integrated catchment management in the murray–darling ......integrated catchment management (icm)...

IntegratedCatchmentManagement in the Murray–Darling Basin2001–2010Delivering a sustainable future

M U R R A Y - D A R L I N G B A S I N

M I N I S T E R I A L C O U N C I L

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Catchment management regions of the Murray–Darling Basin

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IntegratedCatchmentManagement in the Murray–Darling Basin2001–2010Delivering a sustainable future

J U N E 2 0 0 1

A statement of commitment by community andgovernments on future management of thenatural resources of the Murray–Darling Basin

We the community and governments of the Murray–Darling Basin commit ourselves to doall that needs to be done to manage and usethe resources of the Basin in a way that isecologically sustainable.

The Basin community and governments have agreed to this commitment.

Rural and regional communities, landholders and land managers, Indigenous people, Landcare groups,urban people, industries, businesses, special interestgroups and individuals make up the Basin community. Basin governments include Common-wealth, State/Territory and local governments. The Basin community and governments are partners in integrated catchment management.

A S T A T E M E N T O F C O M M I T M E N T B Y C O M M U N I T Y A N D G O V E R N M E N T S O N F U T U R E ii

Integrated Catchment Management in theMurray–Darling Basin 2001–2010

Published by the Murray–Darling BasinMinisterial Council

Office AddressLevel 5, 15 Moore St, Canberra,Australian Capital Territory

Postal AddressGPO Box 409, Canberra ACT 2601

Tel: (02) 6279 0100;from overseas +61 2 6279 0100

Fax: (02) 6248 8053;

from overseas + 61 2 6248 8053

Email: [email protected]

Internet: http://www.mdbc.gov.au

ISBN 1876830131

© Copyright Murray–Darling Basin Commission, 2001

Unless otherwise indicated, photographs by DavidEastburn and Murray–Darling Basin Commission.

This work is copyright. Photographs and coverartwork, and the MDBC logo, are not to bereproduced or stored by any process withoutpermission. However, text and other graphics in thispublication may be reproduced in whole or in partprovided that the information is not sold or put tocommercial use and its source (‘Murray–Darling Basin Ministerial Council 2001, Integrated CatchmentManagement in the Murray–Darling Basin2001–2010’) is clearly acknowledged. Reproductionand storage for other purposes is prohibited without prior written permission.

Printed on recycled stock.

This document is a call to the Basin community andgovernments to protect the health and productivityof the Murray–Darling Basin.

The Murray–Darling Basin is under threat. Risingsalinity and a high demand for limited water andland resources are two of the major problems itfaces. We cannot protect the Basin under currentlevels of resource use. All partners must decidewhat they want for the future, what is possiblegiven the constraints, and how to achieve theseaims by working together.

This will involve making some difficult choices, butwe have the opportunity now to build a sustainablefuture for the Basin and its community. Change canonly come about if we work together in partnership.

More than ten years ago the governments of NewSouth Wales, Victoria, South Australia and theCommonwealth, as partners in the Murray–DarlingBasin Ministerial Council, agreed to manage thenatural resources of the Basin through integratedcatchment management (ICM). The Queenslandand Australian Capital Territory governments havenow also joined the Council.

This document outlines an approach to ICM that is based on targets for catchment health andprogressive evolution of the way we organisecommunities, institutions and governments to meetthe challenges and opportunities of the future.

Targets are already in place for diversions of theBasin’s water, and for River Murray salinity. We aredeveloping targets for the reduction of salinity in allmajor tributaries of the Murray–Darling riversystem. But we must protect our catchments if weare to protect our water. We will therefore needto set targets for other aspects of catchment healthsuch as nutrients in rivers, water sharing, riverineecosystem health and terrestrial biodiversity. Thesetargets will need to be integrated with each other,and with our social and economic aspirations, toachieve the catchment health we seek.

The Basin community and governments mustcommit to the protection of the health andproductivity of the Murray–Darling Basin. The ICM approach will take another ten years tobuild. It will require substantial government,community and industry leadership andcommitment, and will significantly test thecapacities of us all—government, community andindustry—to manage the natural resource base forthe benefit of both present and future generations.

This document, distributed in draft form by theMinisterial Council and the Murray–Darling BasinCommunity Advisory Committee in late 2000, has the overwhelming support of the broad Basincommunity and governments. It is our jointaffirmation of commitment to integrated catchmentmanagement as the way we will manage and carefor the Basin into the future.

The Hon. Warren Truss Chairman, Murray–Darling Basin Ministerial Council

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry(Commonwealth)

The Hon. Richard AmeryMinister for Agriculture, and Minister for Land andWater Conservation (NSW)

The Hon. Sherryl GarbuttMinister for Environment and Conservation, and Minister for Women’s Affairs (Vic.)

The Hon. Mark BrindalMinister for Water Resources, Minister forEmployment and Training, and Minister for Youth (SA)

The Hon. Stephen RobertsonMinister for Natural Resources, and Minister forMines (Qld)

Mr Brendan Smyth Minister for Urban Services (ACT)

Leith BoullyChairman, Community Advisory Committee of the Murray–Darling Basin Ministerial Council

Purpose of this document

iii M A N A G E M E N T O F T H E N A T U R A L R E S O U R C E S O F T H E M U R R A Y – D A R L I N G B A S I N

A S T A T E M E N T O F C O M M I T M E N T B Y C O M M U N I T Y A N D G O V E R N M E N T S O N F U T U R E iv

The Murray–Darling Basin Initiative

The Murray–Darling Basin Initiative is acooperative arrangement between governmentand community—through the governments ofNew South Wales, Victoria, South Australia,Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory andthe Commonwealth, and a Community AdvisoryCommittee. It is the largest integrated catchmentmanagement program in the world and coversan area of over one million square kilometres.

The Initiative seeks to achieve the internationallyagreed goals of ecologically sustainabledevelopment within the Basin.

Using, conserving and enhancing the community’sresources so that ecological processes, on which lifedepends, are maintained, and the total quality of life,now and in the future, can be increased.

The Initiative seeks to respond to issues which:

• require joint government action or commonaction by two or more parties; or

• require action by an individual State orTerritory but which could have implicationsfor integrated resource management acrossthe Basin.

Partners to the Initiative commit to workingtogether for the benefit of the Basin, knowingthat cooperation will achieve much more thanaction by any individual jurisdiction, and thatonly a true partnership between governmentsand the community can achieve the changesrequired for a secure future.

The main focus of the Initiative has been theshared water resources of the Basin. However,partners acknowledge that protecting theseshared resources requires a whole-of-catchmentapproach, one that takes account of therelationships between natural systems, includingland, water and other environmental resources.Any decision on the use and management ofnatural resources also affects economic and socialvalues of regional communities. Therefore,Initiative partners are committed to strengtheningICM and the partnership between governmentsand the community over the next decade.

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Contents

M A N A G E M E N T O F T H E N A T U R A L R E S O U R C E S O F T H E M U R R A Y – D A R L I N G B A S I N v

Introduction 1

Commitment 3

Our goals 3

Our values 4

Our principles 4

The outcomes we seek 5

Making choices 5

Knowledge 6

Capacity building 7

Targets 8

Targets for catchment health 9

Target setting 10

Target review 11

Timetable for setting targets 11

Basin strategies 13

Management arrangements for catchments 14

Mechanisms 17

Monitoring, evaluating and reporting 18

Monitoring and evaluating achievements against targets 18

Evaluating our approach 19

Roles and responsibilities 20

Investment 23

Related government initiatives 24

Glossary 26

A S T A T E M E N T O F C O M M I T M E N T B Y C O M M U N I T Y A N D G O V E R N M E N T S O N F U T U R E vi

Wentworth at the junction of the Darling and Murray Rivers

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Introduction

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The Murray–Darling BasinThe environmental health of the Murray–DarlingBasin (the Basin)—the condition of its land,water and other environmental resources—and its continued productivity are important to all Australians.

The Basin is Australia’s largest and mostdeveloped river system, covering over onemillion square kilometres of land from southernQueensland through to the Murray mouthin South Australia. The Basin incorporates75 per cent of Australia’s irrigation and providesjust over 41 per cent of Australia’s gross value of agricultural production. The Basin hasa diverse range of landscapes, ecosystems,land uses, and climates.

Its rivers provide drinking water for over threemillion people, more than one-third of whomlive outside its borders. The Basin encompasses30 000 wetlands; 11 of these wetlands have beenlisted under the Ramsar Convention onWetlands of International Importance.

The native animals and vegetation of the Basinrepresent much of Australia’s unique flora andfauna, and many native species rely heavily onthe 93 per cent of the Basin’s land not includedin national parks and other reserves.

