BUSINESS AND OPERATIONAL PLAN 2019/20-2021/2022

South Australian Arid Lands Natural Resources Management Board

REGIONAL NRM PLAN (VOLUME 2)

It’s your place

Attachment 1

I, Hon. David Speirs, Minister for Environment and Water, after taking into account and in accordance with the requirements of section 80(3) of the Natural Resources Management Act 2004 hereby adopt these amendments to the South Australian Arid Lands' regional natural resources management plan.

Hon David Speirs

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Contents FOREWORD 5 

OUR FIRST PEOPLE 6 

INTRODUCTION 7 

The NRM Act, the Board and NRM Groups 8 

The NRM Act 2004 8 

The Board 8 

The NRM Groups 8 

SAAL REGIONAL NRM PLAN 10 

The Planning Framework 10 

Vision, Goals and Guiding Principles 10 

Delivering the Regional NRM Plan 11 

Our strategies 11 

Our targets 11 

Delivery agents 12 

Weighing up competing priorities – decision making 12 

Measuring progress (MERI) 12 

THE BOARD’S BUSINESS PLAN 2019/20 - 2021/22: DELIVERING ON THE REGIONAL NRM PLAN 13 

Investments 2019/20- 2021/22 15 

Support for NRM Groups 16 

Board governance and administration 16 

State water planning and management 16 

Infrastructure and land 16 

Funding sources 2019/20- 2021/22 17 

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State Government funding 17 

Australian Government funding 17 

Industry Partnerships Program 17 

NRM levies 19 

Basis and rates of NRM levies 19 

Regional (land-based levy) NRM levy 19 

NRM water levy 22 

WATER AFFECTING ACTIVITIES 24 

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Foreword The South Australian Arid Lands (SAAL) community

depend heavily on the sustainable management and use of

our natural resources. These resources sustain our

regional economy and the wellbeing of our remote and

diverse community. The rich natural pastures, extensive oil

and gas reserves, natural beauty and unique biodiversity

are what makes our region so special. 

The South Australian Arid Lands NRM Board (the Board)

has legislative responsibility through the Natural Resources

Management Act 2004 (the Act) to ensure the sustainable

use and care of these natural resources for the generations

to come. While we play a leadership role in this process,

we can only be successful with partners. This means it’s

our shared responsibility; a joint effort between all of those

who live, work and have a connection to the region – the

SAAL community, towns, tourists, industry and

government.

In developing the revised 10 year NRM plan for the region

the Board has engaged with the community to prepare a

strategic path that will maintain and enhance the region’s

natural resources. Part of that strategic document is this

rolling three year business plan which articulates the

activities the Board will undertake to deliver components

of the regional plan and to fulfil its statutory obligations.

Both plans are developed in partnership with community

with the business plan subject to review at least once every

three years. This plan has been reviewed to align with

changes in our State Government, the reform of the NRM

system in South Australia, as well as the conclusion of five-

years of Commonwealth Government funded programs,

and the commencement of new Commonwealth funding

for the next five years.

This business plan is transitional in nature: the program of

work planned for the 19/20 financial year will begin to look

different as the Board finalises its next round of National

Landcare Program funding (Regional Land Partnerships).

The community will continue to play a key role in decisions

about the Board’s investment in NRM, and how this plan is

implemented, using a dynamic and interactive approach.

The management of the State’s natural resources is

undergoing significant reform. The State Government has

announced it will introduce a new Landscape SA Bill into

Parliament in the first quarter of 2019 to replace the

Natural Resources Management Act 2004.

The new legislation is intended to strengthen community-

led delivery of natural resources management at local and

whole of landscape scales. The focus is on empowering

communities and land managers to be directly responsible

for the sustainable management of their region’s natural

resources with an emphasis on soil quality, water

management and pest plant and animal control.

The SA Arid Lands NRM Board welcomes the

Government’s reform agenda and aims to capitalise on the

opportunities to strengthen the delivery of practical on

ground works that address local priorities.

As the Board promised following its review of the levy

structure in the 2015/16 business plan, levies generated by

the Board will increase by no more than CPI.

In reviewing this business plan as part of the Board’s 10

year regional plan, the SAAL NRM Board has sought to

maintain continuity of valued Board programs, leverage

further investment from

partners as well as the

South Australian and

Commonwealth

Governments while

continuing to devise a

pathway to the adoption

of a landscape scale

approach to Natural

Resources Management

in the region.

Janet Brook

PRESIDING MEMBER

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Our first people The SA Arid Lands (SAAL) Natural Resources Management

(NRM) Board acknowledges and respects the Aboriginal

custodians of the land and waters of our region. We pay

our respects to the elders past and present and

acknowledge and respect their strong spiritual and

physical connection to the land and the ongoing

relationship that Aboriginal people have to Country.

There are a number of Aboriginal language groups whose

traditional lands are in this region – some communities

remain directly connected to country through a diversity of

landholdings including pastoral leases and Indigenous

Protected Areas, some have a role in management through

co-management arrangements on national parks, and

others no longer live on country but remain indelibly

attached to the land.

