Local government undertakes a number of natural resource management activities as part of their everyday operations. These include:

• Strategic planning through zoning of land use and statutory controls on all private land and locally managed open space.

• Enforcement powers for development consent conditions and unauthorised land uses.

• Water management is a local government responsibility. Local Government is responsible for stormwater management and control, sewerage and septic works and flood control and planning.

• As managers of public land, local governments must control pest plants and animals.

• Councils can influence vegetation management though incentive programs, such as rate rebates to the community in exchange for vegetation protection measures.

• Councils manage local open space to restore remnant vegetation and to provide habitat. These areas include bushland reserves, parks and playing fields.

• Pollution control and environmental management of land, water and air, including public health issues.

• Finally, councils may manage and coordinate community groups. They help with putting together and supporting Envirofund projects within the community, provide access to tools and facilities for volunteer groups and generally build the capacity of local communities to become involved in natural resource management activities.

In addition to implementing their own local plans and programs, local government also has responsibility for implementing state government planning instruments such as State Environmental Planning Policies, NPWS recovery plans for threatened species and relevant Regional Environmental Plans.

Local Government NRM Facilitator

The role of the Local Government Facilitator is to assist local government and catchment management authorities (CMAs) to work together on regional natural resource management priorities.

During the establishment phase of the CMAs the Facilitator will work with councils and CMAs to help them to identify a clear working relationship, as agreed in a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Local Government and Shires Associations and the Department of Natural Resources. The MOU proposes the creation of a forum through which local government and the CMA can interact. Click here for a copy of the MoU on the Local Government and Shires Associations website.

For more information on working with local government please contact your local council or:

Geoff Hudson
Natural Resource Management (NRM) Facilitator
Local Government Association and Shires Association of NSW
tel: 02 9242 4095
email: geoff.hudson@lgsa.org.au

Did you know?

The ABS reported that in 2000-2001 local government nationally invested $2.5 billion on measures to protect the environment and $1.8 billion on natural resource management. The New South Wales contribution to this was $760.9 million on environmental protection and $474.4 on natural resource management.

Useful links for NRM and Local Government Resources:

The Role of Local Government in the Sustainable Management of Natural Resources in NSW, Background paper and Discussion paper prepared by the ICEM group, University of Western Sydney on behalf of the Local Government Association and Shires Associations of NSW, 2003.

Environment Australia has sponsored the development of a Biodiversity Toolbox for Local Government. The Toolkit is a web-based resource for Local Government.

The Biodiversity Planning Guide for New South Wales Local Government  has been developed to assist councils to incorporate biodiversity principles in all aspects of local government administration. This document is available from the Biodiversity page of the Local Government and Shires association website.

Local councils have websites so check these for information on things happening in your local area. (Links are courtesy of the Local Government and Shires Associations of NSW)

 Local Government reports and information available from the Australian Government's Department of the Environment and Heritage website.

• Beyond Roads, Rates and Rubbish: Opportunities for local government to conserve native vegetation (Binning, Young and Cripps, 1999)
• Opportunity Denied: Review of the legislative ability of local government to conserve native vegetation (Cripps, Binning and Young, 1999)
• Conservation Hindered: The Impact of Local Government Rates and State Land Taxes on the Conservation of Native Vegetation (Binning and Young, 1999)
• Incentives for Sustainable Land Management: Community cost sharing to conserve biodiversity on private lands (Bateson, P, 20)