Beverley Clarke

Seeking the Grail: Evaluating Whether Australia's Coastcare Program Achieved “Meaningful” Community Participation

Many environment programs encourage community participation. Lacking are evaluation guidelines for programs that engage the public. While typologies exist that explain dimensions of participation, evaluation of the participatory effort within programs is lagging. This article tests the theoretical principles of participatory democracy on Australias Coastcare program, a federally funded community-based natural resource management initiative. Five indicators developed to evaluate the participatory approach of a planning effort in the United States are applied in this instance to verify the success of the Coastcares goals of encouraging stewardship within local communities. The study is based on the analysis of qualitative data generated from a combination of 173 key stakeholder interviews and questionnaires. The application of the indicators revealed both strengths and challenges for Coastcare in achieving its goals. This case study illustrates that utilisation of appropriate indicators has the capacity to provide much needed information that can assist policy reform while providing continued support to local groups.

Barriers to Effective Municipal Solid Waste Management in a Rapidly Urbanizing Area in Thailand

This study focused on determining the barriers to effective municipal solid waste management (MSWM) in a rapidly urbanizing area in Thailand. The Tha Khon Yang Subdistrict Municipality is a representative example of many local governments in Thailand that have been facing MSWM issues. In-depth interviews with individuals and focus groups were conducted with key informants including the municipality staff, residents, and external organizations. The major influences affecting waste management were categorized into six areas: social-cultural, technical, financial, organizational, and legal-political barriers and population growth. SWOT analysis shows both internal and external factors are playing a role in MSWM: There is good policy and a reasonably sufficient budget. However, there is insufficient infrastructure, weak strategic planning, registration, staff capacity, information systems, engagement with programs; and unorganized waste management and fee collection systems. The location of flood prone areas has impacted on location and operation of landfill sites. There is also poor communication between the municipality and residents and a lack of participation in waste separation programs. However, external support from government and the nearby university could provide opportunities to improve the situation. These findings will help inform municipal decision makers, leading to better municipal solid waste management in newly urbanized areas.

Wither coastal management in Australia—a call for National Leadership

ABSTRACT Clarke, B and Harvey N., 2013. Wither coastal management in Australia—a call for National Leadership The prominence of the coast in terms of the Australian Governments policy has significantly diminished over the last decade. With the exception of planning for climate change and sea level rise there is an absence of forward thinking for the coast at the national level. This absence of national contribution towards direction setting has a filtering effect upon the states. Australias coastal environments are highly varied and exhibit an impressive array of habitats and species. A federal role in coastal management in Australia is warranted because nationally coastal resources have important social, cultural and economic status. However, important aspects of coastal management have been largely neglected in recent years (integrated management, coastal natural resource management, marine and estuaries planning). This is evidenced by the abolition of the key federal governmental committees and agencies that had a direct mandate for the coast. It is argued that national leadership is critical to support and coordinate what has in the past a somewhat disparate and fragmented allocation of effort and funding. This paper provides an analysis of recent changes within the Australian Government and coastal management decision-making, funding allocations and initiatives and governance; and proposes a series of recommendations for possible ways forward.

Solid waste management in Thailand: an overview and case study (Tha Khon Yang sub-district).

Abstract Due to rapid urbanization, solid waste management (SWM) has become a significant issue in several developing countries including Thailand. Policies implemented by the Central Thai Government to manage SWM issues have had only limited success. This article reviews current municipal waste management plans in Thailand and examines municipal waste management at the local level, with focus on the Tha Khon Yang sub-district surrounding Mahasarakham University in Mahasarakham Province. Within two decades this area has been converted from a rural to an urban landscape featuring accommodation for over 45,000 university students and a range of business facilities. This development and influx of people has outpaced the government’s ability to manage municipal solid waste (MSW). There are significant opportunities to improve local infrastructure and operational capacity; but there are few mechanisms to provide and distribute information to improve community participation in waste management. Many community-based waste management projects, such as waste recycling banks, the 3Rs (reduce, reuse and recycle), and waste-to-biogas projects have been abandoned. Additionally, waste from Tha Kon Yang and its surrounding areas has been transferred to unsanitary landfills; there is also haphazard dumping and uncontrolled burning of waste, which exacerbate current pollution issues.

Knowledge and Attitudes towards Handling Eggs in the Home: An Unexplored Food Safety Issue?

Foodborne illness is a global public health issue, with food handling in the home identified as an underestimated source. In Australia, there has been a significant increase in the incidence of salmonellosis with the majority of outbreaks linked to eggs. This study investigated Australian eggs consumer attitudes, behaviours and risk perceptions associated with the handling of raw eggs in the home. It was identified that 67% of participants chose free range eggs, 11% kept poultry, 7% did not have any preference, 7% cage eggs, 4% barn eggs, 2% organic eggs and 1% pasteurized eggs. The majority of participants (91%) reported they stored eggs in the fridge. It was identified that there is an underestimation of “risky behaviour” associated with the consumption of raw eggs in the home, as 84% of participants indicated that they did not consume raw eggs, but subsequently 86% indicated that they had eaten mixture/batter containing raw eggs. Participants’ responses relating to food safety were also examined in relation to their profession and gender. Safer food handling practices were identified by Environmental Health Officers (EHO) and Food handlers compared to all other professions (p < 0.05). However, the gender of participants did not significantly affect (p > 0.05) their responses.

