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 state's 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.