Kangaroo Island natural resources management enters new era

Hon David Speirs MP

Minister for Environment and Water

Kangaroo Island natural resources management will enter a new era with the appointment of Andrew Heinrich as the Presiding Member to lead the new Kangaroo Island Landscape Board.

The Kangaroo Island Landscape Board is one of nine new regional landscape boards, which will, from July, administer the new Landscape South Australia Act 2019, including a new metropolitan landscape board, Green Adelaide.

The Landscape SA reforms deliver on another election commitment for the Marshall Liberal Government, paving the way for a back-to-basics approach to how we manage our natural resources.

Minister for Environment and Water David Speirs said the new boards will play a crucial role across our regions by partnering with community groups, local government and industry to ensure our state’s regional landscapes and farming industries are thriving, resilient and sustainable.

“We went to the election with a commitment to deliver better natural resources management and that’s what we are getting on with doing,” said Minister Speirs.

“The recent devastating bushfires and ongoing drought conditions have highlighted just how important the management of our landscapes is to support our state’s economy and resilience of our regional communities.

“The new boards are designed to deliver a stronger, back-to-basics system with an emphasis on effective water management, pest plant and animal control and soil and land management.

“The appointments of new Presiding Members come following the successful passing of the Landscape South Australia Act 2019 and the creation of new landscape regions, paving the way for the Marshall Liberal Government to reform natural resources management and give local communities a greater say in how levies are spent.

“These respected community leaders have been appointed based on their connection with regional communities, industry knowledge and experience in the management of our state’s landscapes.”

Community members interested in becoming a Kangaroo Island Landscape Board member are encouraged to register their interest, with applications open until 6 March 2020 at www.landscape.sa.gov.au.

Kangaroo Island Landscape Board Presiding Member Andrew Heinrich said there are significant challenges ahead for the new KI Landscape Board, following the recent bushfires on KI, so it is important that people with a genuine interest in the island put their hands up to join the new board.

“Our role will be to work alongside community members and landowners to deliver practical, on-ground programs to help them recover from the bushfires through a range of partnerships, for example, with farming systems groups, environmental organisations and local councils,” said Mr Heinrich.

“The new board will have greater autonomy and flexibility to respond to local issues, so the focus for us will be on how we can best support local communities and land managers to be directly responsible for managing our local landscapes and natural resources throughout the recovery and into the future.”

Initially all board members will be appointed by the Minister, but from 2022 three out of seven members will be elected by the community (except for the specialist board Green Adelaide and the Alinytjara Wiluṟara board, which is already represented by select regional leaders).

To ensure a smooth transition for regional communities, NRM services will continue to be delivered under the Natural Resources Management Act 2004 until the new Act 2019 is fully operational on 1 July 2020. To access existing NRM services, visit www.landscape.sa.gov.au/kangarooisland.

For more information visitwww.landscape.sa.gov.au