Climate and Natural Resources

Coastal northern Australia is largely owned and occupied by Aboriginal people who are strongly connected to their traditional country. We assess the views of Aboriginal people in Arnhem Land on the impacts of climate change and their possible precautionary responses to both sea level rise and a potential increase in the intensity of tropical cycl ....

The ability to carry water over between years can increase the efficiency of water use if the rules governing water storage and water allocations are well defined. This report examines water right accounting rules in the Murray-Darling Basin, specifically rules around water storage (also known as carryover) and water allocation decisions. These r ....

Using the example of the regional Victorian city of Bendigo, this paper discusses new drivers for change in planning for regional cities. Key challenges are associated with environment, global relationships, urban amorphism, water security, sustainable growth, application of new planning policy, the clash between heritage and moder ....

Recent concerns over a crisis of identity and legitimacy in community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) have emerged following several decades of documented failure. A substantial literature has developed on the reasons for failure in CBNRM. In this paper, we complement this literature by considering these factors in relation to two succe ....

Contains three technical reports commissioned by the RDA Grampians Committee to consider energy use in the Grampians region. These technical reports include: Grampians Energy Infrastructure; Economic Implications of Changes in Energy for the Grampians; Social Implications of Changes in Energy for the Grampians.  Report Locationhttp://www.r ....

Issue addressed: The study investigates the sun-protective behaviours of beach goers in the north-west of Western Australia as the basis for a new health promotion intervention to be implemented in the area. Methods: A cross-sectional, observational survey of 1,498 beach goers in 25 beach locations across northwest Western Australi ....

There is a lack of literature on the ecological sustainability issues specific to small and medium businesses operating in Australian regional areas. Although there are some isolated studies on attitudes to sustainability in Australian SMEs, they do not provide a comprehensive understanding of the actual sustainability environmental practices in ....

Inter-annual rainfall variability is a major challenge to sustainable and productive grazing management on rangelands. In Australia, rainfall variability is particularly pronounced and failure to manage appropriately leads to major economic loss and environmental degradation. Recommended strategies to manage sustainably include stocking at long-t ....

The mining and petroleum industries are a vital part of Queensland’s economy, contributing over $16 billion to Queensland’s Gross State Product and employing over 30,000 people. This economic activity is underpinned by a titling and registration framework, which is administered by the Queensland Government, with over 6,700 tenures issued and ....

Recreational fishing is a growing component of the total fishery harvest in many countries, but the impacts of this sector on aquatic resources are often ignored in the management of aquatic systems. Recreational fishing is open-access, and in many inshore regions, the recreational harvest exceeds the commercial harvest. The enviro ....

The Drought Mental Health Assistance Package (DMHAP) for New South Wales was announced by the State Government in October 2006. Its aim was to deal with prolonged stress in rural communities affected by drought through increasing capacity in individuals, service providers and communities. Awareness of mental health issues and early ....

Whilst a number of statutory instruments have been designed by policy makers to address the problem of unplanned residential development in rural or environmentally sensitive areas, little academic research has been conducted on their performance within the Australian context. One such instrument is the tenement control. Tenement controls were hi ....

Territory 2030 sets the Territory Government’s direction for the next 20 years. It is a long-term plan with clear targets that provide a framework for the government’s strategic plans and policy initiatives. With education at its core, Territory 2030 sets priorities for society, economic sustainability, health and wellbeing, the environment a ....

The ANAO is undertaking three audits of key aspects of the NPA's signed with Queensland and Victoria in relation to natural disasters over the 2010-2011 spring and summer seasons.   The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Inspectorate, supported by the taskforce, in providing assurance that value for money is bei ....