n     whether there should be broader indemnification of local government authorities

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government, through the Council of Australian Governments process, examine the establishment of a system of national coastal zone environmental accounts, employing the model developed by the South East Queensland Healthy Waterways Partnership.

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government, through the Australian Bureau of Statistics, ensure that:

n     accurate and consistent methods of measuring the numbers and the impact of tourists and other non-residents in coastal areas are undertaken to enable resources to be better matched with demand for infrastructure and services

n     improved data on long-term demographic trends in coastal areas is made available to assist in coastal zone planning and management

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government:

n     expand the list of national priority areas identified under the Caring for our Country program to include climate change impacts on biodiversity

n     give consideration in future funding rounds to projects that:

§ involve working with state/territory and local governments to improve coastal land use planning

§ seek to address loss of coastal habitat as a result of coastal development and population pressures

The Committee recommends that, in seeking to expand the area protected within Australia’s National Reserve System (NRS) under the Caring for our Country program, the Australian Government focus on high biodiversity coastal habitat, including more effective off-reserve coastal zone conservation and expanded coastal reserves that provide larger buffer zones. In undertaking this initiative, the Australian Government should continue to work with state/territory and local governments, Indigenous groups, conservation organisations, private landholders and other stakeholders to ensure that these protected areas are added to the NRS in a timely manner.

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government, in considering its response to the Independent Review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), take into account concerns about the EPBC Act and coastal zone management raised as part of this inquiry—in particular, the need to address the cumulative impacts of coastal development. This could be achieved by numerous means, including:

n     a land clearing trigger

n     defining coastal ecosystems as a matter of national environmental significance

n     making more use of landscape-scale assessments through strategic assessments or bioregional plans

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government:

n     continue working with the Queensland Government and local councils under the existing Great Barrier Reef Intergovernmental Agreement to improve land use planning in the catchment

n     commission analysis of the Great Barrier Reef as a case study for integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) in Australia. The study should draw out possible directions for ICZM in Australia with regard to:

§ addressing challenges associated with climate change impacts on biodiversity

§ declining water quality from catchment runoff and loss of coastal habitat from coastal development and population pressures

§ building cooperative partnerships between Commonwealth, state and local government, and other stakeholders

§ establishing governance and institutional frameworks

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government urgently commission a detailed climate change vulnerability assessment for Kakadu National Park, in consultation with the park’s traditional owners and other stakeholders and drawing on the results of the ‘first pass’ National Coastal Vulnerability Assessment of the park. This assessment should specifically focus on the vulnerability of Kakadu’s freshwater wetland systems to saltwater intrusion. A key outcome of the assessment should be the development of a Climate Change Action Plan for Kakadu National Park, with coordinated input from the Australian Government and Northern Territory Government, Indigenous land owners, researchers and other stakeholders.

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government:

n     require that all Ramsar listed wetlands have effective and operational management plans and that resources are allocated by governments to monitor the implementation of these plans

n     increase the number of coastal wetlands classified as Ramsar sites, particularly those classified as Nationally Important wetlands

n     improve public awareness about what actions impacting on a Ramsar wetland should be referred to the Minister under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

n     ensure that the National Guidelines for Ramsar Wetlands also include modules on the process for nominating Ramsar wetlands

n     develop a climate change action plan for coastal Ramsar wetlands and Nationally Important wetlands

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government:

n     provide further funding to Birds Australia and other research groups to ensure continued monitoring and data collection with regard to migratory and resident shorebirds

n     provide funding to strengthen partnerships between domestic and international shorebird conservation groups to increase awareness and conservation efforts in other countries

n     commission a detailed climate change impact study on Australia’s migratory and resident shorebirds

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government:

n     work with the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council and other stakeholders to develop an action plan to:

§ ensure that coastal buffers, coastal habitat corridors and high ecological value areas are identified and included in Commonwealth, state and local government management processes

§ ensure appropriate infrastructure planning and that land is made available to allow for the migration of coastal ecosystems

