During Estimates hearings on Thursday 25 July 2024, I asked the Director General of the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation how much funding for the Threatened Species Program is allocated to preventing land clearing.
You can read my question and his full response below, or in the official Parliamentary record of proceedings (Hansard) here.
Mr BERKMAN: That is very helpful. Director-General, in relation to the allocation in the budget to continue implementation of the Threatened Species Program, how much of this funding is allocated to preventing land clearing where it is likely to impact a threatened species habitat, and what does that work involve?
Mr Merrick: I thank the member for the question. Just to confirm, in terms of the prevention of land clearing, that is not the actual intent of the program. The program is more focused on dealing with key threats to threatened species and recovery of threatened species populations, rather than preventing clearing.
Mr BERKMAN: But loss of habitat would obviously be one of those threatening processes that plays heavily into the risks that you are considering in the Threaten Species Program, I would assume.
Mr Merrick: That is correct, albeit there are other mechanisms that we seek to deploy to address that situation.