Portfolio: Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
http://www.harbourtrust.gov.au
$26M
2026-27 Budget (Budget Paper No. 4)$25M
2024-25 Total Revenue60
Headcount (2024-25)Material upward shift in 2026-27 funding (+6.8%, $2M change). 2025-26 estimated actual $24M → 2026-27 budget $26M. Source: Budget Paper No. 4, Agency Resourcing tables.
Australian Energy Market Operator Digital Systems Enhancement Program
Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
Total Budget
$NFPM
Digital Budget
$NFPM
NFP — NFP
This project is to design, implement and operate a Digital Systems Enhancement Program.
ROBUST Transition Program
Bureau of Meteorology
Total Budget
$39.8M
Digital Budget
$39.8M
July 2024 — November 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
Total Budget
$20.4M
Digital Budget
$13.8M
August 2023 — June 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
Total Budget
$26M
Digital Budget
$7.8M
July 2024 — June 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
Total Budget
$3.2M
Digital Budget
$2.1M
July 2024 — June 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
Total Budget
$121M
Digital Budget
$28.1M
July 2023 — June 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
Total Budget
$20.9M
Digital Budget
$7.1M
August 2025 — July 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
Total Budget
$145M
Digital Budget
$63.4M
August 2021 — June 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
Total Budget
$159.4M
Digital Budget
$82.7M
August 2021 — June 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
Total Budget
$32.7M
Digital Budget
$18.2M
December 2022 — June 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
Total Budget
$7.4M
Digital Budget
$6.1M
January 2025 — June 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
Total Budget
$103.7M
Digital Budget
$14.5M
July 2023 — June 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
Total Budget
$9.3M
Digital Budget
$4.4M
July 2022 — June 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
Total Budget
$16M
Digital Budget
$16M
July 2025 — June 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
Total Budget
$51M
Digital Budget
$6M
July 2023 — June 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
Total Budget
$1.3M
Digital Budget
$1.3M
October 2024 — June 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
Total Budget
$22.9M
Digital Budget
$0.2M
November 2023 — June 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
Total Budget
$4.6M
Digital Budget
$4.6M
October 2022 — June 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
Total Budget
$2.5M
Digital Budget
$2.5M
July 2022 — June 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
Total Budget
$0.7M
Digital Budget
$0.7M
November 2024 — June 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.
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
The Harbour Trust revitalises our sites through active remediation and vibrant community building. We share authentic stories that highlight our sites’ rich cultural, natural and heritage values. We build strong transparent partnerships with communities, funders and supporters. Our collaborative efforts strive to ensure impactful outcomes for Sydney Harbour’s environment and heritage. [CP p.6]
VISION
“Extraordinary places on Sydney Harbour that excite and inspire. We welcome everyone to connect, celebrate and respect the natural, cultural and historical significance of our places as we foster their ongoing renewal and care. [CP p.6]”
Corporate Plan 2025 · p.6PURPOSE
The Harbour Trust revitalises our sites through active remediation and vibrant community building. We share authentic stories that highlight our sites’ rich cultural, natural and heritage values. We build strong transparent partnerships with communities, funders and supporters. Our collaborative efforts strive to ensure impactful outcomes for Sydney Harbour’s environment and heritage. [CP p.6]
Corporate Plan 2025 · p.6Strategic priorities
· 8
Protect, conserve, and interpret the environmental and heritage values of Trust land.
Corporate Plan 2025 · p.6Establish and manage suitable Trust land as a park on behalf of the Commonwealth as the national government.
Corporate Plan 2025 · p.6Co-operate with other Commonwealth bodies that have a connection with any Harbour land in managing that land.
Corporate Plan 2025 · p.6Co-operate with New South Wales, affected councils and the community in furthering the above objects.
Corporate Plan 2025 · p.6Raise revenue through our sites, and with our partners, funders and supporters to sustain our activities.
Corporate Plan 2025 · p.6For First Nations peoples, be a universal place of welcome supported by deep long-term trusting relationships, exchange
For First Nations peoples, be a universal place of welcome supported by deep long-term trusting relationships, exchange of knowledge and enabling greater opportunity to be on Country.