Native title consent determinations are further

acknowledgement of the important role Aboriginal people

play in managing the land in the region. A number of

Native Title claims will be progressed over the projected

life of this Plan and will further extend the understanding

where and with whom the cultural authority and

responsibility for caring for country in the region belongs.

Aboriginal values and connection to country came out

strongly through our community values collection and are

reflected throughout the plan. The Regional NRM Plan

provides an approach for respecting and utilising local

knowledge and ensuring Traditional Owners have a role to

play in informing and delivering natural resources

management in the region.

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Introduction This document is the SA Arid Lands Natural Resources

Management Board’s Business Plan for 2019/20 to

2021/22.

The document is presented in three parts:

Part 1: Introduction

Introduces the role of the Board and its NRM

Groups

Introduces the State Government’s commitment to natural

resources management and the new approach to NRM

through legislative change.

Part 2: The NRM Plan

Positions the Business Plan (and the Board) in the

context of the Board’s broader planning

framework and strategic priorities

Part 3: Investment and Expenditure

Provides an investment program for 2019/20 to

2021/22 that will enable progress to be made

against delivering Volume 1 of the Regional NRM

Plan;

Identifies the Board’s expected sources of

investment funds for 2019/20 to 2021/22; and,

Details the NRM Levies component of the

investment funds.

Part 4: Water Affecting Activities Policy

Articulates the Board’s policies in relation to the

management of water affecting activities

requiring a permit under Chapter 7 of the Natural

Resources Management Act 2004.

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The NRM Act, the Board and NRM Groups

The NRM Act 2004

The Natural Resources Management Act 2004 (the Act)

provides the legislative framework for the creation of

eight NRM regions within South Australia and the

establishment of a regionally based, community

driven NRM Board for each region.

The SAAL NRM Region (Figure 1) and associated

NRM Board were established on 9 December 2004

and became operationally responsible for the region

on 1 July 2005.

Under the NRM Act 2004, the Board’s key roles are to:

Provide regional leadership in natural resource management through strategic planning and policy setting, and;

Guide investment in regional natural resource management. This investment is funded from a range of sources including Board funds generated by State appropriation and levies, Commonwealth and State grants, industry support, and in-kind contributions through partnerships and collaborations.

The Act requires regional NRM boards to develop

regional natural resource management plans

providing a basis for management of natural

resources (soils, water, biodiversity etc.) over at least

the following 10 years.

Landscape SA Act

It is proposed that the NRM Act 2004 be repealed and

replaced with a new Landscapes SA Act, anticipated to be

tabled in Parliament in 2019.

Under a new Landscapes SA Act, the focus is on

strengthening community and land manager-led delivery

of natural resources management. A ‘back to basics’

approach is one of the key principles for reform, placing an

emphasis on soil quality, water management, pest plant

Fig. 1

and animal control, and other stewardship priorities

including revegetation works.

The Board

The South Australian Arid Lands NRM Board is

established in line with the NRM Act. The Board

consists of community members appointed on a skills

basis and has representatives from State Government

departments.

While all community members’ appointments are

based on their skills, many work in key industries

(pastoralism, mining etc.), while others have specific

expertise relevant to the region.

The NRM Groups

The Board is supported in its role by six active NRM

Groups at the district level:

Marla-Oodnadatta

Marree-Innamincka

North Flinders

Gawler Ranges

Kingoonya

North East

The NRM Group members live in and/or are involved

in the SAAL Region, providing the Board with a social

and local context for delivery of its programs and

encouraging broader community engagement.

Marree-Innamincka

Kingoonya

Marla-Oodnadatta

Gawler Ranges North EastPastoral

North Flinders

Yunta

Olary

Marla

Hawker

Marree

Moomba

Whyalla

Woomera

Tarcoola

Iron Knob

GlendamboKingoonya

Andamooka

Iron Baron

Parachilna

Curdimurka

Anna Creek

Oodnadatta

Innamincka

Roxby Downs Leigh Creek

Coober Pedy

Algebuckina

Port Augusta

Coward Springs

Arkaroola Village

Legend

Waterways and Lakes

Dog Fence

National Parks and Reserves

Our region

GEOGRAPHIC EXTENT: 520,000 square kilometres, over 50 per cent of South Australia

POPULATION: Geographically dispersed, less than two per cent of South Australia

CLIMATE: Arid and semi-arid

RAINFALL: Irregular and unpredictable creating a ‘boom’ and ‘bust’ environment

WATER: Mainly sourced from Great Artesian Basin groundwater and infrequent rainfall events

TOWNS: About 20 towns with the largest, Coober Pedy and Roxby Downs, both associated with mining and less than 5000 people

LAND TENURE: Pastoral leases; mineral and petroleum exploration and development; conservation through public and private management; variety of Aboriginal managed lands

MAIN INDUSTRIES: Pastoralism (sheep and cattle); mining, gas and petroleum; tourism

