Review of the State NRM Plan: Our Place Our Future Phase 2: Draft Findings and Recommendations March 2017

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1 Review of the State NRM Plan: Our Place Our Future Phase 2: Draft Findings and Recommendations March 2017 The review of the State NRM Plan acknowledges the Aboriginal Nations of South Australia; the Aboriginal Customary Owners and the role their respective Nations continue to have in purposefully shaping and caring for the area that we now know as South Australia. While acknowledging the damage and dislocation that Aboriginal people continue to experience, the review of the State NRM Plan respects different Aboriginal Nations rights, interests and obligations to continue to speak for, and care for Country in accordance with customary laws, beliefs and traditions. And above all, the review of the State NRM Plan seeks to foster greater relationship with all South Australians to work together for a better future. Particularly in enabling partnerships that support and encourage Aboriginal Nations to continue to take a leading role in natural resources management. The Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources (DEWNR) (on behalf of the Minister) is seeking views on whether the State Natural Resources Management Plan Our Place Our Future (State NRM Plan) should be amended to better achieve the goals of the Natural Resources Management Act Natural resources management (NRM) in South Australia has evolved significantly since the current State NRM Plan was adopted in Regional-scale planning and on-ground efforts by landholders, conservationists and others, the engine-room of natural resources management, have evolved and it is timely to review whether the State NRM Plan remains fit-for-purpose to guide action. In 2016, a range of partners across the state developed the SA NRM Investment Strategy that committed to achieving excellence in collaborative management of natural resources that supports prosperous business and community well-being, protects valuable natural assets and demonstrates global leadership. This partnership includes Natural Resources Management boards, Primary Producers SA, Conservation Council of SA, Local Government Association of SA, Landcare Association of SA, Primary Industries and Regions SA and DEWNR. DEWNR has worked with these partners and several other stakeholders, to undertake the first phase of a review of the State NRM Plan. The draft findings and recommendations outlined in this document aim to represent the range of views expressed by these partner organisations. While there has been significant consensus on many issues, there remain a number of issues that require further consideration. DEWNR now seeks a broader range of views on these initial draft findings. 1 P a g e

2 In particular, we seek input from organisations and individuals interested in natural resources management on: 1. Do you think that the State NRM Plan should be updated? 2. What natural resources management topics should a future State NRM Plan address? 3. Should a future State NRM Plan include state-wide policies on particular subject matters? If so, what types of state-wide policies would be most useful? 4. What format (e.g. single or multiple volumes) would be most useful for a future State NRM Plan? Following this consultation phase, DEWNR will consider all the views expressed and continue to work with our state-wide partner organisations to complete the review. Final findings and recommendations will be presented to the Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation for consideration by June Overview of draft findings and recommendations The initial phase of this review has highlighted a number of draft findings and recommendations. These are presented below. Further information is provided in the following sections. Under the Natural Resources Management Act 2004 (the Act) the State NRM Plan is an important guiding and coordinating document that links a wide range of specific policies, strategies and programs that help to achieve more sustainable management of natural resources. It is not the primary vehicle for driving action and investment, which occurs through regional planning and action, and a range of state programs, policies and regulatory systems. Regional NRM plans are developed with regional communities and therefore highlight regional issues and actions. There is an opportunity for the State NRM Plan to build on these regional plans and provide an umbrella layer that pulls together the high level themes from the regional plans and showcases the way each regional plan delivers on these themes. Overall the State NRM Plan was a significant evolution in state-wide NRM planning. It was shorter, simpler and more strategic in focus than the previous State NRM Plan It also refined and streamlined the monitoring and evaluation framework to provide for better coordinated data collection and reporting. The current State NRM Plan guided action by the NRM Council and some other organisations, but its full potential has not been realised, and it is no longer widely influential. Much of the content remains broadly sound, but the Plan should be refreshed to better meet the needs of its primary users: regional NRM boards, state government agencies, local government, Traditional Owners and peak bodies. While the Plan should primarily aim to guide these organisations, it should be written in a way that is accessible to a broad audience. Traditional Owners are both an important audience for the Plan and should be involved in developing and implementing the State NRM Plan. To support Traditional Owners taking a leading role in NRM, Aboriginal representative organisations must be involved in developing and implementing the Plan. A future State NRM Plan can support South Australia s renewed focus on Aboriginal economic development and employment. The State NRM Plan should clearly demonstrate the value of NRM for the public. It should aim to excite and empower stakeholders and inspire action. It should remain a strategic enabling/guiding document that sets the shared vision, goals and principles for the integrated management of natural resources. 2 P a g e