1990–2000In 1990 the Murray–Darling Basin MinisterialCouncil launched its Natural ResourcesManagement Strategy in response to decliningBasin health. That strategy led to a major changein management of the Basin’s natural resources,based on integrated catchment management(ICM) and delivered through a community-government partnership.

Integrated catchment management

Integrated catchment management (ICM) isa process through which people can developa vision, agree on shared values andbehaviours, make informed decisions and acttogether to manage the natural resources oftheir catchment. Their decisions on the useof land, water and other environmentalresources are made by considering the effectof that use on all those resources and on allpeople within the catchment.

The decision to manage our naturalresources on the basis of catchments reflectsthe importance of water to the Basinenvironment, and to the people who liveand work within the Basin.

The boundaries for ICM in the Basin arebased on catchments, but in some cases alsotake account of political, economic andsocial boundaries. (A map of catchmentmanagement regions in the Basin appears on the inside front cover.)

Government and community partnership

The governments of New South Wales,Victoria, South Australia, Queensland,the Australian Capital Territory and theCommonwealth work through a MinisterialCouncil comprising the ministers of the land,water and environment portfolios. TheMinisterial Council acts in partnership withthe community through the CommunityAdvisory Committee that includes arepresentative from each of the catchmentsin the Murray–Darling Basin. The MinisterialCouncil’s charter is to:

…promote and coordinate effective planningand management for the equitable, efficient and sustainable use of the water, land and other environmental resources of theMurray–Darling Basin.

The Ministerial Council has agreed that itwill carry out its charter primarily throughintegrated catchment management.

Over the past ten years the community andgovernments of the Basin have worked togetherto better manage its natural resources for thebenefit of present and future generations.Substantial progress has been made over thattime, including:

• establishment of catchment managementorganisations to deliver change withincatchments;

• development of catchment strategies andaction plans to guide and coordinate effortsand investments;

• a wide range of actions on both public andprivate land to implement those strategiesand plans;

• significant community action throughLandcare, Waterwatch and similar activities;

• a cap on diversions of water from the Basin’s rivers;

• major actions to improve water quality andenvironmental flows;

M A N A G E M E N T O F T H E N A T U R A L R E S O U R C E S O F T H E M U R R A Y – D A R L I N G B A S I N

A S T A T E M E N T O F C O M M I T M E N T B Y C O M M U N I T Y A N D G O V E R N M E N T S O N F U T U R E 2

• reforms for the management and use ofwater and vegetation;

• development of Basin-wide strategies, tocoordinate actions for tackling problems suchas salinity and outbreaks of blue-green algaein rivers; and

• substantial additions to the understanding of the landscape and the needs of thecommunity.

While we have achieved significant progress,much remains to be done.

• Water quality and ecosystem health arecontinuing to decline as a consequence ofpast—and in some cases continuing—mismanagement of the Basin’s land, waterand other environmental resources.

• Competition and conflict between theagricultural, urban and environmentalsectors for the scarce water resources of theBasin is increasing.

• Land, water and other environmentalresources are often used beyond theircapabilities.

These pressures are causing great concern in the community, and conflict both within andoutside the Basin—conflict that will escalate overtime. To manage this conflict, we will need toimprove our knowledge and develop stronginstitutional arrangements.

SolutionsWhile we have made significant progress to date,we must now accelerate efforts to protect boththe landscape and regional communities. Weneed to radically change the management anduse of Basin resources in order to maintainhealthy ecosystems and productive land use.

The volunteer approach, through successfulcommunity-driven initiatives such as Landcareand Waterwatch, is insufficient on its own todrive the necessary change. The way forwardrequires changes in land use, changes inmanagement practices, and changes in the way governments and the community worktogether. Just as the benefits of past and currentresource use have been shared by all Australians,so the responsibility for our future actions fallson all Australians.

We—governments, industries, communities, andindividuals—now need to commit to a new wayof managing the Basin’s resources, building onthe successes of the past and taking a long-termview. This document outlines that commitmentand describes what we all must do over the nextdecade, knowing that the difficulties we all facewill not be solved over this period. The systemswe establish over the next ten years will requireour long-term commitment to provide a securefuture for regional communities and continuedbenefits for the nation.

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Commitment

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Rural and regional communities, landholdersand land managers, Indigenous people, Landcaregroups, urban people, industries, businesses,special interest groups and individuals all havea vital interest in the Basin. These people andorganisations make up the Basin community.Basin governments include Commonwealth,State/Territory and local governments. The Basincommunity and governments are partners inintegrated catchment management.

We the community and governmentsof the Murray–Darling Basin commitourselves to do all that needs to be done tomanage and use the resources of the Basinin a way that is ecologically sustainable.

We all share responsibility for the health of theBasin. The managers of our land and water arebest placed to make the necessary changes, butthey will need the active involvement, supportand assistance of all partners.

Our past actions have caused the landscape—itsland, water and other environmental resources—to degrade. This has had significant consequencesfor the people who live in the Basin. We do notassign blame for those actions. Instead, we lookto the future, and seek to balance our need forproduction with the need to protect theenvironmental health of the Basin so that futuregenerations may also benefit from this fragileand unique landscape.

Over the next decade, we aim to reverse thedeclining trend in Basin health, knowing thatfull restoration of the Basin’s environment is notpossible, and that there will be economic andsocial costs associated with achieving this aim.

We will build on national approaches to ensurethat we are moving in the same direction as therest of the nation. The goals, values andprinciples for ICM in the Basin reflect those fornatural resources management more broadlyacross Australia. They are consistent withdiscussions on the directions of future nationalapproaches to natural resources management.

We will:

• agree on the limits to the stresses whichcan be placed on the Basin’s naturalresources, by setting targets forcatchment health;

• strengthen links between land useplanning and catchment planning;

• support and strengthen catchmentmanagement arrangements;

• clearly define responsibilities andaccountabilities;

• ensure that all partners, includingindividuals, groups and organisations,have the capacities to play their part; and

• commit adequate resources to achieveour goals.

Our goalsWe seek to achieve:

Healthy rivers

• Providing water for the environment,consumption, and recreation.

Healthy ecosystems and catchments

• Maintaining or enhancing the integrity ofsoils, surface water and groundwater, floraand fauna.

Innovative, competitive and ecologicallysustainable industries

• Using natural resources within theircapabilities, to generate wealth for social,economic and environmental well-being.

Healthy regional communities

• Managing the natural resources ofcatchments in a way that is ecologicallysustainable and supports a prosperousregional community.


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Our valuesWe agree to work together, and ensure that ourbehaviour reflects the following values.

Courage

• We will take a visionary approach,provide leadership and be prepared tomake difficult decisions.

Inclusiveness

• We will build relationships based on trustand sharing, considering the needs offuture generations, and working togetherin a true partnership.

• We will engage all partners, includingIndigenous communities, and ensurethat partners have the capacity to befully engaged.

Commitment

• We will act with passion and decisiveness,taking the long-term view and aiming forstability in decision-making

• We will take a Basin perspective and anon-partisan approach to Basinmanagement

Respect and honesty

• We will respect different views, respecteach other and acknowledge the realityof each other’s situation.

• We will act with integrity, openness andhonesty, be fair and credible, and shareknowledge and information.

• We will use resources equitably andrespect the environment.

Flexibility

• We will accept reform where it isneeded, be willing to change, andcontinuously improve our actionsthrough a learning approach.

Practicability

• We will choose practicable, long-termoutcomes and select viable solutions toachieve these outcomes.

Mutual obligation

• We will share responsibility andaccountability, and act responsibly,with fairness and justice.

• We will support each other throughnecessary change.

Our principlesWe agree, in a spirit of partnership, to use thefollowing principles to guide our actions.

Integration

• We will manage catchments holistically;that is, decisions on the use of land,water and other environmental resourcesare made by considering the effect of thatuse on all those resources and on allpeople within the catchment.

Accountability

• We will assign responsibilities andaccountabilities.

• We will manage resources wisely, beingaccountable and reporting to our partners.

Transparency

• We will clarify the outcomes sought.

• We will be open about how to achieveoutcomes and what is expected fromeach partner.

Effectiveness

• We will act to achieve agreed outcomes.

• We will learn from our successes andfailures and continuously improveour actions.

Efficiency

• We will maximise the benefits andminimise the costs of actions.

Full accounting

• We will take account of the full range ofcosts and benefits, including economic,environmental, social and off-site costsand benefits.

Informed decision-making

• We will make decisions at the mostappropriate scale.

