Landscape South Australia Bill 2019 introduced into Parliament

The Landscape South Australia Bill 2019 (the Bill) was introduced into Parliament by the Minister for Environment and Water on 20 March 2019.

It is intended that this Bill will repeal and replace the Natural Resources Management Act 2004 (NRM Act).

Some parts of the NRM Act, particularly relating to water, are carried across into the Bill relatively unchanged. However, some key differences are proposed, including:

• Natural resources management regions will be replaced with new landscape management regions.

• One region will comprise (wholly or predominately) the urban areas of metropolitan Adelaide, and will be called Green Adelaide. The priorities for this region are set out in Section 24 of the Bill.

• Regional landscape boards will replace NRM boards. These new boards will comprise 7 members. With the exception of Green Adelaide, 3 members of each board will be elected by the community and the remaining 4 will be appointed by the Minister. The process for electing board members will be determined in future regulations, but is anticipated that these elections will align with local government elections.

• The Minister will determine the skills, qualifications, knowledge and experience that persons (both elected and appointed) should collectively have to enable a board to carry out its functions. The Minister will be able to declare a candidate ineligible to stand for election, if it is considered the candidate is not suitable.

• NRM levies (to be called landscape and water levies) will be capped and increase only at the rate of CPI each year, unless exceptional circumstances apply. A portion of the levy collected by the Green Adelaide region will be invested in regional projects via a new “landscape priorities fund”.

• Each regional landscape board will set its own budget, including setting land levies (within the cap) and determining their own consultation processes.

• The formal process by which landowners are required to take action to destroy or control pest plants or animals will change, with the onus shifting to the relevant authority to direct the action a landowner must take to control or destroy pest plants or animals.

• Only the Minister will be able to appoint authorised officers under the Bill.

We will keep you updated on the progress of the Bill as it moves through the Houses of Parliament.