National Forum

Encouraging Local Government Leadership in Nature Conservation: Some Good Examples
Peter Creaser
Environment Australia

Local government's range of responsibilities and powers, often not used to its full potential, can have a significant influence on nature conservation on both private and public land.

As local government has significant jurisdiction over freehold land it is imperative that its role in nature conservation is clarified in current and future policy and program developments. With local government engaged, the scope of tools and measures that are available to enhance private land conservation is broadened. These tools may include incentives, zoning, development concessions and by-laws. Innovative approaches such as tradeable development rights could also be trialed in a supportive framework.

Where local government is not effectively engaged, nature conservation objectives will not be achieved to the extent that they could, and in fact local government action could be detrimental to nature conservation eg. poor land use decision-making and the rampant grader operator.

How can local government be effectively engaged? There are a number of councils across Australia who, under their own instigation, have taken a leading role in their local area in nature conservation. For example, Ipswich Council in south east Queensland provides a comrehensive suite of mechanisms and incentives to encourage private land conservation. Under the Natural Heritage Trust there has been a focused effort by the Bushcare Program to encourage all local governments to undertake direct on-ground works, but also, to consider reforms to institutional mechanisms such as planning schemes and the development of incentive schemes to encourage private land conservation. There has also been a case made for State reforms to both oblige and enable local government to address nature conservation issues. This has been informed by research undertaken by CSIRO.

Truly successful local government Bushcare projects are those that not only achieve on-ground objectives but instigate political and corporate change. For example, Hindmarsh Shire Council, in the wheatbelt of western Victoria, has grown from undertaking on-ground revegetation works to now providing financial incentives to landholders for private land conservation. A real indication of its improved capacity and commitment has been its recognition of, and innovative approach to protect, a high conservation value grassland site within the Shire.

The modest progress that has been made by the Bushcare Program in improving the capacity of local government needs to be built on. For many councils, even if there is some political will, the requirements to address core issues such as roads, often results in nature conservation being neglected. These councils require assistance beyond grants for on-ground projects to commit to conservation goals and institutional reform.

Fundamental issues such as political commitment, access to data and expertise, and institutional reform need to be addressed before low rate base rural councils can be effectively engaged. A capacity building proposal which links milestones addressing these issues to incentive payments for councils is one approach under consideration.