• We will make decisions on the bestavailable information, and continuouslyimprove knowledge.

• We will support the involvement ofIndigenous people in decision-making,understanding the value of thisinvolvement, and respecting the livingknowledge of Indigenous people.

Learning approach

• We will learn from our failures and successes.

• We will learn from each other.

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The outcomes we seek

The outcomes we seek will differ from catchmentto catchment. They will be the result of thechoices we make for that catchment. They willrelate to the level of protection that we want toprovide for assets at risk from continuingdegradation including:

• environmental assets (e.g. wetlands, fish,birds and native vegetation);

• economic assets (e.g. drinking water,productive land, built infrastructure,water for irrigation and stock, and touristdestinations); and

• social assets (e.g. rural and regionalcommunities, cultural sites and values, andrecreational areas).

Some of these outcomes will be of primeimportance for the overall health of the Basin.These Basin outcomes will reflect the outcomesof national and State/Territory initiatives fornatural resources management. A list of some of these initiatives is shown at the end of this document.

Making choices

The health of our catchments underpins ourability to continue to draw economic and socialbenefits from the Basin. We know that in manyinstances we must radically change the way wemanage and use the Basin’s natural resources tokeep our catchments healthy. The changes willnot be easy, and we will need to make difficultchoices. Many of the changes will involve tradingwealth between communities and individuals.

We cannot continue activities that degrade theenvironment for short-term economic benefits.Equally, we cannot protect every part of theBasin. Where the natural resources of the Basinare largely undisturbed, we will work to protectand conserve these resources. In other parts ofthe Basin, where natural systems have beensignificantly disturbed, we have to find a balancebetween the use of resources for consumptionand production and the need to protectenvironmental health. In finding the balance, wewill acknowledge the dynamic nature of naturalsystems. We must also recognise the enormousbenefit we derive from the use of the Basin’snatural resources, and acknowledge the right offuture generations to continue to benefit fromthese resources.

Where we can achieve improved catchmenthealth and improved economic and socialbenefits, we will actively use these opportunities.However, such opportunities may be limited, andfinding a suitable balance between usingresources and protecting environmental healthwill often involve difficult decisions and willmean making trade-offs.

When using the Basin’s resources, we oftencause environmental damage. Equally when wechoose to protect the environment for long-termsecurity, we often have to forego some short-term economic return, putting pressure onregional communities. Such choices, or trade-offs, will be made at property, sub-catchment,catchment and Basin scales. In every trade-off,there will be some who benefit and some whosuffer loss. We need to determine the limits tothe stresses that can be placed on the Basin’snatural resources to help us make decisionsabout these trade-offs. Delivering outcomes willrequire leadership and commitment, a process tomanage conflict, financial and human resources,improved skills in decision-making, andprocesses to support those who will be adverselyaffected by decisions.


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We will:

• be accountable for achieving outcomes;

• take advantage of opportunities tochange to natural resource uses whichprotect the landscape while providingeconomic benefits for regionalcommunities;

• use the Basin’s resources more efficiently;

• work to protect and conserve the lessdisturbed natural areas of the Basin;

• be prepared to make hard decisions;

• support those who will be adverselyaffected by decisions; and

• monitor the effects of our actions oncatchments and on the well-being ofregional communities.

KnowledgeChange also requires knowledge about thecatchment environment, the people who livein the catchment and the economic capacity ofthe catchment community. We must understandthe actions we might take to change themanagement of Basin resources and the effectsof those actions. However, we cannot wait forperfect knowledge. Rather we need to act in thelight of the best available knowledge, managingrisks and continually learning from the results.

Knowledge will be required at all scales (national,Basin, State, catchment, local and propertyscales). There must be strong links betweenthe knowledge at these different scales, and inparticular, we will need to understand howaction at property scale will change the health ofthe catchment and the Basin. We already have a

great deal of knowledge about our naturalresources. We must build and expand on thisexisting knowledge base, and integrate it withknowledge about the economic and social needsand aspirations of the Basin community.

To inform our decisions, we need soundknowledge that is trusted by decision-makersand resource managers, and we need to shareour knowledge in way that can be understoodby our partners. We must communicate ourknowledge through education, training, listeningto each other, forming networks, and activelyseeking to engage our partners. We need todraw upon the wealth of information thatresides in government agencies, with the Basincommunity, within industry, with landholdersand land managers, with Indigenous people,and with special interest groups.

Over the next few years, we will work toincrease our knowledge, including:

• identifying the environmental, economic andsocial assets at risk from degrading catchmenthealth;

• benchmarking natural resource condition andtrends in condition to inform target setting;

• predicting the environmental, economic andsocial impacts of a range of options for action;

• monitoring and evaluating the impacts of our actions;

• analysing successes and failures so that wecan learn from them;

• understanding change, when it is neededand how to achieve it;

• understanding how best to engage ourpartners and to share our knowledge; and

• improving methods to support monitoringand evaluation.

Improving our knowledge

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We will need to ensure that information is safelystored, well managed, readily accessible andeasily understood. Information managementsystems will be strengthened, particularly atcatchment scale, and will be linked at all scalesto promote knowledge sharing.

We will:

• make decisions now, using the bestinformation available;

• review and improve our knowledge onthe basis of new information;

• commit to undertake research toimprove our knowledge;

• work together so that research is usefuland relevant to all managers of naturalresources;

• share our knowledge effectively; and

• store and manage our informationeffectively, and make it accessible andeasily understood.

Capacity building We will only change the way we manage theBasin’s natural resources if we have the capacityto do so. We must ensure that all partners havethe capacity to play their part, and are able tomeet their responsibilities. Capacity covers a rangeof areas, including legal, institutional, planning,management, financial, technical and informationskills and capacities, and leadership skills.

Institutional capacity building will be animportant aspect of integrated catchmentmanagement over the next decade. Institutionalcapacity building is needed in governmentagencies, in research and development, inindustry, in local government and in catchmentmanagement arrangements.

Community capacity building will range fromleadership development through to support forindividuals faced with low economic capacity tochange the way they manage natural resources.Catchment communities will be faced withdifficult decisions, and will need a range of skillsincluding a broad understanding of naturalresources and the interactions with the economicand social aspirations of the catchmentcommunity, conflict resolution skills,communication skills and investment targetingand management skills.

The capacity of each partner to play their partwill depend critically on their ability tounderstand and to participate in decision-making. Therefore we must communicate withand engage our partners in a way that ismeaningful to them. In particular, we will workto engage those groups that are key decision-makers but for various reasons have not beenadequately involved to date, including localgovernment, Indigenous people, industry groups,and non-English speakers. We will use bestpractice communication and engagementprocesses to ensure that all partners are involvedand can have their views taken into account.

We will:

• actively build capacities of all partners,including the legal, institutional,planning, management, financial,technical and information skills andcapacities;

• involve and engage all partners in a waythat is meaningful to them;

• use best management practices incommunication and engagement ofpartners; and

• actively work to engage all partners,including local government, Indigenouspeople, industry groups, and non-Englishspeakers.


Rural communities will be supported in developing capacities

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End of valley target at site 1:In-stream salinity to be less than 1000 EC for80 per cent of each year to protect Basin health

Within-valley target at site 3:In-stream salinity to be less than 1500 ECduring peak fish breeding season to protectwetland ecosystem

Within-valley target at site 2:In-stream salinity to be less than 1000 EC for irrigation season to protect irrigation water supply

Within-valley target at site 4:In-stream salinity to be less than800 EC for 80 per cent of each year to protect town water supply

Major town

Major wetland

5. Management targetfor sub-catchment:Revegetation of 20 per centof sub-catchment area

End-of-valley targets will not be appropriate for all natural resources.Whole-of-catchment targets may be more appropriate for riverine ecosystem health or terrestrial biodiversity targets.

Irrigation district

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Targets

To create a better future we must developmanagement systems that allow the communityand governments at all levels to work togetherfor both public and private good. We will usetargets as a way to guide our actions and tomeasure progress toward achieving the outcomes we agree.

We will use targets because we require systems that:

• benchmark current catchment health;

• show trends in catchment health; and

• allow us to agree how healthy ourcatchments should be, knowing the full costs associated with achieving this degree of health.

To protect the health of the Basin and itscatchments, we will base our managementsystems on targets as a way of clearly sayingwhat we want to achieve for each of ourcatchments. Targets must provide a clear view ofwhat constitutes a healthy catchment and pointnot only to the health of each catchment, butalso the health of the Basin as a whole.

