Module 7

Who Cares for Our Coast? Understanding How
Our Coastal Zone is Managed

Introduction

• What are the goals that we, as a society, have agreed to about the use of coastal and marine environments?

• What special understandings do we need to interpret these goals?

• What structures, laws, processes and practices are currently in place to ensure the implementation of these goals?

• How can we have our say in the processes of deciding goals, in general, and in making specific decisions on developments that affect coastal and marine environments?

Objectives

• to explain the objectives of Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD);

• to illustrate how ESD principles can be incorporated into coastal planning;

• to provide an overview of the structure of environmental planning processes, including an awareness of the agencies involved in decisions about the use of the coastal zone; and

• to identify opportunities for citizens to participate in the processes of coastal planning and approval of coastal development.

Workshop Outline

1. Introduction
   The introduction provides a rationale for the need to understand how coastal policy is made, and the structures and processes in place to implement agreed goals for the future of the coastal zone.

2. What are the Goals of ESD?
   This section presents the terminology and concepts outlined in the Commonwealth Coastal Policy. The activity encourages the participants to become familiar with terms and concepts and, in particular, focuses on an understanding of 'sustainability' in the context of activities and developments within coastal zones.

3. Getting Past the Language
   This activity explores the meanings of common words that have particular definitions in the language of policy and planning. In particular, emotive connotations of some words are examined with the goal of promoting understanding of the processes of coastal planning.

4. How does Coastal Planning Work?
   This section examines the overall structure of planning processes and responsibilities, beginning at the Commonwealth level, focusing on the central role of State/Territory governments, and the implementation role of local government. The activity casts participants in the roles of the three levels of government and asks them to identify their involvement in evaluating the suitability of four hypothetical coastal developments. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process is discussed and the key tool of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is explored.

5. How Can the Public Be Involved?
   This section focuses on the role of the public in the coastal planning process. The activity is an extension of the previous activity, and asks participants to identify the points where public input is possible in the evaluation of four hypothetical development proposals. The various methods of public participation and their effectiveness are evaluated.

6. Summary
   This section provides a synthesis of the ideas in this workshop and an overview of the challenges in teaching the material.
   

Materials Required

A. Provided

B. To be obtained

• An atlas topographic map with details of coastal habitats in the chosen study area.
• Butcher paper and light-weight cardboard, blu-tac or similar to mount cardboard.
• Information on specific planning goals/policies of relevant local councils.
• Examples of how a planning process operates using local examples.
• A copy of an EIS for a local development.

Activity 3A

• An envelope for each group of 3-4 participants containing slips of paper cut up from copies of Resource 3.
  

Further Reading

Brown, A.L. and McDonald, G.T. (1995) From Environmental Impact Assessment to Environmental Design and Planning, Australian Journal of Environmental Management 2 (2).

Department of the Environment, Sport and Territories (1995) Living on the Coast: The Commonwealth Coastal Policy, Canberra.

Manuel, M., McElroy, B. and Smith, R. (1995) Coastal Conflicts, Cambridge University Press, Melbourne.

Resource Assessment Commission: Coastal Zone Inquiry, Final Report of the Resource Assessment Commission, November 1993, Resource Assessment Commission, Canberra.

Underwood, A.J. and Chapman, M.G. (eds) (1995) Coastal Marine Ecology of Temperate Australia, University of New South Wales Press, Sydney.

Note: For details of the Commonwealth Government's procedures for Environmental Impact Assessment consult the ERIN Homepage at http://www.erin.gov.au/portfolio/epg/eianet/eia/eia-our-com.html