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Federal
Corporate Commonwealth Entity
Environment and Water

Australian Institute of Marine Science

Portfolio: Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

http://www.aims.gov.au/

Annual Budget

$158M

2026-27 Budget (Budget Paper No. 4)
-3.7%vs prior year ($164M)
Total Revenue

$120M

2024-25 Total Revenue
Staff

350

Headcount (2024-25)
Major Digital Projects
20

Australian Energy Market Operator Digital Systems Enhancement Program

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Tier 1
DCA: NFP
Active

Total Budget

$NFPM

Digital Budget

$NFPM

NFPNFP

This project is to design, implement and operate a Digital Systems Enhancement Program.

ROBUST Transition Program

Bureau of Meteorology

Tier 1
DCA: High
Active

Total Budget

$39.8M

Digital Budget

$39.8M

July 2024November 2025

The ROBUST Transition Program is the successor of the ROBUST Program that closed on 30 June 2024. The primary objective of the program is to deliver the residual scope from the ROBUST Program to enable the Bureau to realise the full outcomes and benefits from the ROBUST Program.

Capturing Australia’s Emissions Reduction Data – Additional Funding

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Tier 2
DCA: Medium-High
Active

Total Budget

$20.4M

Digital Budget

$13.8M

August 2023June 2026

The aim of this project is to support and enhance core IT systems for the ongoing delivery of Australia’s National Greenhouse Accounts (historical and projected greenhouse gas emissions estimates) to fulfil legislative and international treaty reporting obligations, track progress against national emissions reduction targets, inform national and sectoral decarbonisation plans and 2035 target setting, and enable continued delivery of tools required for the Australian Carbon Credit Unit scheme.

Contract Market Monitoring

Australian Energy Regulator

Tier 2
DCA: Medium-Low
Active

Total Budget

$26M

Digital Budget

$7.8M

July 2024June 2026

The project aims to collect, store and analyse highly sensitive energy contracts data and provide insights into the performance of the wholesale electricity and gas markets, greater scrutiny of the conduct of the energy market participants, and broader understanding of the operation and impact of contract markets and overall resilience of the electricity and gas sectors.

Data and Digital Transformation

Australian Energy Regulator

Tier 2
DCA: Medium-Low
Active

Total Budget

$3.2M

Digital Budget

$2.1M

July 2024June 2026

The project will allow the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) to collect data from energy retail businesses efficiently, quickly and effectively, and conduct critical analysis to deliver stronger outcomes to energy consumers. Using improved data and digital systems, the AER will be able to provide richer and more timely insights into energy consumer outcomes, including levels of debt and the assistance retailers are providing in this time of significant cost-of-living pressures.

Establishing the National Environmental Protection Agency

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Tier 2
DCA: Medium
Paused

Total Budget

$121M

Digital Budget

$28.1M

July 2023June 2027

The aim of this project is to establish a new independent Commonwealth agency, the National Environmental Protection Agency, to enforce national environmental laws and restore confidence in Australia’s environmental protection system. The funding usage includes both operating costs and one-off transitional costs.

Improved greenhouse gas accounting at national and farm levels

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Tier 2
DCA: Medium-High
Active

Total Budget

$20.9M

Digital Budget

$7.1M

August 2025July 2028

This project aims to improve greenhouse gas accounting in the agriculture and land sector at the national level through to farm level. The overall budget measure will deliver: • common standards for estimating and reporting agriculture and land sector emissions and removals on farm • improved National Greenhouse Accounts (NGA) methods that will ensure the NGA provides more robust national agriculture and land sector emissions and removals data. The digital and ICT measure, as part of the overall budget measure, facilitates accessibility of NGA data and calculations for users of different technical capability, including through a web mapping interface and Application Programming Interface.

Integrated Transformation and Sustainment Investment (ITSI) Program Tranche 1: Core technological modernisation, streamlined digital services and transparency

Clean Energy Regulator

Tier 2
DCA: Medium
Active

Total Budget

$145M

Digital Budget

$63.4M

August 2021June 2028

The ITSI includes a range of individual initiatives that will deliver new business and technological capability to accelerate carbon abatement and improved biodiversity outcomes for Australia. From 2021, Program Tranche 1 began core technological modernisation, streamlined digital services and transparency.

Integrated Transformation and Sustainment Investment (ITSI) Program Tranche 2: Leverage modernised capabilities and investment value extension

Clean Energy Regulator

Tier 2
DCA: Medium
Active

Total Budget

$159.4M

Digital Budget

$82.7M

August 2021June 2034

The ITSI includes a range of individual initiatives that will deliver new business and technological capability to accelerate carbon abatement and improved biodiversity outcomes for Australia. From 2023, Program Tranche 2 extends core technological capability, delivering new schemes and continuing to modernise existing scheme administration and transparency.

