporting regional economic recovery
$500 $1.2
million billion
investment in
conservation and land
6,690 long-term economic
full time equivalent
management work benefits
workers
Timely delivery through Targeted support for Temporary investment
existing mechanisms and young, unskilled workers during the economic
trusted partners and hard-hit regions recovery period
Supporting sustainable Providing meaningful
Building transferable
farming and restoring work and income for
skills and knowledge
natural capital local businesses
Restoring native Conserving habitat Restoring rivers
vegetation and managing and tackling and coasts for fish and
invasive weeds threats to wildlife local communities
www.workingwithnature.org.au
Introduction
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic threw Australia’s historically
stable economy into disarray, with the economic impacts of the
health crisis – and an unexpectedly strong recovery – presenting
complex, high stakes challenges for policy makers and the
broader community.
Robust economic stimulus measures For some sectors of the community,
by federal and state governments have recovery will be a slower, longer-term
helped to stabilise the economy, getting process. Youth unemployment remains
people back to work and reinvigorating a high in many regional communities, with
flatlining national economy. hundreds of thousands of young people
currently out of work.
There are many lessons to be learned
from the large-scale, rapidly implemented Experts warn of the risks of entrenched
economic interventions rolled out in 2020. patterns of unemployment following an There are many
It’s now possible to examine government-
economic crisis, and the need for targeted
responses to the needs of vulnerable
lessons to be learned
led economic stimulus initiatives and
examine the factors that have made them
populations, especially young people and from the large-scale,
unskilled workers.
successful. This makes it easier to build on rapidly implemented
these successes and use them as building Over the past century, governments in
blocks for the next phase of Australia’s Australia and overseas have used practical
economic interventions
economic recovery and growth. conservation and land management rolled out in 2020.
Working with Nature: Restoring landscapes and supporting regional economic recovery. 9
Greening Australia Board Director Gordon Davis chats to
landholder Lenny Parisi about restoration works on his property.
Credit Annette Ruzicka.
programs to create meaningful work for The early success of these programs,
those most in need. and lessons learnt from previous similar
programs, provides a strong foundation for
From the US Civilian Conservation Corps
further investment as Australia moves into
of the Great Depression to the present
the next phase of its economic recovery
day, these programs have demonstrated
from COVID-19.
an ability to deliver employment and skill
development outcomes for participants In this report, we outline the diverse
while leaving lasting benefits for the economic, social and environmental
broader community. benefits associated with investment
in practical conservation and land
In response to COVID-19, states and
management work, illustrated with case
territories across Australia have announced
studies of programs currently under way.
practical employment programs, including
Working for Victoria, Western Australia’s By examining programs now in the field,
Green Jobs Plan and Queensland’s Reef we can chart a course towards more
Assist initiative. ambitious investment in the months and
years ahead.
Together with federal and state
investments in national park infrastructure, Large-scale investment in conservation
these programs are providing much and land management will provide
needed work and putting boots on the enduring benefits for the environment and
ground to deliver practical conservation local communities, helping to ensure that
and land management outcomes. we leave the best possible natural legacy
for future generations of Australians.
10Responding
to a national
economic crisis
In response to the profound economic impacts of COVID-19,
more than 100 conservation, land management and farming
organisations came together in 2020 to support a proposal
for thousands of impacted workers to be employed to deliver The road to recovery
practical conservation and land management activities. will be a long one,
which will require each
sector of society to
This initiative is supported by more than meaningful and socially beneficial work contribute in its own
100 conservation, farming and land during a period of economic crisis -- way. We stand ready to
management organisations, including the while leaving enduring benefits for the help in any way we can.
National Landcare Network, Landcare environment, local communities, tourism
Australia, National Farmers Federation, and farm businesses.
NRM Regions Australia, Australian Land – Conservation, farming and land
The work they proposed would help management organisations’ letter to
Conservation Alliance and the Pew
to restore some of Australia’s most Prime Minister Morrison, 2 April 2020.
