Across Australia local governments are playing an increasingly important role in managing our natural resources. Local government has a range of functions, powers and responsibilities at its disposal for the development and implementation of relevant natural resource policies and programs within its jurisdiction.
With support from the Australian Government, local government associations from Queensland and New South Wales have produced the natural resource management publications below, which can also be used by local governments around the country to support better planning for natural resource management.
Natural resource management and strategic planning
Local government corporate, strategic and operational planning directs local councils' operations for the medium term (up to four years) towards achieving the community vision. The following publications will be useful for local governments who are incorporating natural resource management with strategic planning. They provide local government with a process to identify the key local natural resource management issues, how to integrate into council plans and implement actions to address these key challenges.
Natural resource management and land use planning
Natural resource management is central to good land use planning and local government planning schemes are a key vehicle for implementing planning policy. A planning scheme is a statutory mechanism that can regulate the location, form and impacts of new developments and manage those impacts on the natural environment. The following guidelines provide local government with a process to integrate natural resource management into council planning schemes.