Fit for purpose? Establishing the robustness of EIA screening systems for land-use planning using a case study from South Australia

Screening is a critical first stage of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process, vetting development proposals to determine whether or not they require a full assessment. Inadequately executed significance tests undermine EIAs purpose of environmental protection. There is considerable variation across jurisdictions in terms of prescriptive and discretionary significance tests and the criteria and thresholds within them. Of all aspects of EIA, screening is cited as the most frequent source of actual infringements, yet there is a dearth of research in this area. This paper presents an empirical study from South Australia that investigates the adequacy of its discretionary screening process. The findings suggest that improvements are much needed toward improved consistency and transparency of decision-making and, ultimately better environmental protection. The paper prompts a thorough examination of significance testing elsewhere.

Solid Waste Management Solutions for a Rapidly Urbanizing Area in Thailand: Recommendations Based on Stakeholder Input

Municipal solid waste is a significant problem, particularly in developing countries that lack sufficient infrastructure and useable land mass to process it in an appropriate manner. Some developing nations are experiencing a combination of issues that prevent proper management of solid waste. This paper reviews the management of municipal solid waste in northeast Thailand, using the Tha Khon Yang Sub-district Municipality (TKYSM) in Maha Sarakham Province as a case study. The combination of rapid population and economic growth and its associated affluence has led to an increase in the use of consumer items and a concomitant increase in the production of municipal solid waste. In the TKYSM there is pressure on local government to establish a suitable waste management program to resolve the escalating waste crisis. The aim of this study is to provide viable solutions to waste management challenges in the TKYSM, and potentially to offer guidance to other similar localities also facing the same challenges. It is well established that successful changes to waste management require an understanding of local context and consideration of specific issues within a region. Therefore, extensive community consultation and engagement with local experts was undertaken to develop an understanding of the particular waste management challenges of the TKYSM. Research methods included observations, one-on-one interviews and focus groups with a range of different stakeholders. The outcomes of this research highlight a number of opportunities to improve local infrastructure and operational capacity around solid waste management. Waste management in rural and urban areas needs to be approached differently. Solutions include: development of appropriate policy and implementation plans (based around the recommendations of this paper); reduction of the volume of waste going to landfill by establishing a waste separation system; initiation of a collection service that supports waste separation at source; educating the citizens of the municipality; and the local government staff, and for the local government to seek external support from the local temples and expertise from the nearby university.

Political embeddedness in environmental contexts: the intersections of social networks and planning institutions in coastal land use

ABSTRACT Despite well-documented climate change risks, coastal developments are still built. This article argues that the success or failure of development approval is conditioned by political embeddedness: the intersections of social network and institutional power. By synthesizing Granovetter’s theory of structural embeddedness with a Polanyian account of land’s institutional embeddedness in protective zoning, two-mode social network analysis methods are utilized to explore how both forms of embeddedness influence development processes. Comparing two South Australian case studies of an apartment complex and a surf club development, we illustrate how influential social actors emerge from within land use institutions, who then occupy network positions to co-ordinate the exercise of power between, and through, organizations. This theoretical approach to political embeddedness brings back in a finer-grained appreciation of how power is actively practised through the uneven social topography arising out of land use zoning. An implication of these findings is greater analytical attention should be given to how different land use zonings open divergent lines of contest in attempts to achieve more environmentally just outcomes. By doing so, we call for a sociologically informed conceptualization of political embeddedness in environmental studies, which is in contrast to current theoretical and methodological eclecticism.

Stakeholder perceptions of a coastal marine protected area

ABSTRACT Clarke, B.; Thurstan, R.H.; and Yates, K.L, 2016. Stakeholder perceptions of a coastal marine protected area, . In: Vila-Concejo, A.; Bruce, E.; Kennedy, D.M., and McCarroll, R.J. (eds.), Proceedings of the 14th International Coastal Symposium (Sydney, Australia). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue, No. 75, pp. 622–626. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Marine protected areas (MPAs) are an increasingly utilised marine and coastal management tool, with rates of designation rising steeply over the last twenty years. MPAs are most commonly designated for biological conservation objectives and the management is thus focused primarily on meeting conservation goals, with associated monitoring programs gathering data on a narrow suite of biological indicators. However, MPAs also have a wide range of potential social and economic impacts and the ability to meet the goals of an MPA is highly influenced by the often unmonitored perceptions and buy-in of local stakeholders. Here we examine a range of stakeholder perceptions concerning a coastal MPA in South Australia. We conducted semi-structured interviews with individuals engaged in the MPAs planning and designation process, as well as those involved with its ongoing management. We explored their understanding of the purpose of the MPA, whether they thought the MPA was successful and the future management challenges the MPA might face. In particular, we focused on eliciting from stakeholders indicators they thought should be used to monitor the ongoing performance of the MPA. Perceptions varied between stakeholder groups, however, the majority of respondents highlighted the importance of socio-economic factors in the ongoing performance of the MPA. The vast majority of them suggested both biological and socio-economic indicators that should be incorporated into monitoring programs. Our findings highlight the need for MPA planning and management, when defining goals and developing monitoring programs, to be mindful to incorporate social and economic, as well as, biological indicators.

Social networks and decision-making for coastal land-use planning, development and adaptation response

ABSTRACT Sea-level rise has become a front-and-centre policy and management challenge for governments, planners and coastal managers. Local government coastal adaptation responses to climate change impacts and sea-level rise is critical. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the powerful role of social networks in the uptake of science in coastal decision-making. A case study is presented from metropolitan Adelaide, South Australia, to examine how an urban coastal development deemed susceptible to coastal hazards was approved. The social network that formed around the proposed development, with its informal connections and shared cultural values, influenced the decision which suited the needs of the network but did not align with provisions in state coastal protection policy. This paper provides an insight into the strategic capability of social networks and the case presented highlights the potential of social network analysis techniques to better understand the complexity of coastal decision-making processes.