Charitable Trusts.
damaged landscapes, through bushfire
Together, these organisations developed recovery, weed management, tree planting,
a bold proposal for an economic stimulus restoration of bushland, rivers and creeks,
program that would deliver practical feral animal control, fence construction and
conservation and land management restoration of coastal and marine habitats.
outcomes while employing thousands of
Collectively, these activities constituted an
the workers in hard-hit regions.
ambitious and inspiring program of work,
This proposal called for federal and which would reduce the impact
state investment in the creation of safe, of key environmental threats, deliver
Australian Unemployed Young People (15 - 34 years) Over 100,000 more young people were
Jan 2019 - Jan 2021 unemployed in January 2021 compared to
600,000 March 2020. Young and unskilled workers
have been disproportionately impacted
550,000
by the COVID economic crisis and are
500,000
particularly susceptible to the risk of long-
term unemployment, even as the broader
450,000 economy recovers. Conservation and land
management jobs can get young people back
400,000
into the workforce by providing them with
350,000 meaningful work which builds their skills and
knowledge, keeps them in their communities
300,000
and improves mental health and wellbeing.
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Australian Bureau of Statistics Labour Force Detailed, January 2021: https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/employment-and-unemployment/labour-force-australia-detailed/jan-2021
Working with Nature: Restoring landscapes and supporting regional economic recovery. 11large-scale improvements in the condition support measures, including JobKeeper,
of key environmental assets, enhance we believe investment in practical
landscape resilience and support long- conservation and land management work
term agricultural productivity. presents a tool for delivering targeted and
timely support for those most impacted
The organisations recommended that the
by the residual economic effects of
program be delivered cooperatively by
COVID-19, including young people in
federal, state and territory governments,
hard-hit regional communities.
working in close collaboration with the
conservation, land management and This investment would deliver on multiple
farming sector. policy priorities across the environment,
agriculture, employment and regional
Governments’ robust response to the
development portfolios, including training
health and economic crisis has helped to
and skills development. Work in the
mitigate the worst impacts of COVID-19
conservation and land management
and lay a foundation for strong economic
sector provides an opportunity to develop
recovery, as evidenced by recent
practical, transferable skills through a
improvements in employment statistics.
combination of field-based learning and
Consistent with Government’s planned vocational training programs.
transition away from economy-wide
The labour intensive nature of the work, combined with low
capital costs, results in a high proportion of investment flowing to
the employees and contractors delivering the work and, in turn,
to their families and businesses in their local community.
- Jim Adams, CEO, National Landcare Network
12Practical
conservation and
land management
activities
Investment in a national conservation This work will deliver a range of
and land management employment long-term environmental, social and This program could
program would support practical, local economic benefits, including:
action to protect and restore important
deliver meaningful
• improvements in ecosystems and
environmental assets, including:
natural capital that boost farm health gains in agricultural
• river and wetland restoration, including and productivity; productivity, by reducing
fencing, revegetation and erosion control; • recovery of landscapes and wildlife
• a surge in weed control efforts, focused post-bushfire restoring tourism
costs, improving the
on containment and preventing cross- potential and improving productive, condition of soil, water
tenure spread; environmental and aesthetic value;
• national park infrastructure, track • restoration of important tourism and
and native vegetation
maintenance and park management land management infrastructure like and enhancing resilience
(fire, weeds, feral animals); fencing, roads and fire trails;
to natural disasters.
• bushfire recovery and resilience • income diversification by upskilling
activities, including infrastructure repairs regional communities in environmental
and habitat restoration; land management focused on improved
- Kate Andrews, CEO,
• invasive animal control, including deer soil health and productivity, and NRM Regions Australia
and pigs which impact on farming and supporting access to carbon and other
threatened species; environmental markets;
• tree planting and habitat restoration in • regeneration of healthy coastal systems
metropolitan, suburban, peri-urban and that provide fishing and recreation
rural areas; opportunities; and
• funding for private land conservation, • improved human health and wellbeing
putting money in the hands of farmers through employment security and
and land holders; access to nature.
• coastal habitat restoration and
monitoring, in partnership with fishing
industry and local communities;
• plastics and marine debris clean up,
including research to inform future
policy decisions; and
• funding for Indigenous rangers to
support employment outcomes in
vulnerable communities.
Working with Nature: Restoring landscapes and supporting regional economic recovery. 13Case Study
Caring for Country
in North Queensland
Funded by the Queensland Government’s $10 million Reef
Assist program, the ‘Healing Country’ project is creating jobs for
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in North Queensland
while supporting efforts to protect the Great Barrier Reef and
nearby coastal ecosystems.
Townsville-based natural resource
management organisation NQ Dry
Tropics has joined forces with Indigenous
employment group Three Big Rivers to
deliver the initiative, funded through the I know a lot of young
Queensland Government’s Reef Assist people who feel excited
program. when they see us out
Under the project, five Aboriginal and on country. They ask
Torres Strait Islander members of an what we’re doing and
environmental team are gaining practical
Three Big Rivers Executive
who we work for, and
on-ground skills working on NQ Dry
Director Thomas Holden Tropics projects across the region, while
whether there’s any
with NQ Dry Tropics CEO
undertaking an accredited environmental more work available.