SIGNIFICANT FEATURES: Rich Aboriginal and European heritage; internationally significant floodplains and wetlands; largest percentage of intact ecosystems and biodiversity in South Australia; sparse population; rich mineral and energy deposits; the great inland water system of Kati-Thanda-Lake Eyre; flood and drought events; huge sheep and cattle stations; environmentally significant conservation reserves and national parks; the Great Artesian Basin and mound springs; Birdsville, Strzelecki and Oodnadatta Tracks

Photo: Gibber plain

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SAAL Regional NRM PlanThe Planning Framework

The SAAL Regional NRM Plan is pivotal to supporting the

sustainable management and use of the region’s natural

resources. It describes the Board’s priorities and provides

direction for all partners – be they community groups,

industry, government agencies or individuals – who

invest in the region.

The Plan consists of three volumes:

Volume 1 summarises the status of natural

resources in the region, identifies the key drivers

of change, and sets out strategies for the

management of the regions natural resources. It

is reviewed at least every 10 years.

Volume 2 (this volume) comprises the three-year

Business Plan which guides the Board’s own

investments and activities. Volume 2 also outlines

the Board approved policies for Water Affecting

Activities. The Board has a statutory function

under s75 (3) (k) of the Act to set out matters that

should be taken into account when a relevant

authority is exercising a power to grant or refuse

permits under Chapter 7 Part 2 of the Act. The

Water Affecting Activities section has been

included in the Business Plan to ensure these

policies are reviewed regularly and can be

modified as required. The Business Plan is subject

to a review at least once over a three year period.

Volume 3 is the Far North Prescribed Wells Area

Water Allocation Plan. In accordance with the

Act, this part of the plan is the subject of a

separate development and consultation process.

The current version of the Far North Prescribed

Wells Area Water Allocation Plan was adopted in

February 2009. The Board has committed to

rewriting this volume in the immediate future.

Vision, Goals and Guiding Principles

The development of the region’s new 10 year strategic

plan has resulted in the articulation of a vision, goals, key

drivers of change and strategies to address these drivers in

a document that reflects the balance of social, cultural

environmental and economic values of the community of

resource users across the region. The Board’s vision for

the Region:

“The South Australian Arid Lands Natural Resources

Management region is made up of healthy, functioning

ecosystems (landscapes) which sustain our industries

(livelihoods) and communities (lifestyles)”

This vision is expanded into goals that emphasise each of

its three keys elements: environmental (landscapes),

economic (livelihoods) and social/cultural (lifestyles).

Goal 1: Lifestyles: People who have the capacity,

commitment and connections to manage natural

resources.

Goal 2: Livelihoods: Diverse industries that

innovate, adapt and support local economies

within ecologically sustainable limits.

Goal 3: Landscapes: Functioning, healthy

environment with connected ecosystems that are

understood, valued and protected.

In addition to these goals, the Board (and its partners) will

be guided in the delivery of the Plan by the following set

of principles:

We are collaborative, consider community values, and

involve people in decision-making.

We facilitate resilient and adaptable lifestyles,

livelihoods and landscapes.

We are accountable, transparent, adaptive and

action-oriented.

We take a landscape (systems) approach (not assets

e.g. plants, animals, soils, water) to regional planning.

We drive decision-making by understanding system

resilience and ‘tipping points’.

We use evidence-based decision-making

incorporating best available science, local and cultural

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knowledge that improves understanding of system

resilience.

We maximise public return on investment.

We comply with legislation.

These guiding principles will underpin the way the Board

does business, where and in what the Board invests its

resources, and the decision-making processes.

For more information, see Volume 1 of the Regional NRM

Plan.

Delivering the Regional NRM Plan

A variety of individuals, organisations and agencies

contribute to delivering the strategies outlined in the SAAL

Regional NRM Plan. In its strategic role, the SAAL NRM

Board works in partnership with government, industry

and the community to develop and deliver natural

resource management solutions and it influences others

through its leadership and effective governance

arrangements.

Our strategies

The strategies the Board has adopted to address the

key drivers of change in the region are (under broad

headings):

Knowledge and capacity management

1. Encourage sustainable living and engagement

with nature.

2. Increase and diversify participation and

capacity in natural resources management

activities.

3. Support cross-cultural innovation and

knowledge sharing (traditional, local and

scientific).

Economic impacts management

4. Support and encourage sustainability in all

industries reliant in natural resources.

5. Support and encourage diversified and

sustainable economic development.

6. Promote recognition of both the intrinsic and

economic value of biodiversity.

Land and water management

7. Prioritise management of contested areas

where both productivity and biodiversity are

highly valued

8. Maintain an effective cross-jurisdictional

biosecurity system

9. Reduce land-based impacts to aquatic

ecosystems through appropriate land

management

10. Manage prescribed and non-prescribed water

resources within sustainable limits

Climate change

11. Provide opportunities for production systems

to adapt or transform

12. Build the capacity of communities to adapt

13. Provide opportunities for landscapes to adapt

Our targets

The Board’s business plan (Volume 2) may apply for three

years, but will be reviewed annually and may be updated

in light of changed financial circumstances or Board

priorities. Volume 2 also sets out short-term (usually one

to five year) targets, which will contribute to the longer

term goals and strategies. These targets cover the

priorities for Board investment in the region in the three

year period to which the business plan applies.

