PAUL McGARVA
Vic
17-7-2003

PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION 
NATIVE VEGETATION INQUIRY

AS AN OWNER/MANAGER OF 2 PROPERTIES CONTAINING MOSTLY
NATIVE VEGETATION ( ONE IN QUEENSLAND & ONE IN VICTORIA),
THAT DO NOT GENERATE ANY INCOME I SUBMIT THE FOLLOWING
COMMENTS IN REGARD TO ISSUES RELEVANT TO THIS INQUIRY;

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF EXISTING REGIMES IN VARIOUS STATES IS
QUESTIONABLE; FOR EXAMPLE, IN VICTORIA THE PLANNING &
ENVIRONMENT ACT 1987, ESTABLISHES N.V.R.C.’S THAT ALLOW PERMITS TO BE ISSUED “DESIGNED TO FACILITATE NORMAL RURAL PRACTISES”, BUT THE  FLORA & FAUNA GUARANTEE ACT 1988, WAS INTRODUCED TO GUARANTEE THAT VICTORIA’S FLORA&FAUNA CAN “ SURVIVE, FLOURISH …………IN THE WILD”.
THESE TWO ACTS ARE INCONSISTENT AND CONTRADICT EACH 
OTHER. WHAT ARE “NORMAL” RURAL PRACIICES – AS THEY WERE
IN THE 1880’S?
IN QLD; I HAD NO EXPERIENCE OF THE EFFECT OF CURRENT REGIMES, BUT BEFORE I LEFT IN 1995, THE WORD WAS IF YOU WANTED TO CLEAR YOUR BLOCK, YOU HAD BETTER DO IT NOW!
TODAY I RANG MY LOCAL COUNCIL IN QLD; TO FIND OUT IF A PESMIT TO CLEAR NATIVE VEGETATION WAS NEEDED AND WAS INFORMED THAT I WOULD HAVE TO CONTACT THE D.P.I. – IT WOULD APPEAR THIS COUNCIL HAS NO PLANNING OR ENVIRONMENTAL DEPARTMENTS.

BROADACRE AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES ARE NOW GENERALLY
RECOGNISED AS UNSUSTAINABLE BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEMS THEY CAUSE ( E.G. LOSS OF TOPSOIL, SALINITY ETC;) AND WHOLE FARM PLANNING INCORPORATING BIODIVERSITY IS PROVING TO BE PARTIAL SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM  AND TO CONTRIBUTE TO AN INCREASE IN PRODUCTIVITY.

EDUCATION PROGRAMS, MORE INCENTIVES AND COMPENSATION
PACKAGES MAY HELP TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM OF PRIMARY PRODUCER’S  CURRENT, SOMETIMES NEGATIVE, FEELING VICTIMISED, ATTITUDES. E.G. PEOPLE COULD BE MADE AWARE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL STATUS OF THEIR PROPERTIES WITH THEIR RATE NOTICES AND THE VARIOUS AVENUES THEY HAVE TO ACCESS GOVERNMENT INFORMATION ETC;

COSTS IN MANAGING MY NATIVE VEGETATION (EXCLUDING COUNCIL RATES) HAVE MOSTLY INVOLVED THE REMOVAL OF EXOTIC WEEDS. REIMBURSEMENT OF THESE COST HAS BEEN ACCESSED THROUGH LOCAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT STRATEGIES. THE VICTORIAN GOVT; BUSH TENDER TRIALS 
UNFORTUNATELY ALLOW FOR BIAS ON THE PART OF THE ASSESSOR IN HIS “VALUATION” OF A PARTICULAR PIECE OF BUSH.

LACK OF CONSISTENCY AND COMMUNICATION BETWEEN LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT,  THEIR DEPARTMENTS & EMPLOYEES, COMBINED WITH A “WHO HAS THE AUTHORITY TO DO WHAT?”, OR “WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT?” APPROACH, ARE NOT ONLY AN OBVIOUS WASTE OF HUMAN RESOURCES, BUT IMPEDE ANY REGIMES’ DEGREE OF EFFECTIVENESS.

HAVING RECENTLY BECOME A MEMBER OF A “REGIONAL COMMITTEE”, I AM NOT YET IN A POSITION TO COMMENT ON THEIR EFFECTIVENESS.

PAUL McGARVA
MEMBER: LATROBE CITY COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT EXTENDED 
WORKING GROUP.