the wa state sustainability strategy - is change …...the wa state sustainability strategy - is...

The WA State Sustainability Strategy - Is Change Really Happening?

ByProfessor Peter Newman

Director, Sustainability Policy UnitDepartment of the Premier and Cabinet

and Murdoch University.

Newman, P. (2003) The Western Australian State Sustainability Strategy: Is change happening? In: International Sustainability Conference, 17 - 19 September, Fremantle, Western Australia.

Three Levels of Policy Change1. Changing language

2. Changing thinking

3. Changing culturePatsy Healy, 1999.

State Sustainability Strategy


State Sustainability StrategyDefinition

Sustainability:Meeting the needs of current and future generations through an integration of environmental protection,social advancement and economic prosperity.


The Sustainability Story

1970’s to Mid 80’s

Economic Development

EnvironmentalProtection and Improvement



Mid 80’s to Mid 90’s


EnvironmentalProtection and Improvement

Ecological Econs.



Mid 90’s to 2000


Environmental Protection and Improvement

Social Development

EcologicalEcons

CommunityHealth

“Sense of Place”

Sustainability



Role of Sustainability Strategy

Social

Sustainability

EnvironmentEconomic


Government -regulations & infrastructure

Community-values &

visions

Market-goods & services

Sectoral Dimensions



Local & Regional

NationalGlobal

Geographical Dimensions




Process in Western Australia• Election Commitment to create Sustainability

Policy Unit and SSS.• Public process seeking ideas through 18 seminars,

museum display to regions, 210 public submissions…WA Collaboration created.

• Research process based on 43 Case Studies and 18 Background Papers by students.

• Government agency process by each policy group.• Local Government Partnership process.



Process• Cabinet endorsed draft and released for 4

months comment in September, 2002.• No media interest but 17,000 copies

downloaded from web in three days….• 150 seminars presented in 4 months.• Agencies re-wrote their sections based on

comments.• Final Strategy released September, 2003.



Sustainability Framework

SustainabilityPrinciples -

Sustainability Vision for WA

SustainabilityGoals and Priority

Issues for Government



Major Areas …..

• Governance, eg agency plans, procurement.• Contributing globally, eg population, greenhouse,

biodiversity, oil vulnerability.• Natural resources, eg NRM into planning systems,

indigenous employment targets.• Settlements, eg growth boundary, sustainability scorecard.• Community, eg integrated services, ‘sense of place’.• Business, eg Factor 4 & halving footprint by 2020;

Sustainability Covenants.



SUSTAINABILITY ACTSUSTAINABILITYFRAMEWORK(and Strategy)

SustainabilityCode of Practice

SustainabilityAssessment

Within Government

SustainabilityAction Plans

Sustainability Procurement


SUSTAINABILITY ACT

SUSTAINABILITYFRAMEWORK(and Strategy)

Planning for Sustainability

SustainabilityRoundtable

SustainabilityRoundtable

Sustainability Assessment- projects

SustainabilityThrough Agencies

Local GovernmentPartnerships

StrategicSustainabilitye.g. GreaterPerth, reg plans

StatutorySustainabilityCommittee of

WAPCe.g. for BASIX

CommunityAnd

IndustryPartnership

Regional Sustainability

Strategies

State ofSustainability

Reporting

e.g. SEDONRM

Council

To Community and Industry

Creating Opportunities for the future


Other areas of the Strategy incorporated into government activity


Sustainability Strategy

GreenhouseStrategy

Housing Strategy Greater

Perth

WasteManagement

Strategy

Air QualityManagement

PlanPhysicalActivityStrategy

BiodiversityStrategy

IndustryStrategy

WaterStrategy

CarersStrategy

MulticulturalStrategy



Regional Sustainability Strategies

CommunityAspirations

AboriginalStory

Local History

Regional Sustainability

Strategy

‘Sense of Place’ story

RegionalPlans

NaturalResource

Management Plans

Stories… Technical…



Case Study: Kodja Place

• Community built, owned and managed.• Community strengthening very obvious.


State Sustainability StrategySocial aspects of sustainability in resource projects

comes down to indigenous employment…

• Argyle Diamonds – the biggest diamond mine in the world.

• Started 1985; no indigenous employees.• Began recruiting aboriginal people in the 90’s

and by 1999 had 4.6% of workforce.• New commitment and training policy increased

this to 13.5% by 2002 and 25% by end of 2003.• Goal of 40% indigenous and 80% local by 2007.


Three Levels of Policy Change1. Changing language

2. Changing thinking

3. Changing culture




Sustainability – will it endure?• The politics of hope.• The politics of partnership.• The politics of globalisation.

- 2005-2015 UN Decade for Education on Sustainability.


the wa state sustainability strategy - is change …...the wa state sustainability strategy - is...

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