Our actions at Basin, catchment, sub-catchmentand property scales must aim to achieve agreedtargets. However, we must remember that thetargets are not the outcomes we seek. Targets are

merely a way to measure progress towardachieving those outcomes. We must regularlycheck our targets to ensure that they willprogressively move us closer to achieving theenvironmental, economic and social outcomesresulting from protecting catchment health.

We will set targets that are:

• meaningful, clearly reflecting outcomeswe seek;

• measurable;

• at appropriate scales;

• comparable across the Basin;

• benchmarked against current naturalresource condition and trend incondition;

• set in specific locations, relative tovaluable assets (e.g. upstream from asignificant wetland);

• time-bound, with achievable targetsmoving progressively closer to agreedoutcomes;

• based on best available science;

• clearly linked to management actions; and

• able to take account of the dynamicnature of the Basin’s natural systems.

FIGURE 1: Examples of targets for a catchment

We must evaluate links between targets and actions at different scales

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HEALTH

FIGURE 2: Targets and management actions

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Rehabilitation, conservation and goodmanagement of the land and water of the Basinthrough the actions of individuals and groups areessential for catchment and Basin health. Targetsat the Basin and catchment scales for resourcecondition will be achieved by actions takenthroughout the catchment, often by landmanagers on individual properties. Thereforetargets for resource condition will translate totargets for improving the management of theresources of the catchment.

We will need to evaluate the links betweentargets at different scales and between resourcecondition targets and management targets.

This will help us to be confident that on-groundactions will lead to overall improvement inBasin health, and that catchment and Basintargets are informed by the needs of individualswhose management of the natural resources willso strongly affect catchment health.

Targets for catchment healthAcross the Basin we will set targets for thosenatural resources that require particularattention because:

• they require joint action across the States ofthe Basin; or

• the activities in one part of the Basin affectthe quality of these resources in other partsof the Basin.

During the next ten years, we will settargets across the Basin for:

• water quality,

• water sharing,

• riverine ecosystem health, and

• terrestrial biodiversity.

We will bring these targets together inan integrated way for each catchment,acknowledging the links between them, to helpsignal the overall health of that catchment.

These targets may be supplemented by othertargets specific to each individual catchment.


FIGURE 3: Relationship between targets and aspects of catchment health

TARGETS

Water quality targets• Salinity• Nutrients etc.

Terrestrialbiodiversity targets• Native vegetation• Other

Water sharing targets• Environmental flows• Consumptive use

Riverine ecosystemhealth targets

Natural Resource Condition Targets

Management Actions

Basin

Catchment

Sub-catchment

Property


Other natural resource issues, such as soil health,groundwater, pest plants and animals and airquality, play a vital role in catchment health.These issues will need to be taken into accountin setting and achieving the above targets. Somecatchment communities may set natural resourcetargets for their catchments additional to thoseset across the Basin, so that the core signals ofcatchment health for their catchment include all their key issues.

Target setting In setting targets we will need to identify the assetswe wish to protect and the level of protection weseek, taking account of the costs of intervention,and knowing the consequences of not intervening.The agreed levels of protection of specific assetsare the outcomes we seek. In agreeing theseoutcomes, we will often need to make difficultchoices, as in many cases we will not be able toprotect all the economic, environmental and socialassets of the catchment and the Basin.

Targets will be set in Basin and catchmentstrategies. The major catchments of the Basinwill be defined as far as possible to coincide with

the catchment management regions of the Basin(see inside front cover) so arrangements forsetting, achieving and reporting targets can beclosely linked with management decisions forthose catchment regions.

Water quality and water sharing targets are well suited to being set at catchment scale.Other targets, particularly for terrestrialbiodiversity, are best expressed at landscape or bioregional scale. However, these will need to be translated to catchment scale to supportdecision-making for integrated catchmentmanagement. Therefore we will need to ensure effective links between catchments,targets and plans at all scales.

Basin outcomes will reflect national andState/Territory outcomes (e.g. protection of aparticular asset, such as a wetland of nationalsignificance, or protection of more general assets,such as productive land uses). Our targets willrepresent these outcomes, and outcomes soughtby the catchment community. Once agreed,targets will need to be built into Basin andcatchment strategies and action plans.

FIGURE 4: Coordinated target setting

Basin strategies and targets• Identify concerns• Set basin goals• Identify assets at risk• Gather knowledge• Make decisions,

including trade-offs• Agree interim targets• Assess management

options• Develop basin strategies• Public consultation

Catchment strategies and targets• Identify concerns• Set economic, environmental and

social goals for the catchment• Identify assets at risk• Gather knowledge• Make decisions, including

trade-offs• Agree interim targets• Assess management options• Develop catchment strategies• Public consultation

• Finalise targets• Implementation and review, including

implementation through action plans• Monitoring, evaluation and reporting

Involve allpartners

in all steps

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Setting and managing the suite of targets willinvolve all partners. Resource condition targetsat Basin and catchment scales will be agreed bythe Murray–Darling Basin Ministerial Council aspart of Basin strategies. These strategies will alsoclearly identify the roles and responsibilitiesrelating to target setting, review andachievement for the strategy. States, catchmentmanagement organisations and the catchmentcommunity will agree to other targets as part ofcatchment strategies. But all targets will need tobe reached to achieve the desired outcomes, sowe all need to be involved at some point. Eachgroup must be given the opportunity to putforward its views, and the concerns of eachgroup taken into account in setting targets.

We will:

• determine targets on the basis of theassets we wish to protect, and the levelof protection we seek;

• build targets into relevant strategies and plans;

• involve all partners in developing targets;

• set targets which can be delivered in areasonable timeframe; and

• be accountable for the way we set targets.

The process for setting targets in Basin strategiesand catchment strategies will be coordinated.In this way, we will know that the targets aremeasuring our progress in achieving outcomesfor both the Basin and the catchment.

Target reviewOur knowledge is and will continue to beimperfect. Therefore in setting targets we willneed to take an active learning approach. Allpartners will be involved in reviewing targets.Setting and reviewing targets will encouragecommunication between all partners, will help usto focus on learning and sharing our knowledge,and will help us to improve our actions.

The four aspects of catchment health selectedfor target setting (water quality, water sharing,riverine ecosystem health and terrestrialbiodiversity) are heavily dependent upon oneanother. Therefore the targets set will need totake account of this inter-dependence. We willregularly review targets to ensure that they are integrated, and that they take account of new knowledge.

We will:

• begin with interim targets;

• evaluate and refine targets as ourknowledge improves, taking a learningapproach;

• review targets regularly to ensure theyare integrated; and

• be accountable for the way we refinetargets.

Timetable for setting targetsTarget setting takes time, money, effort and agreat deal of good knowledge. We cannot settargets for all issues immediately. For some issues,there is a reasonable amount of knowledge, andthere are institutional arrangements that will helpto set and achieve targets. The timetable forsetting targets for catchment health in the Basinreflects this readiness.

Our knowledge base and institutionalarrangements for issues related to water meanswe can set some water related targets and targetsfor native vegetation in the near future. Forriverine ecosystem health or terrestrialbiodiversity, more time will be needed to drawinformation together, collect data wherenecessary, and to improve our understanding.


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Timetable for setting targets

Target Timetable

Water quality, including surface water and groundwater

— reducing or slowing the rate of increase By 2001. A Basin strategy for in-stream salinity andof in-stream salinity end-of-valley targets for each major catchment of the

Basin will be established as part of the Basin SalinityManagement Strategy. Over time these will beunderpinned by a system of within-valley targets.

— reducing the threat of algal blooms By 2003. A Basin strategy for in-stream nutrients and otherfactors affecting algal blooms, and targets for each majorcatchment of the Basin will be established. Over time thesewill be underpinned by a system of within-valley targets.These targets will be informed by a regular SustainableRivers Audit. Other possible areas for setting water qualitytargets will be considered by the Ministerial Council andinclude pesticides, temperature, and turbidity.

Water sharing, including surface water and groundwater

— establishing flow regimes that provide Arrangements for a cap on diversions of water from thean appropriate balance between Basin’s rivers were agreed in 1995. The introduction ofconsumptive and in-stream, wetland, the cap was seen as an essential first step in establishingfloodplain, riparian and estuarine management systems to achieve healthy rivers andwater requirements. Consumptive use sustainable consumptive use. The current cap has been includes irrigation, stock and domestic set at 1993–94 development levels, adjusted for climateuse, and urban water supplies. conditions, except for Queensland and the Australian

Capital Territory.

By 2002. Interim targets for environmental flows for theRiver Murray will be established.

By 2006. A Basin strategy for water sharing and targetsfor each major catchment of the Basin will be established.Targets for water sharing will be informed by a regularSustainable Rivers Audit.