Water Market Reform - Strengthening Integrity and Transparency

Bureau of Meteorology

Tier 2
DCA: High
Active

Total Budget

$32.7M

Digital Budget

$18.2M

December 2022June 2027

This project is restoring transparency, integrity and confidence to water markets through a new single digital platform for national water data management, a new water market website and water market data standards.

??Energy Model Enhancement (EME) Project

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Tier 3
Active

Total Budget

$7.4M

Digital Budget

$6.1M

January 2025June 2027

This measure aims to improve energy planning and inform investment in energy networks and enabling infrastructure, including by developing new or improved energy forecasting models that enable more granular and integrated analysis of future energy demand.

Basin Plan Review Program (Basin Plan Review ICT and Data Project)

Murray-Darling Basin Authority

Tier 3
Active

Total Budget

$103.7M

Digital Budget

$14.5M

July 2023June 2027

This project is implementing the Australian Government’s commitment to safeguard and future-proof the Murray-Darling Basin by preparing for, and undertaking in full, the statutory Basin Plan Review. Outcomes include enabling data and ICT required to support the review, making data and information publicly available and accessible to a range of audiences, and managing delivery of the work program.

Commonwealth Climate Risk and Opportunity Management Program

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Tier 3
Closed

Total Budget

$9.3M

Digital Budget

$4.4M

July 2022June 2024

To enhance climate risk management capabilities across the Commonwealth public sector, a new climate risk management guide and learning and development tools have been developed. To support this capability, the climate risk management digital tool was developed as a user-friendly digital tool that provides the necessary data, knowledge and guidance to Australian Public Service agencies to produce climate risk assessment reports.

Energy Made Easy (EME) Enhancements

Australian Energy Regulator

Tier 3
Active

Total Budget

$16M

Digital Budget

$16M

July 2025June 2029

The AER holds 2 statutory obligations in relation to the EME website and the Consumer Data Right (Energy) initiative. The first obligation, under the National Energy Retail Law, requires the AER to provide an online energy price comparison service for Australian consumers. The second obligation, under the Competition and Consumer (Consumer Data Right) Amendment Rules 2021, requires the AER to make retail energy product data accessible through an online request service. This project aims to secure essential support for the delivery of services including the consumer-facing EME website, the industry-facing Retailer Portal, and Consumer Data Right online request service. Together, these services will ensure energy consumers have access to an independent and trusted service where they can compare energy offers and find the best prices, and that retailer energy data can be collected and shared to promote data transparency and foster innovation.

Environment Information Australia

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Tier 3
Closed

Total Budget

$51M

Digital Budget

$6M

July 2023June 2025

Environment Information Australia (EIA) has been established to provide accessible, interoperable and high-quality environmental data and information. The investment supports EIA to deliver environmental information, analytics and tools to support the department and government to undertake their regulatory and policy responsibilities and give business and the public easier access to environmental data and information.

Inspector-General of Water Compliance (IGWC) ICT Enabling Systems

Inspector-General of Water Compliance

Tier 3
Closed

Total Budget

$1.3M

Digital Budget

$1.3M

October 2024June 2025

The Digital and Data Strategy will guide the IGWC’s investment into ICT and data needs, to support water compliance and oversight functions for the Murray-Darling Basin. The strategy will be implemented in phases, with the initial phase prioritising IGWC system identity and access security, and development of governance arrangements for data and information management. Strategy progress and currency will be regularly reviewed to adapt to any new regulatory or information and data needs and ICT options.

National Climate Adaptation and Risk Program

Bureau of Meteorology

Tier 3
Closed

Total Budget

$22.9M

Digital Budget

$0.2M

November 2023June 2025

The National Climate Risk Assessment identified and analysed nationally significant climate-related risks for Australia, for action by the National Adaptation Plan. These are risks with pervasive and prolonged consequences that require a national, coordinated response.

Online Data Collection and Reporting Mechanism for the Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) Market

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Tier 3
Active

Total Budget

$4.6M

Digital Budget

$4.6M

October 2022June 2026

The purpose of the market transparency measure for the DEF sector is to establish a data collection and reporting framework for the DEF market to increase transparency and assist in avoiding future supply shortages.

Sustaining Environmental Assessments

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Tier 3
Closed

Total Budget

$2.5M

Digital Budget

$2.5M

July 2022June 2025

The Sustaining Environmental Assessments measure provided funds to extend this workflow system to include a searchable public register of Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 offsets (the National Environmental Offset System) and for integration with the compliance investigations ICT system. This work included design of functional interfaces with the systems being developed for compliance purposes and risk ratings, so these systems can operate in the future as modules of a more comprehensive approach to managing information relevant to the protection of the environment.

