Chapter 1 Introduction

Adoption of inquiry

1.1                   On 28 November 2012, the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Agriculture, Resources, Fisheries and Forestry resolved to inquire into the Annual Reports of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) and the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (SEWPaC).

1.2                   Standing Order 215(c) of the House of Representatives allows a standing committee appointed by the House to:

… make any inquiry it wishes to make into annual reports of government departments and authorities and reports of the Auditor-General presented to the House.[1]

1.3                   In conducting this inquiry, the Committee chose to focus on the Caring for Our Country (CfOC) program along with Landcare, which are jointly administered by the two Departments.

The Committee’s inquiry

1.4                   Following the adoption of the Committee’s inquiry, the Committee wrote to inform both the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities that the inquiry would be conducted and Departmental witnesses called.

1.5                   The Committee held a public hearing for the inquiry on 13 February 2013 at which representatives of both Departments appeared. Details of the submission to the inquiry appear in Appendix A. Details of witnesses who appeared before the Committee are in Appendix B.