3 A State NRM Plan should clearly explain the state-level priorities for managing natural resources, including any broad priorities to improve the state-level management systems, processes and relationships for achieving more sustainable natural resources outcomes. An amended State NRM Plan should be jointly developed by key organisations and partners across the NRM sector to ensure the Plan accurately reflects contemporary thinking and shared priorities, and remains relevant to the sector s evolving needs. To ensure ongoing ownership and effectiveness of the State NRM Plan, the Minister may wish to consider tasking a suitable lead to continue working with partners on coordinating effort across the sector to deliver the Plan. The monitoring and evaluation framework should be further streamlined to reflect the learnings from the March 2015 review of the NRM Reporting Framework. The forthcoming Environmental Reporting Strategy being prepared by DEWNR (with input from key agencies), due during 2017, will provide the foundation for greater alignment of environmental reporting relevant to project, regional, state programs and State of the Environment Reporting. Consideration should be given as to whether the next version of the State NRM Plan should remain a single document, or be separated into volumes to enable easier updating and targeting of content. o Separate volumes could include a ten-year strategic policy statement, a three-year business or investment priority statement, a five-year monitoring and evaluation framework, and specific statewide policies or guidelines that could be developed or updated as needed (such as for state-wide water policy, or biosecurity). The Review process The State Natural Resources Management Plan Our Place Our Future (State NRM Plan) was adopted in June Under the Natural Resources Management Act 2004 (the Act), the Minister must review the State NRM Plan at least once every five years, in this case by June DEWNR is supporting the Minister to carry out the Review. This Review aims to examine the effectiveness of the State NRM Plan in setting out principles and policies for achieving the objects of the NRM Act throughout the State (s. 74(2)) of the Act. The results of the Review will inform any potential future amendment of the State NRM Plan. If the Plan is not amended, under the Act the current State NRM Plan continues to operate. The draft findings and recommendations presented here are informed by interviews with a range of partners and key stakeholders within the NRM sector. These include regional NRM boards, Primary Producers SA (PPSA), Conservation Council of SA (CCSA), Local Government Association of SA (LGA), Landcare Association of SA (LASSA), Department of Environment Water and Natural Resources (DEWNR), Department of Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA), Environment Protection Authority (EPA), Department of State Development (DSD), the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure (DPTI)) and several former members of the NRM Council. Discussions with these stakeholders focused on the following questions: What is the purpose of the State NRM Plan? Who is it for? How does it relate to regional NRM plans and other parts of the NRM system? How well does the current State NRM Plan achieve its purpose? How should the State NRM Plan change in the future, if at all? In addition, the draft findings and recommendations are informed by: a 2014 interim review of the State NRM Plan by the NRM Council a 2015 review of the NRM Reporting Framework 3 P a g e

4 a 2016 workshop with Aboriginal people involved in natural resources management to discuss statewide NRM planning and future engagement processes a range of data and information generated through other processes, such as consultation on regional planning, surveys of stakeholders and communities about NRM review of other relevant NRM literature These draft findings and recommendations have been prepared to inform broad consultation with stakeholders and the public. Summary of the State NRM Plan The current State NRM Plan is a high level strategic document designed to set the direction for South Australia in its management of natural resources. The Act defines a number of key elements that are required to be addressed by the State NRM Plan. These are: set out the principles and polices for achieving the objects of the Act assess the state and condition of the natural resources of the state identify existing and future risks to the natural resources of the state provide for monitoring and evaluating the state and condition of natural resources identify goals, set priorities and identify strategies to manage the natural resources of the state set out or adopt policies to protect the environment and the interests of the community through the operation of the Act promote the integrated management of natural resources take into account the provisions of the Planning Strategy, and identify any desirable changes to the Planning Strategy Under the Act, regional NRM plans should be consistent with the State NRM Plan. The current plan was prepared by the NRM Council during The Plan was developed with input from discussion papers and workshops with a range of key stakeholders, and a three-month public consultation process. At the highest level the Plan sets the direction through a vision, three goals and 13 guiding targets. This is underpinned by the management system which describes the groups and individuals that help to deliver on the State NRM Plan (Figure 1). 4 P a g e