Waste Exports Licencing and Declaration (WELD)

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Tier 3
Closed

Total Budget

$0.7M

Digital Budget

$0.7M

November 2024June 2025

This project involved enhancements to the WELD business system to reflect new legislation for waste exports under the Recycling and Waste Reduction Act 2020 and associated Rules, including the introduction of paper and cardboard as a new regulated waste stream in 2024.

Ideas relevant to this department

8 tagged

Reform proposals on YourGov that name this department as a delivery partner — drawn from citizen voice, government strategy, research, international examples and gap analysis.

STRATEGY SUMMARY

AIMS’ purpose is to improve ocean and coastal health and contribute to positive economic, cultural and social co-benefits for coastal communities. We achieve this by providing the research and knowledge of Australia’s marine estate required to support growth in its sustainable use, effective environmental management and protection of its unique ecosystems. [CP p.7]

PURPOSE

AIMS’ purpose is to improve ocean and coastal health and contribute to positive economic, cultural and social co-benefits for coastal communities. We achieve this by providing the research and knowledge of Australia’s marine estate required to support growth in its sustainable use, effective environmental management and protection of its unique ecosystems. [CP p.7]

Corporate Plan 2025-26 · p.7

Strategic priorities

· 3

1

Supporting Australia to meet international obligations, including a number of the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Develo

Supporting Australia to meet international obligations, including a number of the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Corporate Plan 2025-26 · p.7
2

Supporting Australian Government policies, including those on net zero and climate adaptation, such as the Reef 2050 Pla

Supporting Australian Government policies, including those on net zero and climate adaptation, such as the Reef 2050 Plan, Powering Australia, the National Climate Resilience and Adaptation Strategy, and Net Zero 2050.

Corporate Plan 2025-26 · p.7
3

Supporting Australian industries in sustainably growing the blue economy, examples include conservation aquaculture, off

Supporting Australian industries in sustainably growing the blue economy, examples include conservation aquaculture, offshore oil and gas exploration and extraction, marine tourism and recreation, renewable energy, coastal industries and fishing.

Corporate Plan 2025-26 · p.7

Outcomes

· 1

Outcome 1: Improved health and resilience of marine and coastal ecosystems across northern Australia

AIMS’ research knowledge is applied where it can have the greatest impact to ensure Australia’s tropical oceans will continue to provide sustainable wealth and enjoyment for generations to come.

KEY ACTIVITIES

  • baseline, status, and trend data that are the trusted information base for stakeholder decisions
  • more information for stakeholders, produced through autonomous and automated technologies and processes
  • science that underpins conservation and management of threatened and endangered marine species
  • models of environmental condition and function that are used to manage tropical marine ecosystems
  • improved tropical marine ecosystem health via AIMS’ solutions that mitigate local, regional, and cumulative pressures
  • coral reef condition forecasts based on knowledge of recovery, acclimatisation, and adaptation
  • restoration science and scalable technologies that help coral reefs resist, adapt to, and recover from climate change impacts
  • advanced data analysis workflows and knowledge delivery systems that improve stakeholder use of AIMS information

Values

· 7

Safety

Collaboration

Respect

Passion

Integrity

Innovation

Environment

Performance measures

· 8

CodeMeasureTarget 2025-26Latest resultStatus

AIMS research creates a positive triple bottom line* contribution (impact value) to Australia

At least $200m per annum in environmental, social and economic net benefits

≥ 2 new triple bottom line case studies per year

Corporate Plan 2025-26 · p.33

Two case studies have been published: Y

Annual Report 2024-25 · p.16
Achieved

Deliver strategic and applied research and monitoring that addresses national research priorities and stakeholder needs

Commissioned and applied research budget from stakeholder

Achieve revenue budget from stakeholder

Corporate Plan 2025-26 · p.33

Net external revenue for 2024-25 was $26.41 million compared to $23.4 million in 2023-24, an increase of $2.87 million (12 per cent) [AR p.16]

Annual Report 2024-25 · p.16
Achieved

Maintain or increase current standings for scientific excellence, innovation and impact

Maintain high standing in marine science in Australia and top 10 globally

Maintain top 3 ranking in marine science in Australia and top 10 globally

Corporate Plan 2025-26 · p.33

Top 3 when u0lising the Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) metric for Marine Science organisations globally for the period of 2020-2024 (calendar year)

Annual Report 2024-25 · p.16
Achieved

Achieve revenue budget from commissioned research

Revenue budget from commissioned research

Maintain or increase ≥210 journal articles and technical reports

Corporate Plan 2025-26 · p.33

Annual Report 2024-25

Maintain or increase the number and proportion of published papers and reports that include collaborators