Riverine ecosystem health

— maintaining/re-establishing viable Between 2001 and 2006. Work will be undertaken topopulations of native species and determine appropriate targets to reflect riverine ecosystemintegrity of ecological communities health, building on and extending the work on targetsthroughout their range within for water quality and water sharing. Development offloodplain, wetland, riparian, a Basin strategy and catchment targets for riverinein-stream and estuarine ecosystems ecosystem health, and the timeframe for development,

will be informed by this work and by a regular SustainableRivers Audit. A Basin strategy and targets for each majorcatchment will be in place by 2006.

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Basin strategiesOver the next ten years, the Murray–Darling BasinMinisterial Council will develop Basin-widestrategies for setting and managing targets forwater quality, water sharing, riverine ecosystemhealth and terrestrial biodiversity, and forintegrating targets to help signal catchment health.

These strategies will:

• be recognisably part of a wider setting,showing links to other strategies and plansat national, Basin, State/Territory andcatchment scales, and links with actionsfor addressing other issues;

• be based on a clear set of principles;

• have clearly-defined priority actionsand locations for attention at Basin,State/Territory and catchment levels, fordelivery through and in support of catchmentstrategies and action plans;

• take account of the economic, environmentaland social contexts within which the strategymust operate, and of the economic, environ-mental and social impacts of the strategy;

• have clear, achievable and measurable targetsand timeframes;

• outline the mechanisms for achieving targets;

• have mechanisms for defining options and managing trade-offs between conflicting interests;

• define roles, responsibilities, andaccountabilities;

• outline the legal, institutional, planning,management, financial, and informationskills and capacities which are required tomatch responsibilities and accountabilities;

• include practical monitoring, evaluating andreporting processes;

• include provision for reviewing and revisingthe strategy to learn from successes andfailures; and

• be supported by a communication andengagement plan for the strategy.

Basin strategies will be developed in consultationwith partners and will build on strategies andtargets at national, State and catchment scales.As Basin strategies are developed, they will beintegrated with other strategies and targets.


Target Timetable

Terrestrial biodiversity

— maintaining key ecological processes; Between 2001 and 2006. Work will be undertaken maintaining or re-establishing viable to determine appropriate targets to reflect terrestrialpopulations of native species and the biodiversity. These targets will take account ofintegrity of ecological communities management options for salinity. As an initial step,(especially vegetation); and controlling work will commence on determining appropriate targetsthreats to biodiversity for native vegetation in major catchments to deliver

Basin outcomes. A Basin strategy and targets for eachmajor catchment will be in place by 2006.

By 2002. A Basin strategy and interim targets for nativevegetation for each major catchment of the Basin will beestablished.

Catchment health

— a system of ‘core signals’ will be developed A framework for catchment health core signals will befor each catchment to assess trends in the developed to incorporate targets as they are agreed.health of the catchment and pressures on The framework will not be complete until all agreedthe water, land and other environmental targets are in place for each major catchment of the Basin.resources. These core signals will incorporate the targets for water quality, By 2008. The full framework will be in place.water sharing, riverine ecosystem health, and terrestrial biodiversity.


Management arrangements for catchments

Integrated catchment management needs to becarried out at the catchment level for effectiveoutcomes since:

• the health of the Basin depends on theaggregate health of its catchments;

• catchments are an appropriate scale for manymanagement actions; and

• catchment communities are more likely toact if they make their own resourcemanagement decisions.

Therefore our management systems will be basedon a catchment approach, with the catchmentcommunity able to make decisions in fullknowledge of the limits to the stresses which weagree can be placed on those resources, andhelping to determine those limits through theirinvolvement in setting targets.

Characteristics of an integrated catchmentapproach to natural resources management

• Decisions regarding natural resources—land, water and other environmentalresources—are integrated at catchmentscale.

• Decisions about the environment of thecatchment, its economic productivity andits people are integrated.

• Responsibilities and accountabilities areclearly determined with matchingcapacities within the catchment.

• Strategies and action plans for catchmentnatural resources are developed andimplemented in partnership between thecommunity and governments.

• The mix of mechanisms, includingincentives, investments and regulations,are designed and determined for eachcatchment.

• Allocation of natural resources, includingwater, is determined on a catchment basis.

• Catchment management deliversnational, Basin and State outcomeswithin a system of agreed targets andwithin a long-term investmentframework.

• Monitoring, evaluating and reportingsystems support decision-making atcatchment scale.

We will need sound, integrated catchment andland use planning, with catchment managementorganisations that can help to deliver change withthe support of all partners. The partnershipbetween Commonwealth, State/Territory andlocal governments, the community and industriesmust be strengthened, and this partnership mustbe evident at the catchment scale. We must findthe appropriate balance between communityownership of catchment management andgovernment leadership and support.

There are currently (May 2001) over 200catchment strategies and action plans in theBasin. Both governments and the Basincommunity have worked to develop these plansto direct their actions. Future planning will buildupon this extensive body of work.

Catchment management organisations will becritical to the success or failure of integratedcatchment management. They will providesome of the most important links betweengovernments and the community, and willadvise on or determine suitable mechanisms toachieve targets within their catchments.

As at 2001, there are 19 catchment managementregions in the Basin (see map inside front cover). These regions are primarily based oncatchments, but also take account ofState/Territory boundaries.

Each region has:

• a catchment management organisation;

• a regional or catchment strategy to directactions; and

• a number of detailed action plans toimplement the strategy.

Catchment management organisations haveresponsibility for developing and recommendingthe content of catchment plans and strategies.When doing this, they should be transparent andequitable in their decision-making, with effectivemechanisms for participation by all relevantstakeholder groups. The organisationsresponsible for implementing plans and strategiesmust be clearly identified, suitably authorisedand accountable to partners. Responsibility forimplementation may vary between States,between catchments and over time. It may liewith State government, local government or acatchment management organisation, or it maybe shared between them.

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Over the next ten years, we will:

• integrate land use planning andcatchment planning;

• support and strengthen catchmentmanagement organisations in each of theBasin’s catchment management regionsto help carry out the necessary actions toachieve our targets;

• clearly define the responsibilities andaccountabilities of catchmentmanagement organisations, and ensurethat they have the capacities to carry outtheir roles;

• be partners in developing, implementing,evaluating and refining catchmentstrategies and action plans, and ensurethey meet agreed standards; and

• support the continuing evolution ofcatchment management organisations toreflect increasing community capabilityand changing circumstances.

We will rely heavily on catchment strategies andaction plans in conjunction with land useplanning to drive the necessary change withincatchments. Therefore the strategies and actionplans must be well-developed and becontinuously improved.

Characteristics of a well-developedcatchment strategy

A well-developed catchment strategy:

• is managed by an organisation (ororganisations), which

— is capable of undertaking the strategy,

— has the authority to manage thestrategy on behalf of partners,

— is legally able to contract for workproposed, and

— is accountable to partners forimplementation of the strategy;

• is developed in consultation with all partners;

• describes the local environment andnatural resources;

• provides links to State/Territory, Basinand national policies and strategies;

• outlines economic, environmental andsocial aspirations for the catchment;

• identifies goals and measurable outcomessought by the strategy, including assets tobe protected;

• sets targets towards achievingmeasurable outcomes;

• ensures compliance with targets requiredfor Basin and catchment health;

• assesses current management practices;

• identifies appropriate policies andmechanisms to support change;

• identifies issues of concern and theprocess for working through them;

• describes priorities for on-ground actions,and identifies the action plans forimplementing the strategy;

• outlines the capacities (legal,institutional, knowledge, skills andfinancial resources) required toimplement the strategy;

• describes catchment monitoring,evaluating and reporting arrangements;and

• is supported by a communication andengagement plan for the strategy.


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Characteristics of a well-developed action plan

A well-developed action plan:

• is managed by an organisation (ororganisations) which

— is capable of undertaking the action plan,

— has the authority to manage theaction plan on behalf of partners,

— is legally able to contract for workproposed, and

— is accountable to partners forimplementation of the plan;

• is developed in consultation with allpartners;

• quantifies the extent, severity andimpacts of issues;

• integrates a range of issues (single issueplans must clearly show effects of orimpacts on other issues and take account of best management practices for those issues);

• technically assesses biophysical processesand identifies the most appropriateresponses;

• evaluates a range of possible optionsfor action, including a ‘no-plan’ scenario,in order to optimise the benefits andminimise costs;

• identifies priority actions and locations toachieve agreed targets and outcomes;

• includes a clear program of actions;

• appropriately evaluates economic,environmental and social costs andbenefits, and pays particular attention tooff-site impacts, and impacts outside ofplan boundaries;

• includes detailed arrangements formonitoring and evaluating progress andoutcomes of the plan against identifiedtargets and timeframes;

• describes partner roles andresponsibilities and has partnercommitment to carry out these rolesand responsibilities (including anyappropriate compliances);

• has cost-sharing arrangements agreedby all partners required to contribute,including arrangements to support long-term implementation and maintenance;

• identifies potential risks of implementingthe plan (financial, business,environmental, and social);

• has appropriate endorsement by partnergroups and government agencies,particularly agencies responsible fornatural resources (land, water and otherenvironmental resources); and

• is supported by a communication andengagement plan.

