Land and Water Australia
Louise Emmett and Bill McCormick
Land and Water Australia (LWA) will be abolished, with funding
reduced in 2009–10 and ceasing in 2010–11, saving $45.9 million over the next
four years.[1] In 2009–10 $6.8 million will be provided to cover the costs of finalising
existing research and transferring responsibilities to other agencies. Programs
that will be transferred include Tropical Rivers and Coastal Knowledge,
Managing Climate Variability, the current phase of the National Climate Change
Research Strategy for Primary Industries, the National Program for Sustainable
Irrigation and the Australian Agricultural Natural Resources Online.[2]
Numerous rural and green groups have criticised this
measure. The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) response indicates their
disappointment in the cessation of funding for LWA given that the productivity
of Australia’s farming has been built on the back of research and development.[3] The NFF
specifically asked the Government to reverse the decline in agricultural
research and development funding in its Budget Submission for 2009.[4] Don Henry, Executive Director of the Australian Conservation Foundation, called
on this decision to be reversed.[5] Andrew Campbell, former executive director of LWA said this
decision ‘will save probably less than $10 million a year, and will finish
up costing way, way more than that’.[6] Environment Centre Northern Territory coordinator and LWA director
Stuart Blanch said ‘for the sake of saving $13 million a year when we are going
into debt of $58 billion, the Federal Government has sacrificed arguably the
best organisation in Australia for researching the sustainable use of land and
water’. [7]
Shadow Minister for Justice and Customs, Sussan
Ley, said the ‘axing of LWA represented Labor’s ignorance of
the essential research into sustainable agriculture’ and that the savings of
$12 million from the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation
could be ploughed back into the sector. [8]
The Greens Senator Rachel Siewert has also criticised the decision:
Land and Water Australia are one of the very few sources of
funding for essential research into tackling some of Australia's biggest
environmental problems and engaging farmers in managing the health of our soil,
water and remnant native vegetation.
… Shutting down LWA will cut the legs out from under a whole
string of ongoing research projects where LWA is one of the funding partners.[9]
The Government has indicated that in its view the functions
of LWA are already catered for through the emergence of various other tertiary,
public and private sector bodies for research and development in the area of
natural resource management.[10]
[1]. Australian Government, ‘Part
2: Expense measures’, Budget measures: budget paper no.2: 2009–2010,
Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra, 2009, p. 85, viewed 20 May 2009, http://www.aph.gov.au/budget/2009-10/content/bp2/download/bp_2.pdf
[2]. Australian Government, Portfolio
budget statements 2009-10: budget related paper no.1.1: Agriculture, Fisheries
and Forestry Portfolio, Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra, 2009,
pp. 189-202, viewed 21 May 2009, http://www.daff.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/1115281/lwa.pdf
[3]. C Burke, Budget ’09: farm sector to sustain nation through dark days, media release, 12 May 2009, viewed
21 May 2009, http://www.nff.org.au/read/2468752944.html
[4]. National Farmers' Federation, Federal budget submission 2009: feeding a hungrier world, Canberra,
National Farmers’ Federation, 2009, viewed 21 May 2009, http://www.nff.org.au/read/2464041730.html
[5]. A
Wahlquist, ‘Farmers, green groups slam Government’s funds
axing’, Australian, 16 May 2009, p. 6, viewed
18 May 2009, http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22media%2Fpressclp%2FTWKT6%22
[6]. Wahlquist, ‘Farmers, green groups slam Government's funds axing’.
[7]. ‘NT environment body cut off from funding’, Northern Territory News, 14 May 2009, p. 4, viewed 21 May 2009, http://parlinfo/parlInfo/download/media/pressclp/25KT6/upload_binary/25kt60.pdf
[8]. S Ley, Budget 2009: Rural
agriculture gutted by Rudd, media release, 13 May 2009, viewed 21 May 2009, http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22media%2Fpressrel%2F56MT6%22
[9]. R Siewert, Greens blast
move to shut down Land and Water Australia, media release,
6 May 2009, viewed 21 May 2009, http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22media%2Fpressrel%2F4QHT6%22
[10]. Budget measures: budget
paper no.2: 2009–2010, p. 85.
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