Towards effective agri-environmental governance in Australia

The conservation of Australia's biodiversity is an ongoing and significant challenge, notwithstanding many legal and non-legal instruments designed to stem the trajectory of biodiversity loss. Recently, a review of our flagship environmental policy, Report on the Review of the First Five Years of Australia's Biodiversity Conservation Strategy 2010-2030, found that the Strategy has "not effectively influenced biodiversity conservation activities" in its first 5 years of operation. The review found there had been no facilitation or coordination of implementation activities, and no oversight of responsibilities. Of particular note is that the Strategy does not resonate with those who manage agricultural land. This is a critical concern; agricultural holdings presently operate across almost 50% of Australia's total land area, including large areas of ecological significance. Agriculture has a significant impact upon biodiversity, including the conversion of habitat areas for farming, and through farming practices that affect water, soil and air quality. Given that intact biodiversity is more likely to be found in rural areas, on-farm conservation is important to Australia's biodiversity protection efforts and meeting its international biodiversity obligations. It is important that governments all find ways to make agri-environmental governance in Australia more effective. Over the past decade, the Australian Centre for Agriculture and Law has focused on rural landscape governance, particularly issues of effectiveness at the system level. This brief paper outlines some findings from this research. It reflects on the challenges for environmental governance of agricultural land, and proposes some possible avenues for reform.