≥80% of published papers and reports include collaborators

Maintain or increase ≥210 journal articles and technical reports

Corporate Plan 2025-26 · p.33

Annual Report 2024-25

Improve research outcomes and impact through increased Traditional Owner engagement

Year on year increase in % value of projects with Traditional Owner partnership

≥ 1 new case study per year

Corporate Plan 2025-26 · p.33

Annual Report 2024-25

Reduce AIMS’ environmental footprint

Carbon emission reduction

≥ 30% reduction in CO2 emissions compared with 2017-18

Corporate Plan 2025-26 · p.33

28.1 per cent reduction in Scope 1 and 2 CO2 emissions across our operations compared with 2017-18

Annual Report 2024-25 · p.17
Partially achieved

Optimise utilisation of research infrastructure

Use of research infrastructure

≥ 90% use of major research assets

Corporate Plan 2025-26 · p.33

Overall utilisation of major assets was 83 per cent

Annual Report 2024-25 · p.17
Not achieved

Ideas distilled from this entity's strategy & evidence

· 8

Strategy & Reform

Expand International Collaborations

Increase the number of international collaborations to enhance research outcomes and impact.

Impact: Very High
Effort: High
Large

2024-25.pdf

Data & Performance

Enhance Data Sharing Protocols

Implement a more efficient data sharing system to improve transparency and accessibility.

Impact: High
Effort: Medium
Small

2024-25.pdf

Risk & Assurance

Achieve Carbon Emission Reduction Target

Achieve the target of a 20 per cent reduction in carbon emissions compared with 2017-18.

Impact: High
Effort: High
Large

2024-25.pdf

Operational Efficiency

Streamline Research Process

Simplify the research proposal and approval process to speed up project initiation.

Impact: Medium
Effort: Low
Small

2024-25.pdf

Procurement & Delivery

Adopt Best Practices from Overseas

Implement best practices from leading marine research institutions overseas to improve project outcomes.

Impact: High
Effort: High
Large

association-worldbank.org-governance.txt

Citizen Participation

Improve Public Engagement

Enhance public engagement activities to increase awareness and support for marine science initiatives.

Impact: High
Effort: Medium
Medium

2025-26.pdf

Procurement & Delivery

Optimise Research Infrastructure Utilisation

Increase utilisation of major research assets to enhance research efficiency.

Impact: Medium
Effort: Medium
Small

2024-25.pdf

Capability Building

Enhance Traditional Owner Partnerships

Strengthen partnerships with Traditional Owner communities to improve research outcomes and community benefits.

Impact: High
Effort: High
Large

2025-26.pdf

Strategy & Reform

Expand International Collaborations

Increase the number of international collaborations to enhance research outcomes and impact.

Impact: Very High
Effort: High
Large

2024-25.pdf

Data & Performance

Enhance Data Sharing Protocols

Implement a more efficient data sharing system to improve transparency and accessibility.

Impact: High
Effort: Medium
Small

2024-25.pdf

Risk & Assurance

Achieve Carbon Emission Reduction Target

Achieve the target of a 20 per cent reduction in carbon emissions compared with 2017-18.

Impact: High
Effort: High
Large

2024-25.pdf

Operational Efficiency

Streamline Research Process

Simplify the research proposal and approval process to speed up project initiation.

Impact: Medium
Effort: Low
Small

2024-25.pdf

Procurement & Delivery

Adopt Best Practices from Overseas

Implement best practices from leading marine research institutions overseas to improve project outcomes.

Impact: High
Effort: High
Large

association-worldbank.org-governance.txt

Citizen Participation

Improve Public Engagement

Enhance public engagement activities to increase awareness and support for marine science initiatives.

Impact: High
Effort: Medium
Medium

2025-26.pdf

Procurement & Delivery

Optimise Research Infrastructure Utilisation

Increase utilisation of major research assets to enhance research efficiency.

Impact: Medium
Effort: Medium
Small

2024-25.pdf

Capability Building

Enhance Traditional Owner Partnerships

Strengthen partnerships with Traditional Owner communities to improve research outcomes and community benefits.

Impact: High
Effort: High
Large

2025-26.pdf

Legislation administered

· 5

Act

1972

Australian Institute of Marine Science Act 1972

The entity administers this Act.

Act

1999

Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

The entity has primary responsibility for implementing this Act in relation to marine environments.

Regulation

1975

Reef Protection Plan for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

The entity administers regulations made under this Act to protect the Great Barrier Reef.

Act

1991

Fisheries Management Act 1991

The entity has primary responsibility for implementing this Act in relation to marine fisheries.

Order

2018

Reef 2050 Long-term Sustainability Plan

The entity administers this plan to guide the sustainable management of the Great Barrier Reef.

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