23 May 2006 - The Australian
Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Senator
Ian Campbell, today launched a national plan to
protect our precious coastal environment and to
safeguard our coastal industries and communities.
“Australia’s coasts are one
of our most valuable assets. Around 83 per cent
of Australians live within 50 kilometres of our
coasts and more and more have aspirations to do
so. This makes it imperative that we act now to
ensure sustainable development,” Senator Campbell
said.
“The Australian Government is
committed to providing leadership in addressing
national coastal development. The new Framework
and Implementation Plan for a National Cooperative
Approach to Integrated Coastal Zone Management
is the latest evidence of this.”
The plan was developed by the
Australian Government with the Northern Territory
and state governments through the Natural Resource
Management Ministerial Council. It provides complementary
arrangements on national coastal issues, such
as land and marine based sources of pollution,
managing the impacts of climate change, introduced
pest plants and animals, and planning for population
change.
“Australian coasts have been
going through a phase of rapid development in
recent decades,” Senator Campbell said.
“This plan provides state and
territory governments with a valuable resource
to support future growth and development, while
conserving the key values of our coasts.”
In addition to the Plan, the
Australian Government is working to protect coasts
with state and local governments and communities
on a range of important coastal issues – through
integrated coastal zone management, the Natural
Heritage Trust and the Coastal Catchments Initiative.
The Australian Government has
also invested in coastal research, including on
scoping approaches to assess the vulnerability
of Australia's coasts to climate change and ameliorating
the effects of acid sulfate soils.
“Our coasts are a precious resource
and it is up to all of us to work together and
conserve them for years to come,” Senator Campbell
said.
To access the Framework and
Implementation Plan for a National Cooperative
Approach to Integrated Coastal Zone Management
online go to www.deh.gov.au/coasts/publications/framework/index.html
