Regional delivery of incentives for natural resource management outcomes
The Australian Government through the Natural Heritage Trust (NHT) and the National Action Plan for Water Quality and Salinity (NAP) have identified conservation incentives, and more broadly natural resource management (NRM) incentives, as important mechanisms for achieving improved sustainability outcomes. Accredited regional natural resource management plans and investment strategies are the major vehicles for investment by the Australian State and Territory governments for regional delivery of NRM. It is expected that a majority of regional organisations across Australia will identify conservation and/or NRM incentives as key activities in their natural resource management plans and investment strategies.
To assist regional organisations develop effective incentive-based programs as part of their regional plans and investment strategies, a number of state-based workshops, facilitated by Mr Michael Williams of Michael Williams and Associates Pty Ltd, were held in the second half of 2003.
The four State workshops were held in:
- Perth WA on 26-27 June 2003 for Western Australian Catchment Councils hosted by WA Department of Conservation and Land Management;
- Brisbane Qld on 9-10 July 2003 for Queensland and Northern Territory NRM regional bodies hosted by Qld Department of Natural Resources and Mines with additional support from Brisbane City Council;
- Adelaide SA on 21-22 July 2003 for SA regional bodies hosted by SA Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation;
- Woodend, Victoria, on 5-6 August 2003 for Victorian Catchment Management Authorities and Tasmanian Regional Committees hosted by Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment
The broad objectives of each State workshop were to:
- Share an understanding of conservation incentives — what is currently available and what has been working well;
- Identify guiding principles for the design and delivery of conservation incentives by Regional Organisations;
- Identify impediments to the delivery of conservation incentives by Regional Organisations and the strategies to address these impediments; and
- Identify the information needs to assist Regional Organisations to deliver conservation incentives.
Mr Williams also prepared an overview document 'Strategic directions for regional delivery of incentives for natural resource management outcomes' which draws together key messages from the state-based workshops.
The presentations in the reports are summaries from the Consultants — any errors in interpretation are regretted. The views presented in the reports are those expressed by workshop participants and do not represent Australian government policy.
See also
Key
Links to another web site
Opens a pop-up window