National Forum

63 per cent of Australia is made up of freehold, mining and pastoral tenures. 7 per cent is dedicated to nature conservation. The balance of 30 per cent, made up of Aboriginal controlled land, unallocated crown land and forestry/water supply reserves, is under varying levels of nature conservation.

Until recently society's view is that the 7 per cent in conservation reserves is there for the birds and the bees while the 63 per cent is there for exploitation for food, fibre, energy, minerals and urban use. It has become clear that if we are to conserve biodiversity and ensure our natural resources are used in a sustainable way, then the management focus has to concentrate on that 63 per cent of the country with the least amount of protection.

Local government participation, commitment and resourcing is an essential ingredient in any recipe for the sustainable use of the landscape. Without local government effectively engaged in NRM, sustainability targets and standards will not reach the levels that regionally accredited plans will hope to achieve. Local government government controls nearly all land uses except national parks and state forests.

Its powers, responsibilities and jurisdictions, often not used to their full potential, are all required to deliver the sustainable use of lands outside the reserve system. Subject to adequate resourcing, local government has already committed itself to biodiversity conservation by unanimous resolution at its general assembly.

This paper argues the sustainable use of private land and the conservation of biodiversity should be nationally funded and co-ordinated but locally or regionally (depends on definitions) delivered. It challenges:

• Commonwealth and state governments to fully engage local government,
• Local government to fully commit to sustainable NRM
• The Commonwealth to introduce a long term, secure and adequate source of funding, probably in the form of a national environment levy.