Managing catchments for many uses

Mechanisms

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A range of mechanisms can be used to achievetargets. Some mechanisms will be specific to eachcatchment, while others will require actionacross the Basin.

Mechanisms include:• reforms to the institutions, both government

and community institutions, which managenatural resources and the way they interact;

• regulations, such as planning controls,licensing industry use of natural resources andcovenants (land management agreements,binding on successive land managers);

• reforms to land, water and vegetationlegislation, including clear definition ofproperty and access rights;

• market mechanisms to attract investment inenvironmental protection and sustainableindustries and to incorporate environmentalcosts in the costs of production;

• protection of assets through directinvestment;

• incentives to encourage adoption of bestmanagement practices and changes in land use;

• support for voluntary action;• provision of knowledge and promotion of

understanding; and• support for communities undergoing

difficult change.

We currently use many of these mechanisms innatural resource management. However we canimprove their use through innovative mixes andnew ideas. The most effective mix of mechanismswill vary in different locations of the Basin andfor different land uses. We must work together todetermine the most effective mix of mechanismsto achieve the outcomes represented by ourtargets, and apply them at the most appropriatescales. We must take particular care to choosemechanisms that support change where there aresignificant economic and social impediments thataffect the ability of land managers to use thenatural resources of their properties in asustainable way.

We will:

• actively seek to use innovativemechanisms to achieve targets;

• choose the mix of mechanisms andscale for applying them according tothe effect they will have in helping toachieve targets;

• involve our partners in determining themechanisms to be used;

• monitor the impacts of mechanisms oncatchment health and on the economicand social well-being of catchmentcommunities; and

• refine mechanisms as our knowledgeimproves.

Over the next ten years, we will make more use of:

• institutional reforms, including:

— catchment approaches to naturalresources management;

— implementation of water and vegetationreforms;

— coordinated policies across portfolios ofgovernment; and

— increased community involvement.

• integrated land use planning and catchmentplanning, beginning with:

— accreditation of catchment strategies and action plans that incorporate land use planning;

• market mechanisms, such as:

— developing codes of practice to encouragesustainable uses of natural resources;

— industry self-regulation and accreditationof management systems and practices;and

— establishment of markets forenvironmental services, such as thepossible use of tradeable credits insalinity, nutrients and biodiversity.

• targeted provision of knowledge, including:

— improved understanding of catchmentprocesses;

— predicting the economic, environmentaland social impacts of a range ofmanagement options; and

— improving access to knowledge byall partners through establishmentand strengthening of informationmanagement systems, active knowledgesharing, education and training.



Monitoring, evaluating and reporting

Monitoring, evaluating and reporting is a criticalpart of ICM. It will help us decide if actions needto be changed, and where attention should befocused. It will be an important way of using alearning approach to catchment management.We will determine who will be accountable forachieving, monitoring, evaluating and reportingoutcomes at Basin, State and catchment scales.The Ministerial Council will establish monitoring,evaluating and reporting systems for the Basinand work to ensure that these are coordinatedwith systems currently in place in the States andat the national scale. This coordinated approachto monitoring and evaluation will be designed tosupport a single integrated system to meet allaudit and reporting needs.

Reporting needs to be regular. Our reportingmust highlight both successes and failures and the reasons for these. Acting on thisinformation will improve our actions and turn failures into successes. We must do this in a spirit of partnership, and not seek to avoidour responsibilities.

Making findings public will engender a senseof achievement in our work and confidenceto continue joint efforts.

Every three years we should review theintegrated catchment management approachoutlined in this document to check our progressand improve the approach.

We will:

• regularly and at appropriate intervalsmonitor and evaluate our achievementsagainst targets, and use this informationto improve our actions;

• evaluate our progress in implementingthe ICM approach every three years; and

• regularly report our findings to ourpartners and to the public, in a spirit ofpartnership.

Monitoring and evaluatingachievements against targetsMonitoring and evaluation needs to becomparable across the Basin to allow moreaccurate comparison of targets and effectivenessof actions. To achieve this, we need to buildsystems across the Basin to coordinate themonitoring and evaluation systems withincatchments.

Although targets will be designed to protect thehealth of the Basin and its catchments, achievingthe targets will have impacts on the economicand social assets of the Basin and its catchments.We will need to monitor those effects to ensurewe achieve the balance we seek for the use andmanagement of the Basin’s natural resources.

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We will:

• establish, implement and maintainsystems for monitoring and evaluatingthose natural resources against whichwe will set targets; our systems will buildon the work that has been successfullyundertaken at national, Basin andState scales;

• benchmark the condition of thosenatural resources, and continuallymonitor their condition;

• establish audit arrangements formonitoring progress toward achievingtargets;

• integrate our monitoring systems foreach catchment to evaluate the health ofthe assets we agree to protect, the overallhealth of that catchment and the effectson the health of the Basin; and

• monitor the effects of our actions on theeconomic and social well-being ofregional communities.

Monitoring and evaluation systems withincatchments will also track changes inmanagement practices and land uses, so that we can learn from our successes and failures.This information will be passed to our partnersand to future natural resource managers.

Evaluating our approachWe will continually improve the approach,including the use of targets. To do so, we willevaluate the approach every three years, and beprepared to change direction on the basis of thisinformation. Every year the Ministerial Counciland the Community Advisory Committee willjointly review the progress of the ICM approachagainst an agreed set of performance measures.

We will take particular care to monitorinstitutional change and partner relationships at all scales (national, Basin, State, catchmentand local).

We will review, evaluate and report on:

Targets

• do they continue to reflect the outcomeswe seek?

• are they useful?

• are the targets at different scalesmeaningfully linked?

Actions, mechanisms, institutions, policiesand programs

• are they helping to achieve targets?

• do they provide consistent messages tonatural resource managers?

• are our investments well directed, andare they adequate?

Catchment strategies and action plans

• do they adequately guide actions toachieve targets?

• are they integrated with other strategiesand plans?

Partner relationships

• are all partners adequately engaged?

• do all partners have the capacities to playtheir part?


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Roles and responsibilities

State/Territory governments have the legislatedresponsibility for natural resources managementwithin their boundaries. Local government has akey role to play in land use planning. However,governments cannot by themselves effect thechanges required to protect the health of theBasin. Therefore, we need to work in partnershipand not allow State, Territory, catchment or localgovernment boundaries to prevent us takingaction to protect the health of the Basin.

Key elements of roles and responsibilities will be the assigning of accountabilities, supporting a learning approach rather than a punitiveapproach, and the importance of engaging all partners.

We will:

• determine who will be accountable forachieving, monitoring, evaluating andreporting targets and outcomes at Basin,State and catchment scales;

• ensure that roles, responsibilities andcapacities match accountabilities at eachof these scales;

• clearly determine, where roles andresponsibilities are shared, who will beaccountable and to what extent;

• communicate openly and pass ourknowledge to each other;

• advise each other of our needs and theneeds of other partners; and

• work with all partners, including localgovernment, Indigenous people, industrygroups, and non-English speakers todetermine their roles and responsibilities.

We agree:

• to build strong institutionalarrangements to manage our naturalresources within this partnership;

• where necessary to undertakeinstitutional reform includinggovernment, catchment, local andindustry arrangements; and

• over the next ten years, to progressivelymove to managing our natural resourcesat a catchment scale by strengthening the institutional arrangements withincatchments.

Roles will differ from State to State andcatchment to catchment. They include thefollowing division of responsibilities.

Commonwealth Government:• provide leadership on matters of national

interest, including international obligations;

• coordinate policies across portfolios of theCommonwealth Government;

• generate, coordinate and share knowledge;

• be involved in setting targets for prioritynational outcomes;

• act to achieve these outcomes using a rangeof government mechanisms, includingproviding information and investment;

• be accountable for investments andoutcomes;

• ensure that Basin, State and catchmentframeworks are adequate to deliver these outcomes;

• monitor progress toward achieving theseoutcomes;

• engage key partners; and

• review and evaluate CommonwealthGovernment policies, legislation andmechanisms.