The targets describe in broad terms the activities the Board

will prioritise for funding and direct action. The SAAL

targets are summarised as follows:

1. Increase the capacity of people to manage natural resources.

2. Increase protection and preservation of Aboriginal culture through active participation of Aboriginal people in natural resources management.

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3. Improve the capacity of land managers to adapt to climate change impacts.

4. Manage all water resources sustainably.

5. Ensure that water is available and managed to enhance and maintain ecological function and resilience of water dependant ecosystems.

6. Increase the ecological function and resilience of native ecosystems

7. Reduce threats to native species and ecological communities

8. Protect and improve soil condition and stability to support productive capacity

9. Reduce the impact of pest plants and animals on ecosystem health and productive capacity

Delivery agents

The Board’s own funding is directed to running projects

and activities across a diversity of areas including

community engagement, pastoral property management,

water management and plant and animal management.

These projects are delivered by Natural Resources SA Arid

Lands (NRSAAL), Department of Environment and Water

(DEW).

NRSAAL is a dedicated team of people who work with

community, industry and government to deliver a diverse

range of programs and projects on behalf of the SAAL

NRM Board, Pastoral Board and DEW. Its head office is at

the Natural Resources Centre in Port Augusta.

The SAAL NRM Board has established six District NRM

Groups within the region, which reflect local natural

resource management needs and provide a conduit

between landholders and the work of the Board. District

NRM Groups influence the investment priorities of the

Board, and support delivery of Board programs with

landholders and the broader community.

Weighing up competing priorities – decision making

The Board – and its partners – will play a key role in

delivery, informed by the strategies outlined in this 10-year

plan, with the Board’s own activities and investments

identified in its three-year Business Plan (Volume 2). It will

use the following criteria to assess potentially competing

priorities to help decide which it will fund through its

Business Plan.

The activity should:

Reflect community values

Contribute to meeting at least one strategy

Assist in reducing at least one pressure on a

system

Contribute to regional targets contained in its

three-year Business Plan (Volume 2) or other

agency plans

Contribute to testing our understanding of the

system

Represent an innovative approach to doing things

Build on existing work

Be collaborative in nature and actively involve

others in implementation

Be a statutory requirement

Satisfy a cost benefit and/or risk analysis

The Board also encourages its partners to consider their

own investments against these criteria.

Measuring progress (MERI)

Under the NRM Act, the SAAL NRM Board is responsible

for monitoring and reporting on the implementation of the

Regional NRM Plan. The Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting

and Improvement (MERI) framework, signed off by the

Board in June 2011, provides an overarching framework to

guide this process.

All externally-funded projects require a MERI plan which

guides the collection of data needed to determine the

impact, effectiveness, appropriateness and efficiency of the

project. The information collected through these MERI

plans is used in an adaptive management approach to

assist in improving project delivery.

Collectively, this information also enables an assessment of

progress towards achievement of SAAL Regional NRM Plan

targets and therefore, over time, represents an integral

element of the NRM planning process.

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The Board’s Business Plan 2019/20 - 2021/22: delivering on the Regional NRM Plan This draft plan has been developed in line with current legislative requirements and the Government’s priorities for natural resources management. Consistent with the government’s policy, the Board’s plan proposes that annual levy increases from 2019-2022 are limited to CPI.

Through the new business plan, the SA Arid Lands NRM Board is investing resources in a range of programs that contribute to the State Government’s priorities of soil quality, water management and pest plant and animal control. A number of examples have been highlighted here.

Table 1 provides information on the proposed Board

expenditure by investment area for 2019/20 and the

following two years.

Aggregated figures are given for investments/expenditure

in 2019/20 2021/22 and the Board will prioritise the

actions to be undertaken each year.

Table 1: Proposed Board expenditure by investment area for 2019/20-21/22

Investment 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 Projects/Activities

Soil quality $507,000 $516,000 $485,000 NLP2 Landscape Legacies

NLP2 Grazing BMP

NLP Regional Agriculture Landcare Facilitator

Pest plant and animal control

$667,000 $688,000 $225,000 Pest animal control

Wild dog Management

Roadside weed management

Bounceback and Beyond

Water Management $1,324,000 $1,348,000 $1,242,000 GAB modelling

NLP2 Coongie Wetland Wonders

Local water projects

Sustainable water use projects

Water licensing and permits

Water Allocation Planning

Bore Compliance

State Government water planning & Management charges

Stewardship $2,250,000 $2,243,000 $1,983,000 NLP2 Bounceback and Beyond

District NRM Group governance

Local project/events/initiatives

Community Grants program

Planning

Community capacity building

TOTALS $4,748,000 $4,795,000 $3,935,000

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Incorporated across each of the four key priority areas within Table 1 is the investment to administer and facilitate these

activities. This includes facilitation and leadership of six district NRM Groups, regional communications, board administration

and governance, monitoring and evaluation, planning and delivery of core services for projects awarded through the National

Landcare Program 2.