Dr Scott Crawford
training program.
NQ Dry Tropics CEO Dr Scott Crawford – Sam Savage, Healing Country
said the partnership was boosting on- program participant
ground activities to improve land condition,
protect plants and animals, and improve
the quality of water flowing into local future careers in natural resource or rural
creeks and the reef. management.
“The Healing Country project is offering “The partnership with Three Big Rivers fits
participants a chance to work on country with our belief that meaningful Traditional
and gain practical experience on activities Owner engagement leads to better, more
that benefit reef water quality,” Dr Crawford sustainable natural resource management
said. outcomes,” he said.
“Tasks will include learning techniques Three Big Rivers Executive Director,
to fix eroded gullies to reduce sediment Thomas Holden said the way the project
runoff, protecting sensitive creekbank had been developed would help ensure
areas with revegetation and weed control, sustainable Indigenous employment
and tackling marine debris. opportunities across the region:
“The project is also about brokering “Co-designing this project with NQ Dry
mutually beneficial relationships between Tropics, with support through the Reef
landholders and Traditional Owners. Assist Program, will support capability and
“We hope the skills and qualifications capacity building that will provide lasting
participants acquire will set them up for benefits,” Mr Holden said.
14Since the start of the year, the work for, and whether there’s any more
environmental team has been busy work available because they want to be
protecting areas of threatened beach out on country as well.”
scrub north of Townsville.
“I would love to get a job helping the
Crew members Sam Savage and environment, so this work is a good
Rheardan Cobbo (Bindal), Gary Kyle step for me to take. Once I gain more
(Bwgcolman / Juru), Waylan Sam knowledge, I will share it with others so
(Bwgcolman) and Supervisor Darryl they can get a better idea of how they can
Chong (Waanyi) have been collecting help,” said Rheardan Cobbo.
marine debris from three beach scrub
Supervisor Darryl Chong said: “I’ve got
sites at Crystal Creek, Mystic Sands and
a great team here. We started off not
Quindalup. Gary Kyle protecting native plants
knowing what to expect, but we’ve done
and animals by collecting harmful
The debris, including rubbish left behind by a couple of sites now and are getting marine debris.
campers, impacts local wildlife and plant the hang of what we need to do. There’s
species. The team will also be controlling still a lot of training to come for us. This
invasive weeds at various locations. experience could provide a pathway for
crew members to become future rangers”.
Sam Savage said he was happy to be
involved with the project: “Three Big Rivers Training opportunities for the group will
and NQ Dry Tropics have given us the include a Certificate III in Rural Operations,
opportunity to reconnect with country. tickets to operate light machinery, and
I know a lot of young people who feel learning how to construct stick dams to
excited when they see us out on country. control gully erosion.
They ask what we’re doing and who we
Environmental team (left to right) Rheardan Cobbo, Gary Kyle, Waylon Sam, Sam Savage, Darryl Chong.
Working with Nature: Restoring landscapes and supporting regional economic recovery. 15Credit: Shutterstock 16
Independent analysis of
economic and social benefits
Expert analysis by Ernst & Young found that a $500 million investment in a conservation and land
management employment program would deliver more than $1.2 billion in long-term economic benefits.
Ernst & Young (EY) was enlisted to perform Proportionate The program • Invasive animal control delivers positive
an economic impact assessment of a broad- can be scaled up or down. benefit to cost ratios between 2.8 and
based program of conservation and land Stimulus decisions, by nature, are 25. These benefits accrue principally to
management activities to support Australia’s made rapidly and in a climate of producers through reduced pressure
response to the COVID-19 crisis. uncertainty. The proposed program on pasture and water resources.
enables policymakers to adjust their • Habitat restoration enhances farm
This assessment identified a range of
investment under each of the program productivity by improving water quality,
economic, social and environmental
options if necessary.2 reducing soil erosion and salinity,
benefits associated with the proposed
program, and found that the program enhancing pollination, providing shelter
The EY analysis found that this investment
reflected the following characteristics of an for stock and enhancing drought
could “deliver meaningful gains in
effective economic stimulus measure: resilience.
