Acknowlegements:

• Mr Alan Chenoweth, Master of Ceremonies
• Mr Steve Simpson, President of the Australian Landscape Industries Association
• Other members of the Association Executive
• Distinguished guests
• Conference delegates

Thank you for the invitation to attend the official opening of the Australian Landscaping Industries Conference as the representative of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, the Hon. Sussan Ley.

The Parliamentary Secretary sends her apologies for not being able to attend this event, but I’m delighted to be here as Senator for Queensland. And I warmly welcome interstate conference delegates to Queensland’s Gold Coast.

Let me first congratulate the Landscaping industry on this initiative of holding its second National Australian Landscaping Industries Conference. It demonstrates the industry’s enthusiasm for continually improving its service to the community.

I see from your agenda that you have some very interesting challenges to deal with:

• Climate
• Government & local council regulations
• technology
• landscaping fashions.

These are all very important and topical issues for your industry.

It is probably fair to say that landscapers do not generally atrract a great deal of public attention. But the influence of landscapers on human society can be seen by the enduring influence of Capability Brown, the famous eighteenth century English landscaper, whose art can still be seen today in the grounds and surrounds of various castles and great homes around England.

A recent historian and author, Richard Bisgrove, described Brown's process as perfecting nature by the

judicious manipulation of its components, adding a tree here or a concealed head of water there. His art attended to the formal potential of ground, water, trees and so gave to English landscape its ideal forms.

Bisgrove was undoubtedly right – landscaping is part art.

And of course we in Australia have own distinguished and revered landscapers. Edna Walling, for example, one of Australia’s best loved landscape designers, was an early advocate of conserving Australian flora and fauna.

She began her landscape career exclusively planting exotics, but by 1926, native plants began making an appearance with her growing interest in conservation. Later she would produce entirely native gardens at properties such as Ardenholme and the Freiberg garden. She said that when she begins to design a garden

First thoughts on a garden are best inspired by the ground with any feature at all, such as an undulation or rocky outcrop, there is your inspiration.

Indeed, Australian landscapers have such opportunities to change the way the Australian people see and appreciate their own environment – that is an influential capability because it means you have the ability to encourage sustainable development of our land.

Those of us in government are spending considerable time and energy trying to meet the challenges in the overall sustainable development of our country. Among our programs are “Plantations for Australia: The 2020 Vision” and “Defeating the Weed Menace”.

I will, if I may, spend a little time talking about them.

2020 Vision:

“Plantations for Australia: The 2020 Vision” is a strategic partnership between the Australian, State and Territory Governments in relation to plantation timber growing and processing industry.

The overarching principle of the “2020 vision” strategy is to enhance regional wealth creation and international competitiveness through a sustainable increase in Australia’s plantation resources.

Since 1997 when the “2020 Vision” began, the challenge of sustainable development has become even more difficult with some parts of Australia suffering the worst drought in 100 years.

I imagine this is an issue of very direct concern to your industry.

Water:

With the current water shortage, you, like may others, are having a difficult time and like some industries, really “doing it tough”. We all have to adapt to changing climates, and as this an item on your agenda, it is perhaps appropriate if I just talk about the wider picture on water.

As you all know only too well, we all depend on water for survival.

As the Treasurer of Australia, the Hon Peter Costello, recently noted: Australia is the “driest continent on earth, water storage has not been the subject of proper investment, we have wasted water and we have not properly priced it. Scientific, economic and engineering reform will be essential to fix this problem.”

Every piece of land is part of an important water catchment which must be managed to protect the quality of the water that flows from it into our river systems and our oceans.

Replanting trees and landscaping in urban and rural areas can restore some of the original natural balance of the catchment areas. So you all have a part to play.

At the same time, ongoing research and catchment planning are needed to ensure local water flows are environmentally sound and acceptable to the community: in rural areas especially landscaping has an important place in this complex relationship.

To the endless frustration of politicians, water, rather perversely, does not recognise state borders. Neither should water policy. On this principle, the Howard government has acted to secure Australia’s water future by offering long-term solutions to a longterm problem through programs such as the National Water Initiative (NWI) and the National Water Commission. We are intending to create a sustainable plan for water management, modelled on a $2 billion funding package for new initiatives, as well as a strong push for water trading between states.

