Governance

The Natural Heritage Ministerial Board (the Board) is established under the Natural Heritage Trust of Australia Act 1997 (the Act). The board provides the formal mechanism for liaison and cooperation between the Environment and Agriculture Ministers on all matters relating to programs funded through the Natural Heritage Trust of Australia Account (NHT Account).

The board supports the design and delivery of the National Landcare Program (NLP), which is funded through the Natural Heritage Trust Special Account.

Natural Heritage Ministerial board members

The board consists of the Environment Minister and the Agriculture Minister. Other Ministers may be co-opted to the board on specific matters as agreed by the board.

Role of the board

The board provides oversight on the design and implementation of the NLP to most efficiently and effectively address program priorities and national objectives for a healthy environment and a sustainable future. Its functions are to:

  • set investment priorities and delivery arrangements that achieve NLP outcomes
  • ensure effective community and Indigenous engagement
  • set overarching budget allocations relating to the NLP and ensure appropriate expenditure of funds under the NHT account
  • monitor the ongoing performance of the NLP in achieving its outcomes
  • oversee and make decisions on the implementation of related natural resource management programs funded under the NHT account.

Secretariat

The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment supports the Natural Heritage Ministerial board and delivers program governance, risk management and reporting in accordance with the Act.

National Landcare Advisory Committee

The National Landcare Advisory Committee (NLAC), a non-statutory body established by the Natural Heritage Ministerial Board , operated over the period 2014 to 2017 to advise the board on the development and implementation of phase one of the NLP. The committee met nine times over the period of engagement.

Role of the committee

The committee provided advice to the board on the NLP investment priorities, delivery arrangements, community consultation and engagement, and achievement of outcomes.

Consistent with their intended role to advise on:

  • the design settings for the NLP to ensure the most efficient and effective achievement of program priorities and the Government’s objectives for improving Australia’s environment
  • implementation issues or risks for the NLP including the effectiveness of investments in achieving program outcomes
  • options and opportunities for continual improvement of NLP delivery, particularly in relation to engaging stakeholders and maintaining community participation
  • specific matters as requested by the board.

Committee advice and reports

The NLAC contributed to the NLP review, the subsequent design of the current phase of the program and various commissioned reports. Collectively, members played a valuable role as a conduit to communications between the landcare and natural resource management sector and the Australian Government.

Contributions included advice on the National Landcare Program Review.

Additional contributions

In 2016, the committee released a report on landcare’s role in building adaptive capacity and resilience.

Download the report

The committee also requested the department to commission a report on the economic benefits of landcare. Three case studies highlight some of the on-farm and off-farm economic impacts of Landcare

Download the summary