agricultural productivity, including by
Targeted The program involves reducing costs and lifting the capacity The analysis found that government
real jobs on real projects. It’s not of the land, improving water quality and investment of $4 billion in a national
a make-work program. Rather the natural disaster resilience, and preserving conservation and land management
initiatives have the potential to make the country’s natural heritage”. program could raise economic output by
our environment and agricultural land about $5.7 billion, reduce welfare costs
The report presents a taxonomy of
better and leave a legacy. Moreover, by $620 million and generate 53,000 jobs
environment, social and economic benefits
the program is targeted at alleviating over the next four years.
of the program, including improved
some of the key social and economic agricultural productivity. The authors The program is scalable, with scope to
concerns of regions affected by reviewed the findings of previous cost- target investment on a regional basis. EY
COVID-19, as well as the bushfires. benefit analyses and found that: found that a regionally targeted investment
Temporary The program has a of $500 million would create 6,690 jobs
• Invasive weed control was found to
finite start and end date (depending and $1.2 billion in economic impacts over
deliver an average benefit to cost ratio
on the scale of the program) and does the next 20 years (Table 1).
of 33, principally through improvements
not bake in structural commitments to in farm production and reduced
the Budget. long-term weed control costs.
Timely The program can be
implemented quickly, and has been Table 1. Employment and economic benefits associated with three investment scenarios
structured around the capacity of the
Scenario Investment Duration Direct Indirect Long-term
conservation and land management employment employment economic
(FTE) (FTE) benefits
sector to deliver work on-the-ground.
Program requirements are largely
Scenario 1 $4 billion 4 years 40,000 13,428 $9.3 billion
based around unskilled workers
and it can help engage unemployed
Scenario 2 $2 billion 3 years 20,000 6,701 $4.7 billion
and underemployed workers across
Australia, including in regions at risk of Scenario 3 $500 million 2 years 5,000 1,690 $1.2 billion
entrenched disadvantage.
2. Ernst & Young (2020) Delivering economic stimulus through the conservation and land management sector, June 2020.
URL: www.alca.org.au/delivering-economic-stimulus-through-the-conservation-and-land-management-sector.
Working with Nature: Restoring landscapes and supporting regional economic recovery. 17Delivering economic
stimulus through the
conservation and land
management sector
Economic Impact Assessment (Ernst & Young, June 2020)3
Extract from EY economic assessment:
Conservation, land management and that workers who have been displaced
farming organisations have collaborated from their previous jobs in heavily affected
to develop a program that will support sectors (such as tourism) can substitute
thousands of unemployed workers and into conservation and land management
provide a meaningful contribution to the roles.
sector.
Moreover, by allowing workers to move
The broad-based program involves into roles in the conservation and land
a range of activities that could be management sector, it will help to reduce
undertaken in both regional and the number of people relying on Job
metropolitan areas. The scope of these Seeker and Youth Allowance.
activities ranges from restoring natural
The long-term social and economic
habitats, to controlling invasive animals
benefits of moving people off welfare and
and weeds, to building and repairing
into work are profound — those who are
infrastructure.
unemployed for long periods of time find
Underpinning each of these activities it increasingly more difficult to find and
is a commitment to employ low-skilled hold employment. People are more likely
workers, or workers who have little to experience longer, and more frequent,
experience in practical conservation spells on welfare the longer they are out
and land management delivery. In fact, of the job market. This is a particularly
preliminary estimations suggest about potent issue for young people and
67% of the roles in the program will highlights the importance of encouraging
require workers to have no previous people off welfare and into work.
experience.
Not only will these activities allow
Most activities are labour intensive and people to get into work, and engage in
involve working outside with minimal meaningful tasks, it will also allow them
previous experience. Therefore, it is to accumulate new knowledge. While
possible to conduct this work in a many of the proposed activities require a
COVID-19 safe environment, while low baseline skill level, there is potential
maintaining social distancing. for participants to upskill and retrain in
conservation and land management roles.
As most roles in the program will
require minimal previous experience, Participants are likely to gain important
this increases the available pool of technical skills such as surveying, fencing
workers who can participate. This is a and occupational health and safety
key attraction of the program, as it means training. There is also an opportunity to
18build practical and highly transferable
skills in areas such as teamwork,
communication, leadership and program
management. In addition, engagement in
the program is likely to build self-esteem,
community capacity and job-readiness. The long-term social and
This may increase one’s future employment economic benefits of moving
options. The ability to transfer workers from
other industries is an attractive program
people off welfare and into
feature, especially for rural areas. Without work are profound.
this option, some communities may suffer
displacement of workers to areas with
higher demand. This phenomenon, which - Ernst & Young, June 2020
is often referred to as ‘brain drain’, has the
potential to leave vulnerable and remote
communities at risk.