Graphical Description of Investment in State Government Priorities 2019/20

Proposed expenditure based on the goals of Landscapes, Lifestyles and Livelihoods in the SAAL Board Regional NRM Plan is

captured in Table 2.

Table 2: Proposed expenditure by Goal/Program area for 2019/20-2021/22

Proposed Budget 2019/20 to 2021/22

Goals/programs 2019/20 2020/21 2021/2022

Goal 1: Lifestyles Program $1,122,000 $1,148,000 $1,009,000

Goal 2: Livelihoods Program $1,058,,000 $1,089,000 $572,000

Goal 3: Landscapes Program $2,568,000 $2,558,000 $2,354,000

TOTALS $4,748,000 $4,795,000 $3,935,000

Graphical Description of Plan Goal priority investment 2019/20

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Investments 2019/20- 2021/22

The SAAL NRM Board’s investment in natural resources

management is broken up into four main areas:

1. Investment in projects that support landscape,

livelihood and lifestyle values of the region,

through improved:

Soil Quality

Water Management

Pest Plant and Animal Control

Other Stewardship Priorities

2. Board support for community involvement in

NRM planning and project delivery through its

district NRM Groups

3. Board governance and administration

The Board’s investment will be delivered through a range

of projects and approaches including direct investment,

contracts for works or services, and grants to community

organisations.

Some of these projects include;

Landscape Legacies

Successful stories of soil rehabilitation will be recorded and

shared in this one-year project. The collection of historical

data to capture stories from sites where soil management

works have occurred over the past four decades is a key

component of the project. This will provide land managers

with key information of tried and tested soil management

works on arid properties prior to starting or expanding

their own projects.

Wetland Wonders

The project will protect environmental values of the

Coongie Lakes recognised through the Ramsar Wetlands

Agreement. This will include protecting the habitat of

endangered animals such as the Dusky Hopping Mouse,

and Crest-Tailed Mulgara, as well as maintaining diversity

of native fish species in the waterholes. Monitoring of the

populations of species will also be carried out along with

acoustic surveillance to determine the presence of the

Night Parrot.

The funding will see invasive weeds including Buffel Grass

and Mimosa Bush treated. Pest animals including feral pigs

and large feral herbivores will also be controlled to reduce

damage to waterholes and vegetation.

Bounceback and Beyond

This project consolidates and

builds on the conservation gains made through

coordinated landscape scale threat management across

the Flinders, Gawler and Olary Ranges achieved by the

long-running Bounceback Program. It will focus on

improving conservation outcomes for a greater number of

threatened species across a broader range of threatened

species habitat, including the Yellow-footed Rock-Wallaby,

the Western Quoll, Malleefowl, the Plains Wanderer and

the Spotted Gudgeon.

Control of feral cats and foxes as known predators is key to

the project, along with reducing competition from feral

goats. Data gathered through animal surveys over the

five-year project will inform on whether effective

management of predators at landscape scales improves

residency and detectability of the threatened species in

arid regions.

Threatened plant species assessments will also occur and

track long-term trends for the Slender Bell-fruit, Menzell's

Wattle, Purple-wood Wattle, Xerothamnella parvifolia,

Spidery Wattle, Ooldea Guinea-flower and West Coast

Mintbush and will assess the threat posed by introduced

herbivores in goat managed versus unmanaged areas.

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Support for NRM Groups

The six district based NRM Groups have an integral role in

the support of regional programs generally, as well as

conducting specific local projects. They help assess and

prioritise project proposals, can initiate Group area

projects, and provide an important project community

liaison role. Importantly, the strategic priorities identified

by each district NRM Group are used both in regional

planning and in Board support for Group activities. Direct

funding to support governance costs of NRM Groups is

divided across the program areas.

District groups can access funds for a wide range of group

projects through the Board. However, the funds for NRM

Group projects will remain with the Board to reduce the

administrative burden on groups, and deliver efficiencies

where projects cover more than one Group area. This

approach is supported by the Groups as being a more

efficient process in the SAAL region. The core responsibility

of the Board’s funded community engagement officers is

to provide support to Groups as well as keep the

community involved and connected with the work of the

board through volunteerism, Aboriginal partnerships,

education, community events and NRM extension support

alongside other board resources and programs. These

roles are a part of the core services that support the

Australian Government Regional Land Partnerships

projects.

Board governance and administration

Board governance expenditure covers those areas of

expenditure that establish the core structure of the Board

and cannot be directly attributed to Board project

investments or support to Groups. For example, it covers

Board meeting costs, general administration and related

administration salaries. These costs are divided equally

across the program areas.

