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The coastal zone is one of Australia's greatest assets. The fundamental goal of Integrated Coastal Zone Management
(ICZM) is to maintain, restore or improve
the quality of coastal zone ecosystems and the societies they support. National cooperation is required to achieve ecologically
sustainable development through ICZM.
The Framework for a National Cooperative Approach to Integrated Coastal Zone Management, endorsed in October 2003,
addresses both development and conservation challenges for coastal Australia that are of national scale and scope. It recognises
the need for governments to support ongoing economic, social and environmental well being in the coastal zone. It sets the scene
for national cooperation in managing coastal issues and ensuring effective and complementary arrangements within and across
jurisdictions, and to better reflect the interests of coastal stakeholders.
The six priority areas addressed in the Framework are:
- integration across the catchment coast ocean continuum
- land and marine based sources of pollution
- climate change
- pest plants and animals
- planning for population change
- capacity building
While jurisdictions have different legislative and administrative frameworks for managing the coastal zone, adopting a
national cooperative approach seeks to address cross border and sectoral issues, harmonise joint action towards management
of common issues, and encourage investments from all jurisdictions.
An implementation plan that seeks nationally cooperative outcomes within nominated timeframes has now been released.
The National
Cooperative Approach to
Integrated Coastal Zone Management – Framework and Implementation Plan (Click to view pdf file) sets out,
under the strategic priority areas, implementation objectives and actions required to address coastal management issues.
Actions identified in the implementation plan will build on existing coastal management initiatives at all levels of
government and, where feasible, will be achieved through the efficient allocation of existing resources.
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