Environment

Crown Lands is responsible for the environmental management of lands under its control. A variety of activities are undertaken each year.

Bushfire management 

Crown Lands has a statutory responsibility under the Rural Fires Act 1997 to prevent bush fires starting on, or spreading on or from, land under its control. In September 2003, Crown Lands appointed Land Management Officers and a Land Management Coordinator (Bush Fire) to assist existing officers in addressing the authority's bush fire responsibilities. These positions have facilitated a more strategic approach to the divisions bushfire management.

Weed management

Weed management includes preventing the introduction of new weeds and the spread of existing weeds to adjoining land. The NSW Department of Primary Industries is the lead agency in weed control matters and Local Control Authorities are responsible for the coordination of planning processes and on-ground activities.

Crown Lands is involved in the development of regional weed management plans, the federal Weeds of National Significance initiative, the Bitou Bush Threat Abatement plan and Recovery Plans for Threatened Native Species (in conjunction with the Department of Environment and Conservation). The Bitou Bush spraying programs in the Taree and Tweed Regions have resulted in approximately 50% reduction of Bitou in the past three years.

Weed Control Program on Crown land

Crown Lands has made arrangements with the NSW Department of Primary Industries and the Noxious Weeds Advisory Committee (NWAC) to provide limited funds for integrated weed control programs on Crown land and other land under the control of the department. This can include Crown land which is vacant, under short term tenure or the control of community or corporate Trusts. For further information download an information package and application form.

Game and feral animal control 

The Game & Feral Control Act 2002 was introduced to allow conservation hunting/culling within NSW to enhance environmental outcomes on public and private lands. The Game Council was established to undertake the functions of the Act, including liaising with government departments and landholders on game and feral animal control.

Feral animals prey on fauna, destroy the habitat, pollute waterways, damage fences, cause erosion through trampling and grazing, cause a safety hazard to drivers, attack stock and also carry disease that could be passed on to stock. In reducing feral animal numbers on Crown land, control programs aim to provide positive environmental outcomes with the assistance of well-trained and motivated people.

Pest management

Crown Lands also has responsibilities to eradicate pest animals on land under its control. The NSW Department of Primary Industries is the lead agency and Livestock Health and Pest Authorities (LHPAs) are responsible for the planning and coordination of on-ground actions.

The division's pest animal control programs include support for the Fox Threat Abatement Plan prepared by the Department of Environment and Conservation and Outfox the Fox, an initiative of NSW Primary Industries and the LHPAs. The division also supports Regional Wild Dog Management Plans, Recovery Plans for threatened native species and a research project into the effect of aerial baiting of dogs and foxes on native quoll populations.

Crown Lands has now finalised a Pesticide Use notification plan (PDF 224kb).

Pest and feral animal control program on Crown land

Crown Lands will provide funds in the 2010/11 year for integrated pest and feral animal control projects on Crown land and other land under the control of the department. This can include Crown land which is vacant, under short-term tenure or the control of community or corporate Trusts. For further information download an information package and application form.

NSW Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Strategy

The NSW Natural Resources Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Strategy 2010-2015  guides the monitoring, evaluation and reporting of natural resources in NSW.

The strategy focuses on developing a seamless link between local, regional, state and national data on natural resource management (NRM) that will inform the community about how we care for the natural resources of NSW. The strategy identifies four key priorities to achieve this:

• Monitoring, evaluating and reporting of the condition of, and pressures on, natural resources;
• Monitoring, evaluating and reporting on the short- to medium-term outcomes and outputs achieved from investment in natural resource management through a new program performance strand;
• Developing and enhancing collaboration with NRM partners which include Crown Lands, DECCW, Industry and Investment, Catchment Management Authorities and other agencies, improving data acquisition, management and sharing arrangements.

Data and information produced from the NSW MER program will be available through:

• State of the Catchment reports for catchment-scale information - the first of these for the state's NRM regions are now available;
• The NSW State of the Environment report for state-scale information;
• Other publicly available sources currently under development.

LPMA Crown Lands is working to gather information on its land management activities to provide into the NSW MER Strategy, as well as helping to inform its own management practices and seek continual improvement. For further information, contact the Public Land Management Directorate on Tel. (02) 4925 4142.