Robert Kay

Benchmarking the future direction for coastal management in Australia

Coastal management in Australia has been through a period of unprecedented change during the past 3 years. All six state governments have undergone major reforms of their coastal management programs during this time. These reforms have been promoted by numerous changes in the political complexion of state governments, periodic reviews as state systems have become stale, and outcomes of federal government inquiries. Greater involvement in coastal management has been demanded by interest groups and the community resulting from a range of coastal inquiries and some significant coastal issues, like sewage disposal and subdivisions. These changes are set to continue as Australian jurisdictions attempt to come to grips with recent changes due to the recognition of native title. The recent evolution of coastal zone management in Australia is described and analyzed, focusing on possible future directions of Australian coastal zone management at both state and national levels. Evaluating the success of these progr...

Reforming coastal management in Western Australia

Abstract The state government of Western Australia is currently reforming its system of coastal zone management in response to a major review of coastal management commissioned by the state government in 1994–1995. Reasons why the coastal management review was initiated, the way in which the review was conducted, its major recommendations, and an analysis of the review process are described. Effectiveness of the states coastal management system was evaluated against: the coverage of coastal management plans, the extent to which those plans had been implemented, perceived effectiveness by on-the-ground managers, and the condition of the coastal environment in Western Australia. These evaluation criteria were developed by the committee undertaking the review in the absence of any established coastal zone management performance criteria. The review concluded that the networked system of coastal management in Western Australia was generally effective, and did not require major structural reform, such as the need for specific coastal management legislation. However, the review found a number of inefficiencies in the current system. It recommended that a new coastal council be formed to improve coordination between state government departments and between the three spheres of government, and that increased resources be allocated to coastal management by the state government. These recommendations have largely been accepted by the state government, and are currently being implemented; the latter through a system of competitive grants for local governments and community groups. The success of the review was due to a combination of attention to the administrative processes including the emphasis on consultation, political support, and the historic emphasis on coastal management in Western Australia. These factors concur with analyses of successful coastal management policy reform at the state level in the USA, although the comparison is worthy of further scrutiny.