The Environment Strategic Plan - 2006-2009 lists the key priority areas for the HAL Environment Portfolio to undertake to position the Australian horticulture industry as a good environmental steward.

Click here to download Environment Portfolio Strategic Plan.

Vision
By 2010, Australian horticulture will be recognised internationally for its widespread adoption of commonly agreed good management practices, which both conserve and enhance the natural resource base and promote a long-term viable industry.

Mission Statement
Position the Australian horticulture industry as a good environmental steward

Objectives
The Objectives of the Horticulture Australia Limited (HAL) Environmental Strategic Plan are as follows:
• Objective 1: Empower industry - Build the capacity of Australian Horticultural industries’ to proactively respond to environmental issues
• Objective 2: Partnerships - Facilitate further partnerships to improve and expand Australian Horticulture environmental initiatives
• Objective 3: Innovation and adoption - Facilitate the development of and encourage industry adoption of good environmental practices that comply with commercial international and domestic requirements
• Objective 4: Proactive policy - Monitor and provide advice to industry on higher level environmental policy issues and their impact on Australian Horticulture
• Objective 5: Positioning - Enhance the reputation of the Australian Horticulture industry as a good environmental steward

The Environment Portfolio is being managed by the HAL Natural Resources & Climate Manager.

Horticulture Climate Change Action Plan was developed as part of an across-industry funded climate project and released in April 2009.

The Action Plan focuses on three priorities for research:
1. Adaptation
2. Mitigation
3. Information, Communication & Awareness

Click here to download a copy of the Horticulture Climate Change Action Plan.

The Horticulture Climate Change Action Plan has been developed by the HAL Environment Portfolio, in consultation with and on behalf of industry. Options for funding the implementation of the action plan are being discussed with industry.

The HAL Environment Portfolio is focused on undertaken further climate research and activities for the horticulture industry to better manage the risk of climate change and climate variability. The Horticulture Climate Initiative will be a critical component to this.

For more information on the Horticulture Climate Initiative, click here.

The Horticulture Water Strategic Plan has been developed as part of the Horticulture Water Initiative (HWI).

The strategic plan has five objectives (aligned with the Environment Strategic Plan):

• Objective 1: Empower industry
• Objective 2: Partnerships
• Objective 3: Innovation and adoption
• Objective 4: Proactive policy
• Objective 5: Positioning

Click here to download a copy of the Water Strategic Plan.

Each financial year a Workplan for activities of the HWI is developed and agreed with the across-industry committee for implementation to maintain access water for horticulture.

For more information on the Horticulture Water Initiative, click here.

The Horticulture NRM Strategy was launched in 2007 and was the first attempt to establish a national industry-wide approach for natural resource management in the horticulture sector.

The Strategy was developed for horticultural industries through broad consultation and is a “collective” strategy – designed to be delivered by industries individually and collectively. It is helping to coordinate the many good environmental initiatives occurring within horticulture and demonstrate to people external to the industry how horticulture is meeting the challenges of natural resource management.
 
Click here to download the Horticulture Natural Resource Management Strategy.

For more information on the Horticulture for Tomorrow program, click here.

The HAL Environment Portfolio is aligned with the Federal Government’s national and rural research priorities.

By responding and undertaking activities in relation to issues such as sustainable production, climate change, natural resource management, environmental management, water access and international requirements for good agricultural practices, the HAL Environmental Portfolio will address both Government and HAL priorities. It should be noted however, that all of the issues will need to be addressed through a triple bottom line approach to ensure that the industry can really represent ‘sustainable development’ into the future.

Where appropriate, HAL ensures effective collaboration is undertaken with government, the wider agricultural industry (including other rural R&D corporations) to maximise research investment for the horticulture industry. This collaboration can occur at many levels, through individual projects and/or through to partnership in research programs. This collaboration ensures the reduction of research duplication and the leveraging of research capacity to address common problems.

Collaboration and linkages with existing programs is an important component of the Environment Portfolio. A number of key linkages include:


Freshcare
Linkages between the Horticulture for Tomorrow Environmental Assurance Guidelines and the Freshcare Environmental Code of Practice

Enviroveg
Linkages between the Enviroveg Program and Horticulture for Tomorrow

Landcare
Collaboration between horticulture and Landcare groups to facilitate extension of environmental practices on farm.