Environmental Volunteers

The Hon. G.A. KANDELAARS (14:59): My question is to the minister for sustainability, environment and natural resources. Will the minister inform the chamber about the significant contribution made by volunteers to the successful management of our state's natural resources, our parks and reserves and the environment in general?

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: I didn't see natural resources in his ministerial title.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (15:00): I thank the honourable member for the most important question. Sir, if the Hon. Mr Ridgway wants to ask a question of me, he is perfectly at liberty to do so at a later stage about my portfolio responsibilities. It is, of course, National Volunteer Week, 11 to 17 May. It is time for us to stop and reflect on the great contribution that volunteers make to our state.

The theme of National Volunteer Week this year is a theme that the opposition could probably do well to study: it is Give Happy, Live Happy, to highlight the fact that volunteering has been found to have a positive effect on both health and happiness—something that is very lacking on the opposite side. Of course, most of us would be unhappy with the federal budget that has just been brought down. I don't blame the opposition for their distress.

Over six million people volunteer their time in Australia, including almost one-third of all South Australians, and volunteers contribute around $200 billion to the Australian economy annually. Volunteers are integral to the work of the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources. Their contribution is enormous, of course. In 2013-14, over 21,000 people from, I'm advised, over 479 community groups volunteered their time and effort in environmental projects. In total, they contributed about 420,000 hours to natural resources management projects coordinated or funded by the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources.

Volunteers work on a huge array of projects, including soil and land management, revegetation, native animal and plant surveys, fire management, trail maintenance, weed and pest animal control and heritage site restoration. As you can imagine, this is an important contribution to the successful implementation of our environmental program.

Volunteer involvement in natural resource management is particularly important for us. Our natural resources, including our soil, water, plants and animals, are absolutely vital to our health and wellbeing and our way of life. They are the foundation for the state's prosperity. There are, of course, eight NRM regions in South Australia, each with an individual board. The goal of this system is to enable a highly collaborative partnership between government and local communities, industry and business, because we believe this gives us the best outcomes for both the local communities and the environment.

The model also allows us to utilise local knowledge, skills and expertise. Each natural resources management board is made up of highly skilled local people who understand their region's needs and their challenges. Board members help ensure that our natural resources are managed in a way that is not only sustainable but also benefits landholders and the broader community. The role of local volunteers is an important part of this model.

Volunteering also creates a sense of ownership of the different, and sometimes competing, challenges facing the management of our natural resources as well as their solutions. Our volunteers care deeply for their environment and make an enormous contribution that should not be underestimated. It is wonderful that volunteers are being recognised for their often thankless work during National Volunteer Week, for example. NRM boards around the state will be paying tribute to, and thanking, their volunteers in a number of ways.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the members and staff of our natural resources management boards for all that they do, particularly for creating such a collaborative and positive working and volunteering environment. In particular, I would like to thank the countless volunteers who give their time so generously to make our state a better place for us and for future generations. Their contribution is truly valued and very much appreciated. For anyone interested in becoming involved in volunteering through the department, there is a website they can visit to obtain further information at http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/Work_With_Us/Volunteering_with_DEWNR.