Corporate Plan 2025 · p.6Outcomes
· 4
Outcome 1: Steward our places
Extraordinary places on Sydney Harbour that excite and inspire. The Harbour Trust protects and manages a network of sites on Sydney Harbour. These places reveal our nation’s rich stories, their ongoing connection to First Nations history, provide examples of Australia’s first defence fortifications, as well as the nation’s colonial and industrial past. Many carry Commonwealth, National and World Heritage listings. They also provide critical links between the marine harbour habitat and the remnant bushland of Sydney. [AR p.14]
KEY ACTIVITIES
Outcome 2: Welcome everyone
Welcome everyone to connect, celebrate and respect the natural, cultural and historical significance of our places as we foster their ongoing renewal and care.
KEY ACTIVITIES
Outcome 3: Build partnerships
The Harbour Trust works collaboratively and in partnership with community organisations, partners, funders and supporters. Fostering such long-term relationships requires the Harbour Trust to be responsive, transparent and consistent in its discussions with stakeholders. These relationships and collaborations are important, as the Harbour Trust must currently raise all revenue required to carry out its heritage responsibilities and sustain its activities in operating the network of sites. [AR p.14]
KEY ACTIVITIES
Outcome 4: Effective capabilities
The Harbour Trust is the sole member of the Sydney Harbour Foundation Management Ltd (previously known as the Sydney Harbour Conservancy Ltd) (ACN 141 006 975), see Appendix 1.
KEY ACTIVITIES
Values
· 5
Being constructive
Collaboration is key
Caring for country mindset
We are ambassadors
Innovation mindset
Performance measures
· 7
| Code | Measure | Target 2025-26 | Latest result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
CCE01 | Electricity greenhouse gas emissions | Carbon neutral by 2030 Corporate Plan 2025 · p.30 | 783 t CO2-e Annual Report 2024-25 · p.30 | Not achieved |
CCE02 | Net zero in Government Operations | Net zero by 2030 Corporate Plan 2025 · p.31 | Not applicable Annual Report 2024-25 · p.31 | Not achieved |
CCE03 | Commercial leasing vacancy rate | 8% or less Corporate Plan 2025 · p.27 | 8% Annual Report 2024-25 · p.32 | Achieved |
CCE04 | Residential leasing occupancy rate | 98% or more Corporate Plan 2025 · p.32 | 98% Annual Report 2024-25 · p.32 | Achieved |
CCE05 | Visitors to our websites | 538,292 or more Corporate Plan 2025 · p.29 | 518,540 Annual Report 2024-25 · p.30 | Partially achieved |
CCE06 | Total visitors to our sites | 2.29 million or more Corporate Plan 2025 · p.29 | 2,290,000 Annual Report 2024-25 · p.29 | Achieved |
CCE07 | Annual revenue | $24 million or more Corporate Plan 2025 · p.29 | $24 million Annual Report 2024-25 · p.29 | Achieved |
Source documents
· 10
2024-25
Sydney Harbour Federation Trust Annual Report 2024-2025 (pdf)
Open
2023-24
Sydney Harbour Federation Trust Annual Report 2023-2024 (pdf)
Open
2022-23
annual-reports/2022-23.pdf
Open
2021-22
Sydney Harbour Federation Trust Annual Report 2021-2022
Open
2020-21
Sydney Harbour Federation Trust Annual Report 2020-2021
Open
2025
Corporate plan (2025 to 2029) (pdf)
Open
2025
Strategy for Empowering First Nations Peoples and communities [July 2025 to June 2028] (pdf
Open
Stakeholder engagement strategy
Open
Heritage strategy (pdf)
Open
2019
strategies/regulator-performance-framework-harbour-trust-may2019.pdf
Open
Ideas distilled from this entity's strategy & evidence
· 8
Streamline Planning Permit Process
Simplify and speed up the planning permit process for development and use of Trust lands to reduce delays and increase public access.
