Coastcare, Australia's community-based coastal management program: an effective model of integrated coastal management?
Date
2003
Authors
Clarke, Beverley
Editors
Advisors
Harvey, N
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Thesis
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Abstract
This thesis critically assesses Coastcare's role in contibuting to an integrated and
participatory approach to coastal management in Australia. Coastcare, one of
Australia's suite of coastal programs under the National Heritage Trust, had the
principle objective of engaging local community in managing the coast.
Coastcare represented an internationally unique example of an operational
Integrated coastal managernent (ICM) initiative. The Program fulfilled the
requirements of an integrated approach including intergovernmental co-operation,
financial commiûnent and community involvement. ICM has been adopted
internationall¡ during the last decade, as a sound approach for ecologically
sustainable development and for coastal resource use planning. Despite the
acceptance and abundance of ICM eftorts around the world, little critical analysis
of programs is available. Many of the most complex aspects of integration - the
development of relationships and trust between agency and community were
beginning to emerge through Coastcare.
This thesis demonstrates that within each of the states and the Northern Territory
the Coastcare program functioned quite distinctly âs a consequence of the
existence and prominence of individual state coastal policies, state coastal agency
commitment to the program, finances available to buttress the program beyond
the state/CoÍrmonwealth formula as well as social, cultural and demographic
features.
Coastcare's contribution to a participatory style of management is assessed by this
thesis. Stakeholder interview responses were analysed according to an evaluation
framework, based on the principles of participatory democracy, and designed to
assess different elements of community participation. This thesis concludes that
one of Coastcare's greatest strengths lies in its active capacity building. The
active engagement of groups undertaking localised works has raised awareness of
coastal processes and coastal management governance and systems.
The study contributes to a greater understanding of the processes of an integrated
approach to coastal management by providing a detailed analysis of the various
pathways of communication and cooperation between Program stakeholders
(Commonwealth, state and local government, the program team and community)
that have developed through Coastcare. Factors assisting the three tiers of
government and community working together are explored along with the barriers
that impeded progress of the Program. Its achievements will contribute towards a
greater understanding of sustainable approaches to coastal management
School/Discipline
Geography and Environmental Studies
Dissertation Note
Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, Dept of Geographical and Environmental Studies, 2003
Provenance
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