§ promote cooperative ecosystem-based planning and management approaches across jurisdictions

§ implement a nationally consistent coastal and marine biodiversity monitoring and reporting framework

§ develop a targeted strategy to address key gaps in knowledge of coastal and marine biodiversity and improve access and sharing of knowledge and data

§ develop regional climate change adaptation policies and plans and integrate them into coastal and marine bioregional planning processes

n     ensure that all future national coastal zone policy incorporates these priorities, as well as future revised national sustainability, biodiversity, climate change and environmental policy frameworks

The Committee recommends that coastal based Natural Resource Management bodies seeking funding under the Caring for our Country program have coastal and marine priorities, as well as coastal zone management principles integrated in their management plans.

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government, in consultation with Indigenous Australians and other coastal stakeholders, commission work to provide a national repository identifying Indigenous and non-Indigenous cultural heritage sites in vulnerable coastal areas.

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government urgently commission further research on socioeconomic vulnerability to climate change impacts, particularly in coastal communities.

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government:

n     consider the Victorian Government’s model of a sustainable coastal community as part of the proposed Intergovernmental Agreement on the Coastal Zone to be concluded through the Council of Australian Governments

n     ensure an early response to the recommendations provided in the Sustainability for Survival: Creating a Climate for Change—Inquiry into a Sustainability Charter report and the Sustainable Cities report

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government request that the Centre for Excellence for Local Government ensure a particular focus on capacity building for coastal local councils. Capacity building should focus on addressing issues relating to:

n     population growth pressure

n     planning and design of new infrastructure

n     integrated coastal zone management

n     climate change impacts and adaptation

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government give consideration to establishing a separate funding program for infrastructure enhancement in coastal areas vulnerable to climate change. Such funding should be provided according to a formula requiring contributions, either financial or in-kind, from state governments and relevant local government authorities.

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government undertake an awareness campaign to alert coastal communities to the key challenges facing the coastal zone and the value of community engagement in addressing these challenges. The campaign should aim to build understanding and awareness of coastal management issues to encourage the continued membership and support of volunteer networks in the coastal zone.

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government nominate 2012 as the Year of the Coast, to further build community awareness about the issues facing the coastal zone. The Australian Government should work with coastal stakeholders, volunteer groups and the general community in determining key activities as part of this initiative.

The Committee recommends that the National Coastal Zone Database be expanded over time to include information on environmental data and management and planning information relevant to the coastal zone.

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government provide funding support for the ongoing activities of the Australian Coastal Alliance in providing a national information and communication interface between research organisations and local government authorities and other coastal stakeholders.

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government, in cooperation with state, territory and local governments, and in consultation with coastal stakeholders, develop an Intergovernmental Agreement on the Coastal Zone to be endorsed by the Council of Australian Governments. The intergovernmental agreement should:

n     define the roles and responsibilities of the three tiers of government—federal, state and local—involved in coastal zone management

n     include a formal mechanism for community consultation

n     incorporate principles based on strategic regional coastal planning and landscape scale/ecosystem based coastal zone management

n     include an effective implementation plan with resources allocated to ensure that objectives are realised

n     be overseen by a new Coastal Zone Ministerial Council

n     be made public

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government:

n     establish a broad based National Catchment-Coast-Marine Management program to provide funding for initiatives relating to:

§ sustainable coastal communities

§ climate change and biodiversity

§ implementation of projects to progress integrated coastal zone management

n     establish a National Coastal Zone Management Unit within the Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts to support the implementation of these national initiatives

n     develop a Coastal Sustainability Charter based on the Victorian Government model

The Committee recommends that the Australian Government establish a National Coastal Advisory Council to:

n     provide independent advice to government

n     advise the new coastal unit within the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts

n     ensure community input into national coastal zone policy, planning and management

The Committee recommends that proposals for a National Oceans and Coast Act and a statutory Coastal Council be the subject of ongoing consideration once the Intergovernmental Coastal Zone Agreement is determined.