2024-25.pdf
Expand Volunteer Program
Increase the number of volunteers to assist with maintenance and educational programs, leveraging community involvement.
CP p.21
Upgrade to Green Energy Systems
Invest in renewable energy sources to significantly reduce the Trust’s carbon footprint and set an example for sustainability.
2024-25.pdf
Digital Visitor Engagement Platform
Develop a digital platform to provide interactive information and virtual tours, enhancing visitor experience.
2024-25.pdf
Strengthen First Nations Partnerships
Form strategic partnerships with First Nations communities to co-manage and co-develop Trust sites.
2024-25.pdf
Adaptive Reuse Initiative
Launch an initiative to repurpose old Trust buildings for community use, promoting sustainability and local engagement.
CP p.21
Adopt International Best Practices
Integrate international best practices for heritage site management and conservation into Trust operations.
association-worldbank.org-governance.txt
Data Transparency Initiative
Increase transparency of Trust’s data and performance metrics through an open data portal.
university-ash.harvard.edu-Harvard-Kennedy-School-Ash-Center.txt
Streamline Planning Permit Process
Simplify and speed up the planning permit process for development and use of Trust lands to reduce delays and increase public access.
2024-25.pdf
Expand Volunteer Program
Increase the number of volunteers to assist with maintenance and educational programs, leveraging community involvement.
CP p.21
Upgrade to Green Energy Systems
Invest in renewable energy sources to significantly reduce the Trust’s carbon footprint and set an example for sustainability.
2024-25.pdf
Digital Visitor Engagement Platform
Develop a digital platform to provide interactive information and virtual tours, enhancing visitor experience.
2024-25.pdf
Strengthen First Nations Partnerships
Form strategic partnerships with First Nations communities to co-manage and co-develop Trust sites.
2024-25.pdf
Adaptive Reuse Initiative
Launch an initiative to repurpose old Trust buildings for community use, promoting sustainability and local engagement.
CP p.21
Adopt International Best Practices
Integrate international best practices for heritage site management and conservation into Trust operations.
association-worldbank.org-governance.txt
Data Transparency Initiative
Increase transparency of Trust’s data and performance metrics through an open data portal.
university-ash.harvard.edu-Harvard-Kennedy-School-Ash-Center.txt
Legislation administered
· 2
2001
Sydney Harbour Federation Trust Act 2001
The entity administers this Act to manage sites of nationally and internationally significant cultural, natural, industrial and heritage value located around Sydney Harbour.
1999
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
The entity administers this Act to protect biodiversity and ecological habitats of its sites.
Source library
· 15
6.2MB
2024-25.pdf
6.5MB
2023-24.pdf
5.6MB
2022-23.pdf
5.1MB
2021-22.pdf
2.8MB
2020-21.pdf
1.9MB
2025.pdf
6.3MB
comp-plan-full.pdf
3.4MB
comp-plan-amendment-1-hmas-platypus.pdf
10.9MB
platypus-management-plan.pdf
5.1MB
north-head-sanctuary-management-plan.pdf
2.1MB
marine-biological-station-management-plan.pdf
302KB
ht_strategy-for-empowering-first-nations-peoples-and-communities_2025-2028.pdf
Bodies within the Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water portfolio
Australian Institute of Marine Science
Corporate Commonwealth Entity
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Non-corporate Commonwealth Entity
Director of National Parks
Corporate Commonwealth Entity
Climate Change Authority
Non-corporate Commonwealth Entity
Clean Energy Regulator
Non-corporate Commonwealth Entity
Clean Energy Finance Corporation
Corporate Commonwealth Entity
Bureau of Meteorology
Non-corporate Commonwealth Entity
Australian Renewable Energy Agency
Corporate Commonwealth Entity
Murray-Darling Basin Authority
Corporate Commonwealth Entity
Snowy Hydro Ltd
Commonwealth Company
National Wildlife Corridors Committee
Statutory Body
Murray-Darling Basin Community Committee
Statutory Body