Federal budget backs environmental initiatives and business through Coronavirus recovery  

Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg’s budget will see Australia’s deficit reach $213.7 billion this year as the Australian Government looks to combat the economic impact of the Coronavirus.

Businesses are set to be the big winners from the Federal Government's COVID-19 recovery budget, being set to receive $31.6 billion in tax breaks almost double the $17.8 billion of personal tax cuts brought forward by the Federal Treasurer.

Announcing the budget tonight, Treasurer Frydenberg also revealed a new $4 billion JobMaker scheme that will subsidise employers to hire workers aged 35 and under.

National Parks, Oceans and Recycling
Funding for environmental protection has been bolstered by $1.8 billion, with new money for national parks, oceans and recycling.

Parks and Heritage
Australia’s parks and heritage areas will receive more than $319 million with confirmation of a previously announced package of $233.4 million for National Parks upgrades and $12 million to replace revenue foregone in COVID tourism and licence fee and entry fee waivers. 

This includes the redevelopment of infrastructure at Uluru-Kata Tjuta and Kakadu.

An investment of $33.5 million from the Relief and Recovery Fund will provide infrastructure upgrades across national and world heritage sites, preserving and enhancing iconic sites, while also providing an economic boost through job creation and lasting benefits for our tourism industry.

Following the review into Sydney Harbour Federation Trust, the Government will invest $40.6 million to implement key recommendations focusing on the maintenance and restoration of Trust sites across Sydney Harbour including the master planning for the future of North Head and Cockatoo Island.

Oceans and marine ecosystems
The Federal Government will invest $67.4 million to protect oceans and marine ecosystems, with $14.8 million to tackle the marine impacts of ghost nets and plastic litter and $28.3 million for compliance, enforcement and monitoring activities across Australia’s Marine Parks.

$20 million will be invested through the Relief and Recovery Fund to re-establish native oyster reefs at 11 sites across the country, providing employment opportunities with lasting environment benefits.

Wildlife and habitat recovery
More than $200 million in funding was announced for bushfire wildlife and habitat recovery, as well as existing threatened species initiatives.

It also included a commitment to develop a new 10-year strategy to protect Australia’s threatened species, one that will draw heavily on Commonwealth-led research including through phase two of our $149 million National Environmental Science Program.

The Federal Government will also provide $254.6 million over four years from 2020/21 to ensure the financial sustainability of the Bureau of Meteorology.

A further $36.6 million provided over two years from 2020/21 will maintain the timeliness of environmental assessments and undertake further reforms under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).

The Budget initiatives are in addition to the Government providing: 

• $2.8 billion for Antarctica and Antarctic science.
• $10.6 million to support the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority through further upgrades of the Reef HQ Great Barrier Reef Aquarium in Townsville.
• $6 million for the continued waiving of the Environment Management Charge for tourism operators on the Great Barrier Reef and a new $3.2 million support package for in-water conservation and monitoring activities which will provide much-needed business continuity for the Reef based tourism industry.

Recycling and Waste
The Budget included a $249.6 million investment to drive a transformation of Australia’s waste and recycling capacity with the aim of creating 10,000 new jobs over the next 10 years through initiatives such as the new Recycling Modernisation Fund, the National Waste Action Plan, national waste data systems and the implementation of our waste export ban.

The funding is linked to an agreement by Australia’s governments to ban the export of unprocessed waste plastic, paper, glass and tyres with a view to transforming domestic waste management and recycling sector to collect, recycle, reuse and convert waste into a resource.

Tourism
Anticipating a cautious approach to opening up the borders to international visitors, Federal Tourism Minister Simon Bermingham said new funding in the Budget was aimed at encouraging Australians to visit tourist attractions in our own backyard, and pour local dollars into our airports, restaurants, shops, and hotels.

With Budget papers suggesting that international tourism - both inbound and outbound - is expected to remain low until the latter part of 2021, the Federal Government will devote more than $250 million to a Regional Tourism Recovery Package, which will include $100 million for infrastructure projects that boost regional tourism.

More than $50 million has been earmarked to attract domestic visitors to tourism hot spots heavily reliant on international travellers, such as Tropical North Queensland and Tasmania.

The money will help these regions adapt their products, experiences and marketing to appeal to Australians.

A further $100 million will be invested over two years to support 10 regions hurt by the COVID downturn, including the Snowy Mountains, Kangaroo Island and the Hunter Valley.

Tourism Australia will receive $231.6 million for marketing promoting domestic travel and to target international visitors when overseas travel is deemed safe again.

The industry will also get a boost under the COVID-19 recovery fund, with $61.7 million to be invested in heritage upgrades, conservation work and reef building to create more fishing and diving spots.

The Arts and Sport
The budget also contained additional funding for the continuation of the Sporting Schools program and $2.4 million in 2020/21 to Football Federation Australia to commence the planning and delivery phase of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.

However, it contained no announcement on the arts.

Images: Kakadu National Park (middle) and the Hunter Valley (below).