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Local Government sets precedent

The Coorong District Council was one of the first Councils in Australia to incorporate the environment into their strategic and development plans. As a result, more than 1,200 square kilometres of on-ground works have been carried out since 1997, funded by the Australian Government's Natural Heritage Trust and National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality. The community has embraced the Council's Local Action Plan with more than two thirds of landholders actively participating in projects aimed at reducing groundwater levels and improved biodiversity. Projects include revegetation, perennial pastures, fodder shrubs, farm forestry, saltland pastures, wind erosion stabilisation, soil improvement, sustainable agriculture and protection of remnant native vegetation and wetlands. According to the Coorong Council natural resource management is "core business" because its rate base and assets are directly threatened by land degradation. There are many more reasons to get involved in natural resource management (NRM), which is delivered through the $3 billion Natural Heritage Trust and $1.4 billion National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality, representing the largest environmental rescue package ever delivered by an Australian Government. Other benefits of getting involved in NRM include: protection of Council assets help in maintaining the area's economy and population positive publicity for Council the ability to attract external funds. More importantly, NRM also paves the way for funding for works that Council would perhaps not normally do, such as revegetation and wetland projects.

Council's Local Action Plan is now in its tenth year and so far 70 per cent of landholders have accessed grants. More than 300 projects were approved last year totalling $650,000 and 87 per cent of funding received was spent directly on-ground. To date, seven square kilometres of native vegetation has been planted, 97 square kilometres of perennial pastures sown, 54 square kilometres of remnant native vegetation protected, 280 kilometres of fencing erected and 10 square kilometres of eroded land rehabilitated.

A similar program was undertaken in 2005 and is planned for 2006.

To sustain this momentum the Local Action Plan Committee runs a number of capacity building and educational programs to maximise the participation rate and effect of the on-ground works. These include workshops and fields days on farm forestry, revegetation and seed collecting, perennial pasture establishment and wetland monitoring; and irrigation water use efficiency covering irrigation scheduling, soils, pump and bore maintenance, systems check and rivercare courses. There are also school activities such as Waterwatch, revegetation and wetland projects.

One of Coorong Council's highlights during its NRM work was pioneering the development of inland aquaculture using saline groundwater, demonstrating the potential of a viable aquaculture industry as well as delivering environmental benefits by alleviating rising water tables, a major cause of dryland salinity.

The Coorong district is facing an ongoing battle with dryland salinity, urban salinity and salinity impacts on native vegetation, wetlands and public and farm infrastructure.

The district also faces native vegetation and wetland decline, habitat loss and endangered species. In these dry times, the Council must also address low River Murray flows, Murray Mouth closure, river water quality, high salinity levels and water restrictions.

So how does the Coorong Council plan for natural resource management?

Its method is delivered at three levels: Council's Strategic Plan, Development Plan and Local Action Plan. With the Coorong District Council being one of the first Councils in Australia to fully incorporate the environment into their Development Plan, it is seen as a benchmark for other Councils to follow.

Conservation and the environment feature predominately in the Council-wide objectives within the Development Plan. Issues such as biodiversity, dryland salinity, water use, natural systems, wetlands and native vegetation are all catered for within Council's planning and development policy. The Coorong and Lower Lakes is a Ramsar listed wetland of international significance and the Development Plan ensures the area will be managed in accordance with the aims and objectives contained in the Ramsar Management Plan for the area.

For information about natural resource management visit www.nrm.gov.au or free call 1800 065 823. The National Awards for Local Government, sponsored by the Federal Department of the Environment and Heritage, are now open for applications. The Australian Government recognises Local Government as a key stakeholder in natural resource management through regional planning and integrating biodiversity conservation into planning and management operations.

For more information call the Awards Hotline on 1800 065 113.

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