Activities can be concentrated in areas
with large numbers of unemployment,
targeting communities who have a larger
supply of available workers.
The low entry requirements may be
particularly effective in engaging with
people who are currently out of work
and ensuring they stay in the local area.
The conservation and land management
sector has a relatively high proportion
of female employees across its broad
spectrum of activities.
There have been increasing concerns
about the effects of COVID-19 on
women, with females disproportionately
affected by the economic crisis. Based on
the sector’s strong female engagement,
the program has the potential to support
improved opportunities for women.
Another critical feature of the program is
the fact that the proposed activities build
on existing models. Thus, established and
functioning programs can be expanded to
adapt to the needs of the region. Notably,
there are no costs involved in designing
brand new activities. This is beneficial
from a risk management perspective
and would assist in the timely delivery of
the program. Moreover, there is also a
high level of shared knowledge among
program coordinators, about the success
and failure of previous programs that can
be leveraged.
3. Ernst & Young (2020) Delivering economic stimulus through the conservation and land management sector, June 2020.
URL: www.alca.org.au/delivering-economic-stimulus-through-the-conservation-and-land-management-sector.
Working with Nature: Restoring landscapes and supporting regional economic recovery. 19Coastal habitat restoration is practical work that enhances our beaches, stabilises coastal dune systems and provides habitat for native wildlife. Picture: Trees for Life. 20
Benefits for the
tourism sector
Maintaining, restoring Retaining experienced
and enhancing natural tourism workers in In regional centres
tourism assets: regional areas:
hard-hit by the
Public investment in conservation In regional centres hard-hit by the
and land management work presents downturn in tourism, this investment
downturn in tourism,
opportunities to restore and enhance would provide people with the dignity this investment would
natural tourism assets (e.g. restoring of work, support them to remain provide people with
visitor infrastructure and natural actively involved in their community the dignity of work,
habitats destroyed by bushfire; tracks and provide a pathway back into
support them to remain
and trails in national parks; monitoring long-term work as tourism and other
and restoring coastal and marine key economic sectors recover from actively involved in
habitats). the impacts of COVID-19. their community
Income diversification Leaving a lasting
for tourism businesses: environmental legacy
There may be opportunities for and promoting our
tourism businesses to diversify their natural icons:
income during the economic recovery By scaling up existing successful
period. For example, marine tourism conservation programs during
operators would be well placed to the economic recovery period,
provide boats, dive equipment and we can leave a lasting legacy for
skilled workers for marine research nature, enhance the resilience
and habitat restoration activities on of rural landscapes, promote our
the Great Barrier Reef. iconic natural assets and highlight
the tourism industry’s long-term
commitment to environmental
sustainability.
Working with Nature: Restoring landscapes and supporting regional economic recovery. 21Case Study
Tackling a destructive
weed in the Northern
Territory
In July 2020, the NT Government announced plans to establish a
‘Gamba Army’ to control highly invasive gamba grass as part of
its economic recovery plan.
The Gamba Army has now been “The question this year is where can we
established, creating 45 jobs and get bang for buck. You can’t just spray a
providing targeted support in Litchfield and spot, then walk away. We need to consider
Charles Darwin National Parks and the what the follow up plan is for each year,”
Greater Darwin region. Rowena said.
Rowena Eastwick, from the Gamba Army, “I have been talking to the rangers at
said that the gamba army had got off to a Litchfield National Park and we are trying
good start over its first wet season. to get a team down there to do that as a
priority.”
“The army is quite a diverse range of
people. A lot of them are students and it’s Rowena said one of the first priority
great to see them improving their capacity areas was around the Casuarina Coastal
on ground around grass identification,” she Reserve.
said.
“The team’s done a great job and there’s
“We also have tour guides in the Gamba really large patches of gamba grass gone
Army. Obviously, the tourism industry has around areas we’ve started with there,” she
been hit really hard by COVID, so tour said.
guides are looking for work.
“The native grasses - the spear grasses
“We bring tourists here to look at our - will start overtaking the gamba soon in
natural environment, so the team are really those areas. We’ll do some follow up work
enjoying this opportunity to get rid of this and keep monitoring them to make sure
weed and bring the landscape back to we stay on top of it.”
native, beautiful habitat.”
The Gamba Army has had to choose areas
to focus on as priorities, given the wide
distribution of gamba grass across the Top
End. Areas of high conservation value and
high public use have been top priorities.