State water planning and management

The South Australian Government recovers

water planning and management costs from each NRM

Board in a similar approach to the National Water Initiative

which recovers costs on an ‘impactor pays’ basis. An

‘impactor’ is defined as a beneficiary of the activity.

These activities are undertaken by the Department for

Environment and Water and include water science,

planning, licensing, monitoring and compliance activities,

along with the review and amendment of Water Allocation

Plans and debt recovery.

The amount that the SAAL region will be required to

contribute in 2019/20 is $65 000.

Wild Dog Management

The Board runs a comprehensive Wild Dog Management

Program in partnership with PIRSA, landholders, Livestock

SA and other investors such as the Australian Government

and Sheep Industry Fund. The development of the Wild

Dog Management Best Practice Guidelines by the Board

sees a rigorous regime of management strategies guided

through 21 local area groups across the SA Arid Lands

Region.

Infrastructure and land

The Board owns no infrastructure or land.

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Funding sources 2019/20- 2021/22

The role of the Board is to guide investment in regional

natural resource management. These investments are

funded by a range of sources. In particular the Board

seeks appropriate contribution by resource users including

landholders and industry.

As well as Board funds such as levies, there are also in-kind

contributions, partnerships and collaborations that support

the delivery of Board projects.

Board funding sources (Table 3) include funds derived

from the NRM levy (both land-based and water-based);

State Government; Australian Government; industry; and

opportunistic grants from various funding bodies.

Continued effort is applied towards sourcing

complementary funding of NRM activities via industry or

community opportunities. It is difficult to provide an

accurate forecast on the levels of funding available from

grant bodies and industry when preparing this business

plan. The proposals in this business plan are based upon

the best information available at the time.

If additional external funding is obtained by the Board

after this business plan is prepared, the community can be

confident that it will be directed to projects that will

contribute to targets in the SAAL Regional NRM Plan.

State Government funding

State funds provide a base for the Board to deliver basic

governance and some of its core NRM Act responsibilities.

On-going core funding from the State at levels provided in

the past may vary as the new legislation is introduced and

changes occur under the new Landscape SA regions.

Australian Government funding

The SAAL NRM Board receives funding from the

Australian Government through the National Landcare

Program. Details of known funding from these sources

are listed in Table 3. Of particular importance to the

SAAL NRM Board is the Regional Delivery component of

the National Landcare Program, known as Regional Land

Partnerships. This funding comes from both the

Department of Environment and Energy and the

Department of Agriculture and Water Resources.

Recent completion of the National Landcare Program (1)

has seen the Board successfully leverage new funding for

the next five years, some of which continues to be

negotiated and some with new contracts and work plans

already well underway. Given some of these projects are

still being negotiated at the time of this plan being

reviewed, some minor changes may occur relating to the

portion allocated in particular years, with the quantum of

investment remaining the same.

The SA Arid Lands is a preferred program provider for the

Australian Government which positions it favourably for

any future funding that becomes available.

Industry Partnerships Program

The Board continues to seek industry partnerships as it

believes that more appropriate and efficient outcomes are

achieved through joint funding and delivery of projects.

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Table 3: Income sources to fund Board expenditure for 2018/2019-2021/22

Funding Source

Adopted Plan Budget

Proposed Budget

Proposed Budget

Proposed Budget

2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 NRM levies

Regional NRM levy13 $472,000 $425,000 $436,000 $448,000

NRM water levy234 $1,737,000 $1,741,000 $1,779,000 $1,135,000

State Government State recurrent allocation -NRM Fund5 $332,000 $332,000 $363,000 $363,000

Other $28,000

Commonwealth Government

NLP2 Core Services $488,000 $495,000 $502,000 $509,000

NLP2 Landscape Legacies $242,000

NLP2 Bounceback and Beyond

$790,000 $810,000 $775,000 $730,000

NLP2 Coongie Wetland Wonders

$651,000 $488,000 $488,000 $488,000

NLP2 Grazing BMP $250,000 $250,000 $250,000

Drought funding7 $100,000

Other Industry Partnerships Program6

$201,000 $187,000 $189,000

Interest $20,000 $20,000 $10,000 $10,000

Total Income $5,061,000 $4,748,000 $4,795,000 $3,935,000

1 Inside Council Areas will increase by standard CPI estimate (2.7%). Outside council areas will be levied based on property size; a standard CPI increase (2.7%) applies to these levies annually.

2 Increased by Standard CPI estimate (2.7%).

3 The proposed levy increases for 2020-21 and 2021-22 are indicative and will be subject to adjustment, in line with to the actual Consumer Price Index (All Groups Index for Adelaide) for the associated periods.’

4 Subject to variation through licence application and approval.

5 The Natural Resources Management (NRM) Fund is a statutory fund established by the Natural Resources Management Act.

6 Includes Sheep industry Funds for Wild dog control.

7 Predominantly used for Wild Dog control

19

NRM levies

To assist the Board to undertake its functions, the NRM Act

2004 provides for two types of levies to be raised:

Regional (land-based) NRM levy (Division 1):

Section 92 of the NRM Act authorises levies to be

collected by constituent councils from rate

payers. The Board specifies the amount to be

contributed by constituent councils towards the

cost of performing its functions under the NRM

Act (Division 1 regional NRM levy). The division 1

NRM levy can also be collected from outside

council areas.