Murray–Darling Basin Ministerial Council:• provide leadership on matters of interest

to the Basin;

• coordinate the policies of governmentsinvolved in the Basin;

• generate and share knowledge;

• set Basin-wide targets for priority outcomesin consultation with all partners;

• coordinate activities of governments involvedin the Basin to achieve these outcomes,including communication and engagement of partners;

• ensure appropriate accreditation processesare in place to deliver on Basin strategies andagreed targets;

• implement Basin decisions in theState/Territory and Commonwealthjurisdictions, ensuring a degree of consistencyacross the Basin;

• monitor progress toward achieving agreedtargets and outcomes;

• monitor the ICM approach and itseffectiveness in achieving outcomes;

• determine trade-offs between competinginterests between States; and

21

• review and evaluate Ministerial Councilpolicies and mechanisms.

Community Advisory Committee:• provide advice to the Ministerial Council, and

leadership on matters of interest to the Basincommunity; and

• monitor the ICM approach and itseffectiveness in achieving outcomes.

State and Territory governments:• provide leadership on natural resources

management matters;

• plan, promote and legislate for the use of thenatural resources that lie within theirboundaries;

• coordinate policies across portfolios of theirgovernment;


• establish and coordinate catchmentapproaches to natural resourcesmanagement, including:

— define the geographic boundaries ofcatchment management regions,

— determine the composition, roles,responsibilities and accountabilities ofcatchment management organisations,

— set catchment targets for national, Basinand catchment outcomes in negotiationwith key partners,

— ensure that catchment managementorganisations have sufficient capacities(legal, institutional, knowledge, skills andfinancial resources) to carry out theirresponsibilities,

— monitor compliance with requirementsand progress towards achieving outcomes,

— provide quality assurance for catchmentstrategies and associated action plans, and

— be accountable for investments andoutcomes;

• act to achieve agreed outcomes using a rangeof government mechanisms, includingproviding information and investment;

• ensure that catchment frameworks areadequate to deliver these outcomes;

• monitor progress toward achieving theseoutcomes;

• determine trade-offs between competinginterests and between catchments;

• ensure that local government has sufficientcapacity (legal, institutional, knowledge, skillsand financial resources) to carry out itsresponsibilities;

• ensure adequate communication andengagement of all partners; and

• review and evaluate State/Territorygovernment policies, legislation andmechanisms.

Local governments:• coordinate policies with State policies on

natural resources management;


• ensure that land use planning is integratedwith catchment planning;

• be involved in catchment planning;

• act to achieve agreed outcomes using a rangeof government mechanisms, includingproviding information and investment;


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• be accountable for investments andoutcomes; and

• review and evaluate local governmentpolicies and mechanisms.

The scope of responsibility of local governmentvaries between States. Local governmentinvolvement in natural resources managementwill thus vary across the Basin.

Catchment management organisations, in conjunction with other regionalorganisations:• provide leadership on matters of interest to

the catchment;

• be involved in setting targets for national,Basin and catchment outcomes;

• develop, advise on or manage and coordinatethe implementation of catchment strategiesand action plans to achieve these outcomes,including:

— advise on or determine the mix ofmechanisms required to enable thecatchment community to achieveoutcomes, including advising the mostappropriate allocation of investment tothe various aspects of integratedcatchment management,

— help to coordinate activities within thecatchment,

— advise on or determine trade-offsbetween competing interests within thecatchment, guided by governmentpolicies and agreed targets,

— monitor and report on progress towardachieving outcomes,

— help to coordinate government, industryand community investments in thecatchment, and

— in some circumstances be accountable forinvestments and outcomes;


• ensure that the catchment community hassufficient capacity and resources to carry outits responsibilities;

• ensure adequate communication andengagement of all partners and act as acommunication channel between thecommunity and government;

• provide information to the catchmentcommunity;

• enlist government, industry and communitysupport to achieve agreed outcomes; and

• review, evaluate and report on the mix ofpolicies and mechanisms affecting theachievement of outcomes.

Community groups:• promote management of the natural

resources of their local areas in line withcatchment strategies and action plans;


• evaluate and report on outcomes of activitiesin their local areas;

• advise the catchment managementorganisation on issues of concern to thecommunity; and

• be involved in catchment planning.

Industry groups:• act to achieve agreed outcomes using a range

of industry mechanisms, including:

— providing information and investment,

— developing environmental managementand accreditation systems for theirindustries to promote sustainablepractices and land uses, and

— carrying out research and development to promote sustainable practices and land uses;

• advise the catchment managementorganisation and governments on issues ofconcern to the industry;

• generate and share knowledge; and


Landholders and land managers:• act to achieve agreed outcomes using a range

of mechanisms, including:

— seeking information and assistance toprotect the natural resources within theircare and those affected by their actions,

— providing investment,

— planning and managing their propertiesin line with best management practice fortheir sub-catchment and industry, and

— consider changing their land use wherenecessary;


• comply with regulations regarding the use ofthe natural resources for their areas; and


Investment

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Significant costs will be incurred in establishingthe arrangements outlined in this documentand in managing the Basin’s catchments intothe future. However, these costs are dwarfedwhen compared with the inevitable costs—economic, environmental and social—if currentmanagement practices are not changed.

Commonwealth and State governments fund arange of programs and initiatives that aim toimprove natural resources management withintheir boundaries. A significant share of thesefunds will be spent within the Basin. The Basincommunity and industries make far largerinvestments in the natural resources of theBasin, both in dollar terms and in terms of time,effort and knowledge.

Government investment programsOver the next decade, governments will invest tostrengthen integrated catchment arrangements,to achieve agreed targets and outcomes, and toimprove the approach to natural resourcesmanagement. This investment will support andguide community investment.

Principles for government investment

The benefits of the investment must begreater than the costs; the full range of costs and benefits, including economic,environmental and social costs and benefitswill be considered.

Government investment will be used:

• where markets fail to preventunacceptable levels of resourcedegradation; and

• to stimulate private investment.

A range of alternative investments will alsobe considered and evaluated.

Governments and the Basin community willnegotiate and agree the appropriate balanceof investment in the different aspects ofcatchment management.

Cost sharing principles should apply.‘Polluter pays’ is the first principle of costsharing but where the polluter cannot beheld accountable, then the ‘beneficiary pays’principle will be applied. Joint-venturepartnerships with the community will bethe preferred investment approach.

On-ground investment must be supported bystrong institutional arrangements, knowledge,sound planning and adequate monitoring,evaluating and reporting systems.

Governments represented by the MinisterialCouncil agree that their investment in the Basinover the next decade will:

• be directed to achieving agreed targets andoutcomes;

• be allocated on the basis of:

— the need to improve both community andgovernment capacity, and

— the outcomes likely to be achieved;

• reflect a long-term commitment, supportedby an ongoing source of investment;

• be delivered primarily at catchment scale;

• provide mechanisms for ensuring adequatecapacities at catchment scale to matchresponsibilities and accountabilities; and

• be coordinated through and directed bycatchment strategies and action plans.

The Ministerial Council coordinates reporting ofall investments in natural resources managementmade through catchment strategies and actionplans. As part of this investment, thegovernments represented on the MinisterialCouncil commit funds to work for the commongood. Investment delivered through such jointprograms will focus on the following five aspects:

• improving the knowledge base and sharingknowledge;

• strengthening the institutional arrangementsat catchment scale;

• developing catchment strategies and actionplans to an agreed standard and accreditingthem;

• implementing accredited strategies and plans; and

• monitoring, evaluating and reporting.

The need to fund these activities will vary fromcatchment to catchment, and from State to State.However, successful implementation ofcatchment strategies and action plans willdepend on adequate investment in all aspects of ICM.

The community will need to advise governmenton the focus of investment required in theirregions and any changes to the current balanceof investment between the five aspects of ICM.



Related government initiatives

There is a range of initiatives for natural resources management occurring in the Basin that are relatedto and compatible with the integrated catchment management approach outlined in this document.