22Working with Nature: Restoring landscapes and supporting regional economic recovery. 23
Working for Victoria participants in the field. Credit: Vic Catchments. 24
Public support
for investment
in conservation
stimulus
There is strong public support for government investment in
83%
conservation and land management as an economic recovery
measure, with more than four in five Australians supporting
investment in practical environmental programs to employ people
of Australians think the Federal
in hard-hit regional areas. Government should fund practical
environmental initiatives like tree
planting, weed removal and river
restoration to keep people employed
In 2020, public polling was commissioned The polling also showed that three
by the National Landcare Network to quarters (76%) of Australians were
assess the popularity of economic stimulus concerned about the health of the
focused in their sector with the general country’s forests, rivers and wildlife, with
76%
public. The research, conducted by Dynata a similar number (74%) agreeing that
polling, was conducted on 20-21 July economic stimulus funding should be used
across a sample of 1009 respondents to help communities and the environment
Australia-wide. recover from the bushfires and drought.
of Australians are concerned about
The results showed clear endorsement Media across the country picked up the the health of the country’s forests,
of the program concept, with more than polling, with more than 80 metropolitan rivers and wildlife following the
four in five Australians (83%) saying and regional publications running stories drought and bushfires
the Morrison Government should fund highlighting the positive response to the
practical environmental initiatives like program proposal.
tree planting, weed removal and river
restoration to keep people in regional
74%
communities employed while Australia
recovers from the economic impacts of
COVID-19.
of Australians agree that economic
Funding practical environmental work
stimulus funding should be used
came in as the second most popular (75% to help communities and the
support) out of 12 options for keeping environment recover from recent
people in regional communities employed, bushfires and drought
second only to increasing funding for
training and apprenticeships (78%).
Working with Nature: Restoring landscapes and supporting regional economic recovery. 25Case Study
Supporting regional
employment
in Victoria
The Victorian Government moved quickly to respond to the
unfolding COVID-19 crisis, announcing its $500 million Working
for Victoria program in March 2020.
The program, developed to stimulate Work completed also includes
a struggling economy, incorporated improvements to parks and reserves, such
spending for new and existing projects in as track maintenance.
the national resource management and
Local councils have created several
agriculture sector among other initiatives.
hundred additional environment-related
Early reports indicate good results for the positions through Working for Victoria (for
program around the state, with uptake example, the City of Melbourne created 64
particularly strong in areas which have positions for urban tree planting).
been hardest hit by COVID-19 job losses.
The statewide program involves lots of
To date, 570 new roles have been created government partners and local councils
by Catchment Management Authorities, in delivering practical land management
Parks Victoria and the Department work. They operate using a coordinated
of Environment representing a total approach to recruitment, which has helped
investment of $29 million. to fill available roles rapidly, but local
organisations retain autonomy in where
The jobs will improve land and catchment
they work.
health through the removal of rubbish,
increased revegetation, pest management
control and maintenance to keep
waterways clean, safe and healthy.
Page 27: * Andrews, D. (2020, August 13). Hundreds of Jobs Working for Victoria [Media release].
Retrieved from https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/creating-hundreds-jobs-working-victoria
26We’re creating jobs that will
allow hundreds of people
to keep working while
supporting projects that
benefit the entire community.*
- Victorian Minister for Jobs, Innovation and Trade Martin Pakula
Working for Victoria participants in action.
Picture: Vic Catchments
Working with Nature: Restoring landscapes and supporting regional economic recovery. 27Opportunities Summary of regional conservation and
land management stimulus proposals
for investment
developed by regional delivery partners.
in hard-hit Outback: Vulnerable remote
regional areas
communities
• Tackling highly invasive, transformative
weeds
• Working with pastoralists and Traditional
Owners
• Revegetation, seed collection and erosion
control
252 full-time workers
To assess the opportunities to support employment
and environmental outcomes in hard-hit regions, the
Working with Nature team identified ten candidate
priority regions, based on the following criteria:
1. Economic impact:
Identify regions with relatively high employment loss
due to COVID-19.
2. Conservation values:
Prioritise regions with high conservation values / key
South-west Western Australia
conservation threats.
• Improving drought resilience and land
condition
3. Regional delivery capacity: • Establishing seed banks and restoring
wildlife habitat
Scale investment in line with regional program • Restoring coastal habitats, bushland and
waterways
delivery capacity.
