Caring for our Country

What is natural resource management?

Policies, agreements and frameworks

This page provides information on the range of policies, agreements and frameworks that guide the delivery of integrated natural resource management (NRM) in Australia. It also provides links to further information and downloadable copies of certain documents.

Policies

Australia's Oceans Policy

Released in 1998, Australia's Oceans Policy continues to guide the direction of Australian Government programs in the marine environment. The policy provides national coordination and consistency for marine planning and management, whilst allowing for regional diversity.

Native Vegetation Policy

Australia's Native Vegetation Policy works to reduce the decline in our native vegetation. It is delivered via the collaborative efforts of governments at the Commonwealth, state and territory levels.

Agreements

Formal Agreements with States and Territories

The Australian, state and territory governments have a mutual interest and long history of working together to protect the environment and better manage our natural resources. Their working relationship under Caring for our Country is based on the principles of mutual benefit, administrative simplicity and efficiency; and maintenance of effort.

Caring for our Country is currently delivered through interim bilateral agreements between the Commonwealth and each of the States and Territories. In the future a multi-lateral National Partnership Agreement will be developed for some of the funding components of the program. The Commonwealth will directly contract with proponents for the remaining components.

Bilateral agreements with the states and territories were established under the former programs, the Natural Heritage Trust and Nation Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality.

Strategies

The Caring for our Country MERI Strategy

The Australian Government is taking a strategic approach to measuring the achievements of Caring for our Country investment, and this will occur through the Caring for our Country MERI strategy.

Australian Pest Animal Strategy

The Australian Pest Animal Strategy addresses the impacts of exotic vertebrate animals (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish) which have become pests in Australia.

Australian Weeds Strategy

The Australian Weeds Strategy (first developed in 1997 as the National Weeds Strategy) identifies priorities for weed management across the nation. It aims to minimise the impact of weeds on Australia's environmental, economic and social assets.

Frameworks

A Framework of Regional (Sub-National) Level Criteria and Indicators of Sustainable Forest Management in Australia

Australia is one of 12 countries involved in the application of the Montreal Process criteria and indicators. The seven criteria identified by the Montreal Process describe the broad forest values that society seeks to maintain.

Australia used the Montreal Process criteria and indicators to develop a Framework of Regional (Sub-National) Level Criteria and Indicators of Sustainable Forest Management in Australia. The framework is not legally binding, nor is it a compliance document or an operations manual. It provides a list of indicators that forest managers must consider in assessing progress towards sustainable forest management.

A National Framework for Public Environmental Reporting

The National Framework for Public Environmental Reporting was developed following extensive workshop consultation with interested parties in the private and public sectors throughout Australia. It was developed to further facilitate and encourage voluntary public environmental reporting in Australia by providing simple and effective guidance at a national level.

Council of Australian Governments (CoAG) Water Reform Framework

In February 1994, the Council of Australian Governments (CoAG), consisting of the Prime Minister, Premiers, Chief Ministers and the President of the Australian Local Government Association, agreed to implement a "strategic framework to achieve an efficient and sustainable water industry."

The framework is based on the recognition that action is required if we are to halt the widespread degradation of our natural resources and minimise the unsustainable use of our precious water resources. It seeks to establish integrated and consistent approaches to Australian water resource management.

National Framework for the Management and Monitoring of Australia's Native Vegetation

Commonwealth, state and territory governments committed themselves, through the Trust, to reverse the long-term decline in the quality and extent of Australia's native vegetation cover.

The National Framework for the Management and Monitoring of Australia's Native Vegetation, an initiative of the former Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council (ANZECC), provides a vehicle through which to implement this goal in a unified and consistent manner, against an agreed framework of best practice management and monitoring measures.

Region summaries

You can also use your town name to find your NRM Region.

Key

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