Regional NRM water levy (Division 2): Section

101 of the NRM Act enables the Minister to

declare a water levy or levies to be paid by

holders of water licences. This water levy is

collected from all water licence holders.

The NRM levies provide a primary source of funding for

the management of the region’s natural resources. Funds

raised through the levies ensure that works are undertaken

to achieve the Board’s vision. The levies also provide the

Board with the ability to leverage significant, additional

government funding to greatly increase the volume of

work that can be accomplished in our region.

Basis and rates of NRM levies

Under the NRM Act, each NRM Board defines the most

appropriate basis and rates for regional (land-based) NRM

and water levies, taking into account specific matters of

importance for each region.

To inform the development of the Board’s 2019/20-

2020/21 Business Plan, the Board has reviewed its work

program, particularly in light of the revised 10 year NRM

Plan. The review process was undertaken with a view to

transitioning to the new way of doing business as

articulated in the revised NRM Plan. This also includes the

requirement for the Board to identify future funding for

program delivery which meets the Board’s statutory

obligations under the Act, as well as deliver programs

valued by the community and are therefore afforded the

highest priority.

In its determination of appropriate basis and rates for the

NRM levies, the Board:

Considered its Guiding Principles for decision-

making of levies (see box, p. 24);

Considered the revised NRM plan and the

process to transition to a systems approach to

managing our natural resources; and

Consulted with key industry stakeholders and

Local Government.

Regional (land-based levy) NRM levy

Section 92 of the NRM Act enables a board to specify in its

Regional NRM Plan an amount to be contributed by

constituent councils within the Board’s region. There are

two councils in the SA Arid Lands region: the District

Council of Coober Pedy and Municipal Council of Roxby

Downs.

To enable councils to be reimbursed for their contribution,

the NRM Act requires the councils to apply a regional

NRM levy on all rateable land. In addition, Section 97 of

the NRM Act enables the Board to specify a regional NRM

levy to be collected from landowners outside of council

areas.

The Board can only specify in its business plan an amount

(the base contribution amount) to be contributed by the

constituent councils for the region towards the costs of the

Board performing its functions. The actual amount paid by

each ratepayer is determined by dividing this amount by

the number of rate payers. Rate payer numbers are usually

not finalised until after the business plan has been

consulted upon.

20

Proposed changes to Regional (land-based) NRM levy

After defining the Board’s required work program for

2019/20 – 2021/22, and considering both projected

income and funds required to deliver on this program, the

Board is not proposing to change the basis of the levy for

any properties in its region.

For the out of council areas of the region, the Board has

recommended that the basis of the Regional NRM Levy is

maintained as a ‘tiered’ rate dependent upon the area of

rateable land. A land levy based on area of rateable land is

viewed as having stronger alignment with a ‘beneficiary

pays’ principle i.e. larger properties that receive greater

NRM support and investment have higher levy rates. The

property size categories and applicable rates are detailed

in Table 4.

The various land size categories were selected on the basis

of the representative land uses for that size of property in

the region. Properties over 100,000ha are predominantly

used for cattle grazing; those between 100ha and

100,000ha are sheep properties; less than 100ha and

greater than 10ha are largely lifestyle blocks that are used

for conservation or hobby farming; and blocks of less than

10ha are residential blocks.

The Board has recommended that properties inside council

areas continue to be charged a fixed rate commensurate

with the <10ha outside of council levy rate.

Where multiple allotments form a single enterprise, the

levy will only be charged once based on the aggregated

area of the multiple allotments.

For 2019/20 and 21/22 it is recommended that a standard

estimated CPI increase of 2.7% be applied to all land based

levies (both inside and outside council areas).

Table 4: Out of Council levy rates based on rateable land per property size

Property size 2018/19 rate 2019/20 2020/21

<10ha $61.40 $63.10 $64.80

>10 ha - <100ha $204.80 $210.30 $216.00

>100ha - <100,000ha $409.70 $420.80 $432.20

>100,000 ha $716.90 $736.30 $756.20

21

Collecting the Regional (land-based) NRM Levy

The Board has consulted with the Councils regarding

collection costs. Given the Board’s consultation with both

the District Council of Coober Pedy and Municipal Council

of Roxby Downs each council will be reimbursed its

collection costs for 2019/20 as detailed in Table 5.

Each council-share of the Regional (land-based) NRM levy

amount to be collected in its council area is also detailed in

Table 5.

