What is Natural Resource Management?
Our natural resources include our water, soil, plants and animals and the people who
depend on them; our farmers, landholders, rural and urban communities need to manage their interactions with natural resources in a sustainable way.
Natural resource management (NRM) is about managing
the way in which people and natural landscapes interact. NRM brings together the
planning, allocation, conservation and use of all natural resources to secure a
sustainable and prosperous Australia where a healthy environment is the
basis for a good quality of life for all.
SLM can be defined as “the use of land resources, including soils, water, animals and plants, for the production of goods to meet changing human needs, while simultaneously ensuring the long-term productive potential of these resources and the maintenance of their environmental functions” (UN Earth Summit, 1992). TerrAfrica (2005) has further defined sustainable land management as “the adoption of land use systems that, through appropriate management practices, enables land users to maximize the economic and social benefits from the land while maintaining or enhancing the ecological support functions of the land resources”.
Sustainable Land Management (SLM) is crucial to minimizing land degradation, rehabilitating degraded areas and ensuring the optimal use of land resources for the benefit of present and future generations.
SLM is based on four common principles:
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• land-user-driven and participatory approaches;
• integrated use of natural resources at ecosystem and farming systems levels;
• multilevel and multistakeholder involvement; and
• targeted policy and institutional support, including development of incentive mechanisms for SLM adoption and income generation at the local level.
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Its application requires collaboration and partnership at all levels – land users, technical experts and policy-makers – to ensure that the causes of the degradation and corrective measures are properly identified, and that the policy and regulatory environment enables the adoption of the most appropriate management measures.
SLM is considered an imperative for sustainable development and plays a key role in harmonizing the complementary, yet historically conflicting goals of production and environment. Thus one of the most important aspects of SLM is this critical merger of agriculture and environment through twin objectives: i) maintaining long term productivity of the ecosystem functions (land, water, biodiversity) and ii) increasing productivity (quality, quantity and diversity) of goods and services, and particularly safe and healthy food.
Natural resource management regions are based on catchments or bioregions. The Australian Government, in association with state and territory governments, has identified 54 regions covering all of Australia.
History of the regions
The boundaries for each of the 54 regions were established in agreements between Australian, state and territory governments between December 2002 and June 2004.
The bilateral agreements were signed as part of the second phase of the Natural Heritage Trust.
Under Caring for our Country there have been minor changes to some boundaries.
Regional boundaries may change throughout the life-cycle of Caring for our Country under state-controlled legislation and regional groups.
Regional summary
The Southern Rivers region covers 29 000 sq km and has a population of 400 000, which doubles in summer with the influx of tourists. The growth rate in the region is consistently above the state average, with the population rising one to two per cent each year. The region includes diverse landscapes and natural assets including a spectacular coastline, wetlands, lakes and estuaries, hinterland forests, significant rivers such as the Shoalhaven, Clyde and Snowy, Australia 's highest mountains and snowfields and some of the richest dairy country in New South Wales.
More than a third of the region is public land, including 1.1 million ha of national park and 415 623 ha of state forest. The natural assets of the region underpin regional grazing, dairy farming, forestry, horticulture, commercial fishing, and tourism industries.
http://www.nrm.gov.au/about/nrm/regions/nsw-sriv.html
The Shoalhaven Catchment
Shoalhaven Subregion covers an area of 4660 km2 and spans 1000 kilometres of the NSW South Coast from Foxground in the North to Durras in the South.
The Shoalhaven landscape is home to some of the outstanding natural features of the South Coast of NSW. The landscape contains wetlands of national importance, significant habitat for international migratory species, and is a habitat stronghold for the threatened Green and Golden Bell Frog. The scenic beauty of the lower Shoalhaven and the lifestyle of coastal and estuary villages attract large numbers of visitors to the area. Important Aboriginal places around the estuary, coastal floodplain and headlands reflect a cultural attachment to the estuary’s natural resources extending over thousands of years.
Already one of the largest urban centres on the NSW South Coast, Nowra/Bomaderry is identified as a growth area with population expected to double in the next 25 years.
The geology is dominated by Permian age sandstones and siltstones. Older Ordovician age slates and shales make up the basement in the Clyde Valley with volcanic intrusions evident in the north of the City and at Milton and Bawley Point. The area is predominantly hilly or mountainous country to the west with a narrow coastal strip to the east.
Most of the soils of the area are moderately to strongly acidic and due to the parent geology most are of poor nutrient status with low water holding capacity. The high nutrient status soils of volcanic origin (eg Milton Monzonite) or alluvial origin (eg Shoalhaven Floodplain) have generally been cleared and represent very good agricultural land.
This past clearing of largely rainforest vegetation has had significant impacts on regional wildlife. Today eucalypt forests and woodlands dominate the area with cleared land being prevalent in the alluvial valleys and in regions closer to the coast. Various specialised flora and fauna have developed in the rainforests, wetlands, coastal sand dunes and heath areas.
Crown Land, State Forest and National Park make up 64% of the Shoalhaven land area providing significant habitat for flora and fauna. Diverse coastline habitats represented by beaches, estuaries, wetlands and lakes along the coast are important for both the biodiversity values of the Shoalhaven and commercially for recreational and fishing opportunities.
The Shoalhaven NRM region includes a number of sensitive natural assets. The Shoalhaven River and estuary system, Jervis Bay, Coomondary Swamp and Lake Wollumboola and a number of other coastal lakes and estuaries all represent sensitive natural environments. High population growth rates in the Shoalhaven places considerable pressure on these natural resources, highlighting the need for appropriate management and investment.
New South Wales’s regional communities and economies depend on the health and resilience of our landscapes. Effective management of our natural resources is essential for ensuring productive primary industries and community well-being.The Natural Resources Commission (NRC) was established under the
Natural Resources Commission Act 2003 (the NRC Act) to provide the NSW Government with independent advice on managing natural resources.The NRC advise the Government on what is working, what needs fixing and how it is tracking against its stated policies and targets. This helps the Government make better informed decisions that deliver triple bottom line outcomes
The latest in co-ordinated Land Services
The NSW Parliament passed the Local Land Services Bill 2013 on 27 June 2013. This Bill enables the establishment of 11 regional Local Land Services organisations to be in operation by 1 January 2014.The Minister for Primary Industries adopted key Local Land Services decisions based on the recommendations of the independent Local Land Services Stakeholder Reference Panel, chaired by the Natural Resources Commissioner, Dr John Keniry AM.The Reference Panel made its recommendations to the Minister after six months of state-wide community and stakeholder consultation, including conducting 22 workshops attended by more than 1,500 people throughout NSW.
http://www.nrc.nsw.gov.au/Workwedo/LocalLandServices.aspx Local Land Services will be regionally-based, semi-autonomous organisations that are governed by a skills based Board comprising ratepayer elected and government appointed members.Local Land Services will comprise:
- 11 regions
- Local Boards with seven members – four Government appointments and three ratepayer elected positions (a 5:4 ratio in the Western Local Land Services to account for its size)
- One Board of Chairs with an independent Chair.
Local Land Services will bring together Catchment Management Authorities, Livestock Health and Pest Authorities and agriculture advisory services of the Department of Primary Industries into a new regional service delivery model for farmers. They will provide integrated locally prioritised agricultural, plant and animal pest control, biosecurity, natural resource management, and emergency and disaster assessment and response services.Each Local Land Services will develop local strategic plans that will prioritise service delivery reflecting regional priorities. Individual Local Land Services will be independently audited to ensure accountability and delivery against priorities.Local Land services will be funded by direct budget contributions from the NSW Government, ratepayer funds and a continuation of natural resource grant funding from the NSW and Australian Government.