450 full-time workers
The team worked with regional and state partners
to develop ten regional stimulus concepts – one for
each priority region. These concept proposals identify
potential delivery partners, proposed activities, expected
conservation and land management outcomes and
anticipated employment and economic benefits.
Greater Adelaide
Mount Lofty Ranges
• Working with landholders and primary
producers
• Revegetation, weed control and habitat
restoration
• Building natural capital for primary
production
300 full-time workers
Note: For consistency with Ernst & Young analysis, worker
numbers are based on annual full-time employment – for
example, 350 workers employed full-time for two years is
recorded as 700 FTE.
28Great Barrier Reef Catchments
• Restoring rainforests and reef catchments
• Supporting threatened species recovery
• Partnering with Indigenous communities
980 full-time workers
South East Queensland
• Improving waterway and catchment health
• Supporting threatened species recovery
• Building landscape and community
resilience
130 full-time workers
North Coast and Hunter Valley
• Restoring rivers: Richmond, Manning,
Hunter
• Weed control and bushfire recovery
• Building capacity of community
organisations
250 full-time workers
South Coast
Western Victoria and Snowy Mountains
• Tackling weeds in priority landscapes
• Restoring rivers, wetlands and coastal
• Reducing long-term impacts of bushfires
habitats
• Strengthening community networks
• Tackling invasive weeds and pest animals
• Protecting natural assets with landholders 382 full-time workers
358 full-time workers
Eastern Victoria Tasmania
• Restoring wildlife habitat and connectivity • Restoring wildlife habitat and connectivity
• Improving the condition of rivers and • Improving the condition of rivers and
streams streams
• Engaging landholders in conservation work • Engaging landholders in conservation work
450 full-time workers 275 full-time workers
Working with Nature: Restoring landscapes and supporting regional economic recovery. 29These initiatives will … create lasting legacies in regional centres, small towns and on the Great Barrier Reef, which will be a big boost to local communities.* - Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack * Ley, S. (2020, July 12). Historic investment in iconic National Parks [Press release]. Retrieved from https://minister.awe.gov.au/ley/media-releases/historic-investment-iconic-national-parks 30
Building on success
Over the past year, governments in Australia and overseas have
rolled out large-scale economic stimulus packages, including
a number of conservation and land management employment
programs. These early initiatives provide a foundation for a more
ambitious national program in Australia.
Australian Government New and improved
In October 2020, the Australian • $8.2 million to engage tourism infrastructure means
Government announced a $61.7 million operators in Great Barrier Reef
investment in the environment, through monitoring and conservation work and
more tourism, more jobs
the $1 billion COVID-19 Relief and upgrade Townville’s Reef HQ aquarium. and better outcomes
Recovery Fund. This package aims to
create employment, boost local tourism
In July 2020, the Australian Government for Australians living in
and preserve the environment through
announced $233 million for tourism
infrastructure in federally managed national
regional and remote
investment in three strands of work:
parks: Uluru, Kata-Tjuta, Kakadu, Booderee areas, which is vital as
• $33.5 million for conservation work and Christmas Island. This investment
and infrastructure upgrades across 23 is expected to create employment for
we move through the
national heritage and World Heritage hundreds of construction workers and economic challenges
sites; provide long-term benefits for local tourism
• $22 million for coastal communities to businesses.
of COVID.
restore shellfish reefs, improving the
health of marine ecosystems, enhancing
local fish stocks and creating tourism - Minister for the Environment
Sussan Ley
dive sites; and
Iconic tourism destinations like
Uluru have been given a boost by
the Federal Government.
Photo credit: Parks Australia.
Working with Nature: Restoring landscapes and supporting regional economic recovery. 31Western Australia
On 27 July, the WA Government On 8 August, the WA Government
It is important that announced a $60 million Green Jobs Plan, announced a $150 million tourism industry
Western Australia’s as part of the state’s $5.5 billion Economic recovery package, including infrastructure
economic recovery Recovery Plan. This three year investment improvements for the state’s “most iconic
is forecast to create 1,000 conservation natural attractions”, including Karijini
works hand in hand jobs across the state and includes a $15 National Park, Ningaloo, Monkey Mia, the
with the continued million Vegetation Rehabilitation Fund, Pinnacles, Rottnest Island and Murujuga
protection of Western $25 Healthy Estuaries Program, and $3.3 National Park.
Australia’s magnificent million for Indigenous land management in
the Pilbara.
environment - which
is one of our most
precious assets.*
– WA Environment Minister,
Stephen Dawson
* Dawson, S. & McGowan, M. (2020, July 27). McGowan Government unveils Green Jobs Plan to support recovery [Press release].
