This assessment of management effectiveness was prepared for the ACT State of the Environment Report by Andrea Leverington and Marc Hockings.
Andrea Leverington is Director, Policy Analysis and Stakeholder Engagement at the Office of the Great Barrier Reef, Environment and Heritage Protection, and has extensive experience working with the Queensland Government.
Marc Hockings is Professor and Program Director in the School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management at the University of Queensland, where he is responsible for coordinating the conservation and environmental management programs.
In 2014, they assessed the management effectiveness of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority for the World Heritage Strategic Assessment.
A society is defined not only by what it creates, but by what it refuses to destroy.
– John Sawhill
This report has used the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) management effectiveness framework originally developed for assessing management of protected areas1 and subsequently applied in the Great Barrier Reef Outlook Report1 and the Australian State of the Environment 2011 report.2 This framework focuses on six management elements (context, planning, inputs, processes, outputs, outcomes) and the links between them, to provide a comprehensive picture of management effectiveness for the region.
This assessment examined five management topics:
- air quality
- heritage
- biodiversity
- water
- land.
All management topics scored well in the areas of context, planning, inputs and processes. Additional focus on outputs and outcomes will improve the management effectiveness across most topics. The overall assessment results are summarised in Table 10.1.
10.1.1 Air quality
Australian Capital Territory (ACT) air quality is within national standards and has seen continuing improvement as a result of legislative and program initiatives. However, further work can be done on public education to increase understanding concerning fuels and change the behaviour of owners of wood heaters.
10.1.2 Land
There are comprehensive data for land management with respect to contaminated lands and biodiversity, but there is limited information about the acidity, salinity, carbon storage and overall condition of soils in the ACT. Management processes are effective for contaminated lands; however, for land management more broadly, these attributes are difficult to ascertain with the limited information available. Although management of contaminated lands seems to achieve its outcomes, purely through no negative impact, outcomes of land management from a biodiversity and ecological perspective appear to be generally unknown.
10.1.3 Water
There is sound knowledge about water quality and the factors influencing water quality, and planning for water is effective within the ACT. There is a strong focus on healthy catchments and waterways, a sustainable water supply used efficiently and community engagement. However, in the future, water needs to be linked to health, climate adaptation, population growth, planning for future critical issues and planning for infrastructure. The ACT Water Strategy 2014–44: Striking the Balance is a key initiative in delivering positive water outcomes for the ACT. However, it appears to be too early to determine if the outputs from the strategy are reducing threats.
10.1.4 Biodiversity
The ACT has an enviable record of biodiversity management due to its small size and its access to programs undertaken by the Government, universities and other organisations such as the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). More than 50% of Canberra’s land area is under protected area management; however, fire management continues to make biodiversity outcomes uncertain. Although strategies and plans are in place for the management of pest animals and weeds, their impact on biodiversity is not monitored. Improvements in monitoring and reporting on outputs and outcomes are planned and will improve the management effectiveness of biodiversity considerably. The impact of fire on biodiversity is being considered, but it is yet to be determined if processes in place will deliver the positive outcomes anticipated.
10.1.5 Heritage
Although there is a good understanding of the main sources of impacts on heritage, the consequential and cumulative impacts that are affecting historic heritage are less well understood. The lack of monitoring means that knowledge of actual impacts on heritage condition is limited. Recently, management has focused on the changes to the legislation, but there are now opportunities for more strategic planning for heritage outcomes.