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Abstract:
This report provides a benchmark of progress in regional planning for natural resource management in Queensland and the tropical savannas region of northern Australia during 2004. It is based on a review of regional plans and planning processes against a set of pre-defined criteria designed specifically to evaluate regional planning arrangements. Regional policy frameworks are now widely promoted in Australia at the state, territory and federal levels in an effort to provide a strategic response to accelerating technological advances, increasing productivity growth and other pressures on sustainable development. Importantly, the regional turn of governance frameworks reflects a global trend to devolve decision making to reflect the local geographical context. This includes the development of innovative planning systems and approaches to integrate economic, social and environmental policies in a spatial context. It is also an approach that recognises many natural resource management (NRM) issues such as water quality, biodiversity and the sustainable use of natural resources can be best measured and addressed technically at a regional scale—within river basins, biogeographical regions and production zones. Finally, the regional approach decentralises decision-making to enhance NRM at the property or local scale and facilitate a more open, participatory and community-based approach to setting and achieving NRM targets.
Notes:
Hardcopy ISBN: 1 920949 27 5 Online ISBN: 1 920949 28 3