Table 5: Regional (land-based) NRM levy collection in council areas - 2018/19 to 2020/21

Council 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22

Estimated levy

per property

Total Levy

amount

collected by

Councils

Estimated Council

Levy Collection

Fees12

Total Levy amount

collected by

Councils12

Total Levy

amount

collected by

Councils12

Roxby

Downs

$63.10 $118,565 $2,968.14 $121,759 $124,954

Coober Pedy

$63.10 $101,970 $2,903.31 $104,717 $107,464

Total $220,535 $226,476 $232,418

1 Based on Standard Estimated CPI increase of 2.7%

2 The proposed levy increases for 2020-21 and 2021-22 are indicative and will be subject to adjustment, in line with to the actual Consumer Price Index (All Groups Index for Adelaide) for the associated periods.’

Collection of the regional (land-based) NRM levy from land owners outside council areas is undertaken by the Department for

Environment and Water.

22

NRM water levy

Section 101 of the NRM Act enables the Minister to declare an NRM water levy or levies to be paid by water licensees in

prescribed water resources areas. This excludes water allocated for stock and domestic purposes. Also excluded from the water

levy is water allocated to bore-fed wetlands as defined in the Water Allocation Plan, Far North Prescribed Wells Area.

Revenue from the NRM water levy is variable, largely dependent on the level of industry activity.

Proposed changes to the NRM water levy

It is recommended that a standard estimated CPI increase of 2.7% be applied to the 2018/19 rate for all classes of licence. The

same rate of CPI increase will apply to the subsequent years to which this plan applies as demonstrated in Table 6.

Table 6: Proposed NRM water levy increases by Licence Type - 2018/19 to 2021/22.

Type of water levy Existing Levy

2018/19

Indicative

2019/20

Indicative

2020/21

Indicative

2021/22

c/kL c/kL c/kL c/kL

Mining; including product

processing, dewatering, mining

camp supply, and associated mining

uses

6.5 6.68 6.86 7.05

Co-produced water 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9

Commercial (including irrigation),

Town Water Supply, Industrial,

Tourism and Recreation

4.2 4.31 4.43 4.55

23

Guiding principles for decision-making on NRM levies

The SAAL NRM Board has a vision for regional natural resource management which provides for a shared responsibility

by all citizens for individually and collectively managing the natural resources which underpin our shared prosperity. In

this way, all residents of the region are natural resource beneficiaries and managers

Our investment will be dispersed across the highest priority outcomes contained within the Regional NRM Plan,

regardless of how it is raised. Noting this, the below principles are used by the Board to determine how NRM levies are

determined/raised.

1. Beneficiary pays – implies that the people who are the beneficiaries of natural resources management both indirectly

and directly in the region should contribute accordingly.

2. Equity – no single person, organisation or group of organisations is treated more or less favourably than others.

3. Certainty – the levy arrangement should deliver a certain outcome for both the managers of the natural resources of

the region and the ‘users’ of the natural resources, so that they can plan and budget accordingly.

4. Flexibility – the levy arrangements should accommodate any unusual volatility in the resource managers’ funding

requirements in a controlled manner.

5. Resource use efficiency – the basis for determining the levy should encourage efficient and sustainable use and the

protection and enhancement of the region’s natural resources.

6. Administrative efficiency – the basis for determining the levy should ensure that the levy collection and management

procedures are undertaken in a manner that minimises costs.

7. Accountability – The Board as a natural resource manager financed by the levy should be publicly accountable for

their use of funds.

8. Enterprise based - where contiguous land parcels and combined to form single enterprises levies will be applied to

the whole enterprises rather than to individual land parcels.

The Board has also resolved that when determining the levy income quantum to:

a) Share the budget implications of reductions in water allocations across all water levy payers;

b) Add the value of increases resulting from the issue of new water allocations to the levy income quantum;

c) Increase the land and water levy income by CPI or as needed to meet the work plan priorities of the Board

considering the impact of changes to income;

d) Review the rates of the NRM levies annually.

24

Water Affecting Activities The landscapes and ecosystems of the SA Arid Lands Natural Resources Management (NRM) region are relatively intact

compared with other regions of the State. The region’s semi-arid to arid climate and highly variable rainfall means water

resources, and their management, are critical to maintaining the health and integrity of the plants, animals, ecosystems and

people that rely on them. There are a range of activities undertaken within the SA Arid Lands NRM boundary that have the

potential to affect the condition, persistence and connectivity of water resources.

There are a number of mechanisms available to the SA Arid Lands NRM Board (the Board) to use to assist in preventing

impacts to water resources. One of the mechanisms is through the Natural Resources Management Act 2004 (the Act) as it

provides for regulatory control of activities that affect water resources. The primary instrument for this regulation is through a

water planning framework, which includes this policy, a permit assessment process, education and support.

This Water Affecting Activity Policy (Appendix 1 of this Business Plan – separate document) aims to regulate water affecting

activities to ensure the sustainable use of water resources and protection of natural ecosystems, cultural and social values, and

provide balanced support for the development of community and economic activities.

The objectives and principles outlined in this policy are intended to inform and guide those who may need to apply for a Water

Affecting Activity Permit, and the relevant authority when determining whether to grant or refuse a Water Affecting Activity

permit.