They include:

National

National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality

Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Water Reform Framework

National Land and Water Resources Audit

National Native Vegetation Framework

National Greenhouse Strategy

National State of the Environment Report

National Strategy for the Conservation of Australia’s Biological Diversity

National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development

Basin

Basin Salinity Management Strategy

Sustainable Rivers Audit

Murray River Environmental Flows

Basin Sustainability Plan

New South Wales

NSW Salinity Strategy

Catchment Management Planning

Water Management Planning

Vegetation Retention and Revegetation Targets

Draft NSW Native Vegetation Conservation Strategy

NSW Biodiversity Strategy

Victoria

Snowy River Environmental Flows Initiative

Water for Growth Initiative

Pricing Review of Water, Drainage & Sewerage Services in Victoria

Statewide Water Conservation Initiatives

Review of Victorian Salinity Management Plans

Review of Farm Dams

Draft Victorian River Health Strategy

Victorian Native Vegetation Management Framework

Second Generation Landcare Initiative

Pest Management Strategy

Review of Victoria’s Private Forestry Strategy

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South Australia

Draft Integrated Natural Resource Management Bill

Water Resources Act 1997

River Murray Catchment Water Management Board Draft Comprehensive Catchment Plan

South Australian Draft River Murray Water Allocation Plan

Directions for Managing Salinity in South Australia

Draft State Dryland Salinity Strategy South Australia

Draft South Australian River Murray Salinity Strategy

Dryland Regional Strategy Murray–Darling Basin South Australia

Biodiversity Plan for the South Australian Murray–Darling Basin

South Australian River Murray Wetlands Ten Year Plan

Queensland

Water Act 2000

Water Resources Plans

Vegetation Management Act 1999

Vegetation Management Plans

Integrated Planning Act 1997

Local Government Planning Schemes

Environmental Protection Act 1994

Pest Management Plans

Nature Conservation Act 1992

Biodiversity Management Plans

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ten Year Partnership

Queensland Regional Economic Development Strategy

Queensland Strategy for Integrated Catchment Management

Australian Capital Territory

Land (Planning and Environment) Act 1991

Territory Plan

Water Resources Act 1998

Environmental Flow Guidelines

Water Resources Management Plan

ICM Framework for the ACT

ACT Community Government Partnership

Nature Conservation Strategy

Introduction of Load Based Licensing

Further information on these initiatives can be obtained from Commonwealth and State governmentagencies responsible for land, water and environmental concerns.



Glossary

Accountability A responsibility for which an individual or organisationmust be answerable to others, and bear definedconsequences of not adequately meeting the responsibility.

Accreditation A formal process for assessing the appropriateness of astrategy or plan for implementation.

Algal Relating to algae, simple plants, mostly microscopic withoutroots and leaves. Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) havebeen a particular problem in the Murray–Darling Basin—they produce blooms that are potentially harmful to riverineecosystems, livestock and human health.

Basin community Rural and regional communities, landholders and landmanagers, Indigenous people, Landcare groups, urbanpeople, industries, businesses, special interest groups, andindividuals who live and work in the Basin or have a specialinterest in the Basin.

Basin scale Affecting the Basin or taking effect across the Basin.

Biodiversity The variety of life forms, plants, animals and micro-organisms, the genes they contain, the ecosystems theyform, and ecosystem processes.

Bioregional Relating to the management of biological diversity on aregional basis, using natural boundaries to facilitate theintegration of conservation and production-orientedmanagement. Bioregions most often refer to the extentof a particular ecosystem or similar types of ecosystems.

Capacity Ability to manage natural resources including legal,institutional, planning, management, financial, technicaland information skills and capacities, and leadership skills.

Catchment The area of land drained by a river and its tributaries.

Catchment community Rural and regional communities, landholders and landmanagers, Indigenous people, Landcare groups, urbanpeople, industries, businesses, special interest groups andindividuals who live and work in the catchment or have aspecial interest in the catchment

Catchment health The environmental condition of a catchment, representedby the aggregate condition of its waters, land, vegetationand ecosystems.

Catchment health target A target set for the environmental condition of a catchment.(See also ‘Resource condition target’.)

Catchment management organisation An organisation comprising members of the catchmentcommunity, government and other interested partiesestablished by State Government for the specific purposeof overseeing the management of a catchment’s naturalresources.

Catchment management region The area defined by a State Government to be the area ofconcern for a Catchment Management Organisation—seeinside front cover for a map of Catchment ManagementRegions in the Murray–Darling Basin.

Catchment scale Affecting a catchment or taking effect across a catchment.

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Consumptive use The use to which a natural resource may be put that takes itout of its original situation and uses it for human purposes,e.g. using water for drinking purposes or irrigation

Credit A unit of measure of environmental benefit which can beallocated or debited and possibly traded.

Ecosystem Communities of life forms and their physical environmentinteracting as a unit.

End-of-valley target A target for the quality and quantity of water at the pointwhere a river leaves a catchment.

Environmental flows River and stream flows, or characteristics of flow pattern,that are either protected or created to benefit the naturalenvironment.

Environmental services The benefits that come to humans from nature and itscomponents (e.g. renewal of soil fertility; purification of airand water); these benefits are sometimes called ‘ecosystemservices’. Environmental services can also refer to anenvironmental benefit provided by land and watermanagement practices that help to preserve naturalresources or ecosystems.

Ecologically sustainable development Using, conserving and enhancing the community’s resourcesso that ecological processes, on which life depends, aremaintained, and the total quality of life, now and in thefuture, can be increased.

Flow regime The pattern of flow in a river that can be described in termsof quantity and variability of water flows.

Governments Commonwealth, State and local governments and theirstatutory authorities.

Groundwater Water beneath the surface held in or moving throughsaturated layers of soil, sediment or rock.

Habitat The type of environment in which a given animal or plantlives and grows, including physical and biological conditions.

Holistic Taking account of all aspects of natural resources(environmental, economic and social) and the interactionsbetween them.

Integrated catchment management A process through which people can develop a vision, agree(ICM) on shared values and behaviours, make informed decisions

and act together to manage the natural resources of theircatchment: their decisions on the use of land, water andother environmental resources are made by considering theeffect of that use on all those resources and on all peoplewithin the catchment.

Institution An organisation, and the laws, rules or customs that govern it.

Institutional reform A major change to an institution or its way of operating.

Land managers Those who manage land, including farmers, graziers,irrigators, land holders or custodians, councils, andgovernment agencies.



Landcare group A group of people from the same area who join together todo a range of things to benefit the environment throughland management and related activities.

Landholders Those who own or lease land.

Landscape An area of land and its physical features. This term is oftenused to describe an area that has common features.

Management target A target for the actions we take to manage natural resources.

Market failure The situation where a market does not efficiently allocateresources to achieve the greatest possible good.

Market mechanisms Mechanisms that change the market forces for particularcommodities to help achieve the desired outcome.

Mechanisms Ways of achieving the desired outcome. Mechanisms aremost often designed to trigger action by others that is likelyto lead to the outcome being sought.

Native vegetation Vegetation comprising plant species originating in an area.Often refers to plant species originating in Australia, butvegetation can also be native to a local area.

Natural resources The assets of land, water, plants, animals and air.

Outcome A long-term result that represents a measure of achievementof goals.

Public good A benefit accruing to the community as a whole, particularlyto the Australian community.

Principle An accepted rule to guide action.

Private good A benefit accruing to individuals or individual organisations.

Property scale Actions and impacts at the scale of an individual farm, landholding or business.

Regional communities People who consider themselves part of a region, often aneconomic or social grouping.

Regional organisation An organisation responsible for regional issues, such asregional development, regional natural resourcesmanagement etc.

Regulation A control by government on the use of natural resources.

Resource condition target A target for the condition or health of a natural resource.(See also ‘Catchment health target’.)

Responsibility Duty to undertake a particular role and be reliable inundertaking the role.

Riparian Relating to the area along the bank of a river or a stream.

Riparian Vegetation Any vegetation on land which adjoins, directly influencesor is influenced by a body of water.

Riverine Relating to rivers, their floodplains and wetlands.

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Salinity The concentration of salts in soil or water, usually sodium chloride.

Surface water Water on the surface of the land, for example rivers, creeks,lakes, dams and overland flows.

Sustainability Managing our natural resources in a way that maintainstheir environmental, economic, social and cultural values sothat they continue to be available in the long term.

Target A measured result, expected to be achieved in a giventimeframe. A target is a short- or medium-term resultleading to long-term outcomes.

Terrestrial Relating to land.

Value A belief or accepted standard that influences the way we behave.

Waterwatch group Group of people who join together to do a range of things tobenefit the environment through water and riverinemanagement and related activities.

Wetland Land inundated with temporary or permanent water that isusually slow moving or stationary, shallow, and either fresh,brackish or saline.


Darling Downs

Dav

id E

astb

urn

Renmark scene—Peter Solness

We the community and governments of the Murray–Darling Basin commit ourselves to doall that needs to be done to manage and usethe resources of the Basin in a way that isecologically sustainable.

M U R R A Y - D A R L I N G B A S I N

M I N I S T E R I A L C O U N C I L

integrated catchment management in the murray–darling ......integrated catchment management (icm)...

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