Australia’s highly variable and often scarce water resources are crucial for our economic, social and environmental wellbeing. We have been profligate with their use. We now need to continue to improve the productivity and efficiency of our water use, while maintaining healthy river and groundwater systems.

The National Water Initiative targets this objective. It encourages a wide range of water management techniques and the adoption of international best-practice approaches in maintaining healthy and sustainable supplies.

This $2 billion dollar package includes $1.6 billion over five years (until 2010) for the Water Smart Australia Programme. This provides funding of large-scale projects such as wastewater recycling and pipelines.

Another $200 million is set aside for raising national water standards by building the support networks needed to properly measure, manage and maintain water resources.

A further $200 million, provided for the Community Water Grants Programme, is aimed at community awareness, investment and engagement.

The last of these program allows community groups to gain government funding to install water tanks and recycling systems to enable them to develop and maintain their landscaping without further reducing the levels of our dams.

Weeds:

The second issue where your industry's help would be invaluable is in relation to the management of the nation's weeds.

The Oxford dictionary defines a “weed” as having four possible meanings:

• a “wild plant growing where it is not wanted”;
• “a thin weak-looking person”;
• “marijuana” and
• “tobacco”.

While some – not all, mind you - would argue that marijuana and tobacco are also unwanted plants, it is perhaps appropriate if I stick to the first definition for the purposes of this speech – “a wild plant growing where it is not wanted”.

Over the past decade there has been a developing awareness of their threat to our environment from the pernicious influence of weeds.

As gardening professionals you know that weed control is a constant battle.

You also know that introduced species have formed the backbone of Australia's agricultural production and – until fairly recently – dominated our gardens.

Of course, we will continue to need new plants in agriculture to stay internationally competitive, and our gardeners will continue to want new and improved plants.

But new additions can come at a cost.

The CSIRO estimates that 7 out of 10 new plants introduced in Australia have the potential to become weeds.

The problem is so widespread we have tended to overlook its economic impact on productivity, as well as the costs of control.

Lantana, for example, which is just one invasive plant that has jumped the garden fence, now degrades more than 4 million hectares of Australia's environment.

Governments and the community need to pay attention to this issue and come up with innovative ways to manage weeds that enter the country and spread.

To this end a national weeds strategy was launched in 1997.

The agreed methodology for determining Weeds of National Significance comprised of the following four major criteria:

• Invasiveness
• Impacts
• Potential for Spread
• Socioeconomic and Environmental Values

This aims to be a comprehensive strategy. It needs to be since weed control costs Australian farmers about $1.5 billion a year, with lost agricultural production estimated at more than $2 billion.

As these figures suggest, weeds are one of the greatest threats to biodiversity in Australia. All the evidence we have indicates that prevention and early intervention to prevent their spread is the most cost effective control strategy.

With new weeds being discovered each year in Australia and with many serious weeds already well established, a strategic national approach to weed management and control is essential.

The Defeating the Weed Menace Programme involves an investment of $44.4 million over 4 years. It identifies Australia’s most threatening weeds and implements management measures.

These include on-ground control and eradication, research into cost effective management techniques for the bio-controls for key weeds, and awareness campaigns.

The Australian Government also supports the Australian Weeds Committee whose vision is to reduce the detrimental impact of weeds on the economic, environmental, social and cultural sustainability of Australia's productive capacity and natural ecosystems.

The Australian Weeds Committee provides an inter-Governmental mechanism for the identification and resolution of weed issues at a national level. It aims to ensure an integrated approach to all aspects of weed management.

The Australian Landscaping industry plays a vital role in managing water use and in reducing the threat of weeds to our environment through encouraging the use of appropriate native plants in gardens and public spaces.

You may be surprised to learn that the primary source of the weeds that threaten the Australian environment are escapees from domestic gardens. The Australian Landscaping Industry can play an important role in helping to close off "escape routes" by influencing your clients towards sensible choices in landscape design and plant selection.

I would encourage you to take an active role in this enterprise.

Conclusion:

Ladies and gentlemen, I know you have an informative and useful two days ahead of you discussing the many issues affecting your important industry.

The Australian government looks forward to working with you on such important programs as the National Water Initiative and Defeating the Weed Menace project – both are directed towards encouraging sustainable development and preserving Australia's unique biodiversity in a way that benefits us all.

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you again for the invitation to speak.

I have much pleasure in officially opening this conference and wish you a very productive and enjoyable time together.