Mr SINCLAIR —The Minister for Primary Industries and Energy will recall the universal acclaim given the announcement of the $1.25 billion Natural Heritage Trust and the critical importance of the integrity and transparency of funding and accountability processes in its allocation—in contrast to those of the discredited former Labor Minister for Environment, Sport and Territories in the Keating government.

Opposition members interjecting—

Mr SPEAKER —Order! Address the question.

Mr SINCLAIR —Can the minister assure the House that the Natural Heritage Trust will achieve fully the goals that have been established for this, the largest and most exciting single environmental initiative in Australian history?

Mr Beazley —And will you launch it again?

Mr Howard —Probably.

Mr ANDERSON —Probably. I think we should all have a go. I think there are quite a few people who would like to do it. I thank the honourable member for his question. Of course, establishment of the trust fulfils a key election commitment and one that, I believe, the Australian community has really been calling out for and looking for and is now delighted to see happen.

But there have been some pretty wild and woolly claims around. Some of them seem to emanate from over there, and they seem to suggest that there is not really going to be as much money in it as we have claimed or that somehow in fact there might not be as much money in our package as, dare I say it, they were going to put in.

Mr McLachlan —The fourteenth year.

Mr ANDERSON —That's right. Let us have a look at the fourteenth year, since you raise it. A couple of examples will suffice. Labor's forward estimates for the 1997-98 year showed $171 million on environmental programs. It was on the way down, but there was $171 million. This year, in that same year, we will spend $255 million, an increase of $84 million—a 50 per cent increase over what they claimed they were going to spend.

But it gets better. Labor's forward estimates for the following year, 1998-99, were $147 million. That year, we will spend $267 million, an increase of 80 per cent. So let us knock firmly on the head any suggestion that somehow we are not really going to spend as much as they are. We are spending a lot more, despite the problems that we faced as a government in repairing your black hole and the undoubted pressures that put on our outlays.

I will tell you something else. Not only is our environment program a massive increase on your proposals; it is very important to note that it is a fully-funded program. Your entire budget strategy was to spend more money on Australia's Bankcard. You wanted to impose the debt on future generations.

Now the next point is that the Commonwealth's Natural Heritage Trust funding will be complemented—this is very important—by resources provided by state governments and community groups and farmers in partnership as part of a concerted effort. So, overall, the level of resources devoted to this task will be enormous.

Mr Crean —Page two.

Mr ANDERSON —Yes. That's right. We haven't finished. Most of the trust funds are available to the wider community as grants through programs such as the national landcare program, the national vegetation and national rivercare initiatives and Murray-Darling 2001.

Coming to the other issue raised by the honourable member, I make this point. The process is open, transparent and accountable. Applications from community groups and others will be assessed and prioritised by community-dominated regional and state assessment panels. They will have access to specialist technical advice and projects will be assessed against national, state and regional priorities.

There is no political involvement whatsoever. It is a process of integrity. It builds on structures that have been in place for a long time, structures that you largely put in place with bipartisan support from us. It is worth noting that over 5,000 applications are now in. They will be properly and rigorously processed. People at the grassroots level—where the action is needed—are clearly getting on with the job.