Retrieved from https://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/McGowan/2020/07/McGowan-Government-unveils-Green-Jobs-Plan-to-support-recovery.aspx
Coral garden in the world heritage-listed Ningaloo Marine Park.
Credit: Paul and Kelly Wags
32Queensland
On 15 July, the Queensland Government Reef Assist was announced together with
announced its $10 million Reef Assist a $10 million extension of the Skilling Reef Assist will
package. The program aims to create up Queenslanders for Work program to fund provide unemployed
to 200 nature-based jobs for unemployed traineeships in construction, conservation and underemployed
Queenslanders in the Wet Tropics, and land management. On 16 June, the
Burdekin and Mackay-Whitsunday Queensland Government announced $8.9
Queenslanders with
catchment areas. Mackay, Townsville and million for infrastructure in national parks, temporary nature-based
Cairns were identified as priority areas that building on an existing $45 million national employment, delivering
have been badly impacted by a loss of park infrastructure program. up to 200 jobs in
visitors as a result of COVID-19.
hard-hit regions.*
The program will provide environmentally
beneficial work while also leaving enduring
benefits for regional communities, – Queensland Premier
Annastacia Palaszczuk
businesses and landscapes. Projects
funded through the program are likely
to include practical, on-ground land
management work such as streambank
rehabilitation, tree planting, pest and weed
control.
* Palaszczuk, A. (2020, July 15). More jobs for Queenslanders as we unite and recover from the global pandemic [Media release].
Retrieved from https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/90199
Working with Nature: Restoring landscapes and supporting regional economic recovery. 33Victoria
The $500 million Working for Victoria In a separate announcement, the
Victoria’s Catchment program, announced in March, has created Department of Environment, Land, Water
Management thousands of new roles for unemployed and Planning will deliver $129 million in
Authorities do an people affected by the economic impacts direct support to local communities. The
of COVID-19. To date, 570 new roles Victorian Government estimates that this
amazing job managing have been created by state environmental investment will create 3,700 direct jobs,
and keeping our agencies, while local councils have while supporting thousands more across
waterways healthy created several hundred additional the state’s supply chains.
and these roles will environment-related positions through
Working for Victoria.
help deliver even more
important local projects
across the state.*
– Victorian Minister for Water
Lisa Neville
Working for Victoria has created jobs for hundreds of
Victorians, many of them in regional and rural areas.
Credit: Vic Catchments.
* Andrews, D. (2020, August 13). Hundreds of Jobs Working for Victoria [Media release].
Retrieved from https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/creating-hundreds-jobs-working-victoria
34New South Wales
In January 2021, the NSW Government
announced a $400 million investment
in the state’s national parks. The funds
include $257 million to be invested in
new facilities, including more than 750
Not only are our national parks good for the
kilometres of new and upgraded walking environment and our health and wellbeing,
tracks, upgrades to 33 campgrounds and
61 new and improved picnic areas.
they are good for the health of the economy.*
In 2020, the NSW Government allocated
$18 million to Local Land Services to - NSW Premier, Gladys Berejiklian
deliver practical conservation and land
management work. This funding was
provided explicitly as regional economic
stimulus, to create work in regional areas * Berejiklian, G. (2020, January 17). Biggest infrastructure investment in history of NSW national parks [Media release].
over the next 12 months. Retrieved from https://www.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/biggest-infrastructure-investment-history-of-nsw-national-parks
South Australia
In 2020, the South Australian Government SA Environment Minister David Speirs said
announced new funding for national parks, “The Marshall Liberal Government’s record This once-in-a-
taking total investment by the Marshall investment will help us achieve our aim of generation investment
Government to more than $130 million. doubling the state’s nature and heritage will not only support
This investment will enhance visitor tourism expenditure to $3.4 billion over the
infrastructure in parks across Australia next decade, creating 4,000 new jobs”.
regional communities
including at the Flinders Ranges, Yorke and create local jobs,
Peninsula, Eyre Peninsula, Fleurieu but also protect our
Peninsula, Barossa Valley and Adelaide precious environment
Hills.
for future generations.**
– SA Premier Steven Marshall
** Marshall, S. and Speirs, D. (2020, November 7). Record investment in South Australia’s parks [Media Release].
Retrieved from: https://www.premier.sa.gov.au/news/media-releases/news/record-investment-in-south-australias-parks
Working with Nature: Restoring landscapes and supporting regional economic recovery. 35You can also read