5 Figure 1. Summary of key elements of the State NRM Plan P a g e

6 Draft findings and recommendations Role of the Plan The State NRM Plan is an important guiding and coordinating document that links a wide range of specific policies, strategies and programs that help to achieve more sustainable management of natural resources. It is not the primary vehicle for driving action and investment, which occurs through regional planning and action, and a range of state programs, policies and regulatory systems. Overall the State NRM Plan was a significant evolution in state-wide NRM planning. It was shorter, simpler and more strategic in focus than the first generation State NRM Plan It also refined and streamlined the monitoring and evaluation framework to provide for better coordinated data collection and reporting. It reflected the latest principles and approaches to NRM planning current at the time, many of which remain relevant. The move to a more strategic, guiding document is broadly supported by stakeholders in the initial phase of the review. The State NRM Plan was the principal strategic planning tool of the NRM Council and was used to guide its operations until the Council was abolished in 2015, as part of a statewide review and streamlining of government boards and committees. The importance of a state-wide plan to guide coordinated action for natural resources management was highlighted by the Victorian Auditor General in its 2014 review of catchment management authorities in Victoria. It found that the absence of a state-wide strategy in Victoria made it difficult to assess the overall effectiveness of catchment management in Victoria. The Victorian Government has since introduced a high level state-wide strategic plan, Our Catchments Our Communities, that has many similar elements to the SA State NRM Plan the absence of an overarching strategy means there is no long-term state-wide vision, goals or priorities for integrated catchment management. Without these DEPI [the Victorian Department of Environment and Primary Industries] cannot clearly demonstrate that state investment in integrated catchment management is being effectively targeted or achieving intended outcomes across all areas of natural resource management. Additionally, DEPI has acknowledged this gap may also limit opportunities to secure future federal investment for natural resource management. [p15] The State NRM Plan is also used by a range of other organisations. In particular, it continues to be referenced by regional NRM boards and Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) in funding applications to ensure funding bodies have confidence that specific project proposals align with state-level strategic directions. The Landcare Association of SA explicitly used priorities from the State NRM Plan as the basis for its South Australian Community Landcare Plan The State NRM Plan does not direct on-ground action. It was intended as a guiding document, with action delivered through regional and agency plans, in order to allow for regional differences and encourage innovation that is best suited to each community s circumstances. Given this, the State NRM Plan alone does not have a direct influence on the state and condition of natural resources. As a guiding strategy rather than an action plan, the State NRM Plan does not include significant information about funding. Some stakeholders have indicated that the overall approach to funding NRM is an important element in achieving the State NRM Plan s overall goals, and the Plan should provide more information around the range of co-investments made by Australian, state, and local governments, landholders, NGOs and the broader community, including the regional NRM levies. Some also considered that improving the quantum of investment in NRM from a range of sources, and improving ability to target investment to the greatest needs across the state, should be important objectives in the future. Audience The Plan has multiple audiences. Participants in the review generally felt that the Plan should be designed primarily for use by state and Commonwealth government agencies, peak bodies and regional NRM boards; those organisations with a high level of involvement in natural resources management across the state. The Plan should provide high level strategic guidance to these groups to ensure that at a state-level 6 P a g e

7 there are coordinated and coherent outcomes across the NRM sector. Nevertheless, the writing style, and overall style of the document should be accessible to the wider community. Participants considered the State NRM Plan needs to explain and promote the rationale for ongoing effort and investment in the integrated management of natural resources through a compelling explanation of the value that NRM provides for the public. A consistent message on the benefits of the NRM system as a whole could also be useful for primary users of the document in their communications with state and Commonwealth government Ministers, funding organisations, and the general public. This could assist in providing confidence to investors (for example the Australian Government) that there is sound governance surrounding investment in natural resources management in South Australia, and that priorities have been identified in a rigorous manner, underpinned by sound evidence. It would also help to build support in the wider community for effort and investment in NRM to ensure current and future health and prosperity. Overall the tone and style of the Plan is not seen as compelling. Stakeholders seek a more contemporary document that excites, empowers and encourages action, beyond the traditional NRM sphere; and that better reflects their current priorities and respects the critical role that land managers (private sector, primary producers, Traditional Owners, community, local government and state government) already play in managing natural resources. The tone and focus of the SA NRM Investment Strategy 2016 is seen as a good model. Focus question: Do you think that the State NRM Plan should be updated? Key elements of the Plan In general, the content of the State NRM Plan remains sound and stakeholders consider that it broadly captures the intent and direction of NRM in South Australia. In particular, the Vision and 3 Goals of the State NRM Plan remain relevant and continue to be widely supported by stakeholders. Significant advances have been made against most of the Plan s ten priorities to strengthen the management system. For instance, the publication of the State and Condition Reporting Framework document in 2012 ( Cards/Documents/91913%20NRM%20Reporting%20Framework%202012%20Final%20Draft%20v7.pdf) was a direct action from Priority 7 develop an integrated NRM Reporting Framework to improve understanding of natural resource condition. Aboriginal people are closely involved in managing national parks in many areas, including through park co-management boards, and direct investment into natural resources management resulted in a 20% increase in the number of Aboriginal people employed in the north-west of South Australia between 2012 and 2015 (Priority 2). Although Aboriginal engagement has expanded during the life of the Plan, Traditional Owners of Country seek a shift from supporting participation to building capacity to take a leading role in NRM planning and implementation. This shift aligns with state and Commonwealth strategic directions relating to increased Aboriginal business procurement and employment outcomes. Partnerships have been strengthened between NRM boards and primary producers, supported by the Agriculture and NRM Working Together Action Plan (Priority 4). Despite these successes, there is still a need to progress many of the priorities in the State NRM Plan and to continuously improve and strengthen the management system. Any amendment to the Plan should reassess what the priorities are at that time. The State and Condition Reporting Framework and the subsequent publication of the 56 state-wide and 242 regional snap shots is widely seen as a significant strength of the State NRM Plan. This was the first time South Australia had published a comprehensive set of reports in an easy to understand and open format. This work will now provide the basis for regular state-scale trend and condition report cards, and set the foundation to pursue greater alignment of reporting relevant to projects, regional and state programs and inform State of the Environment Reporting and Environmental Accounting. The latest trend and condition report cards are due to be published in the first half of P a g e

8 While the content was generally considered to be sound, the multiple layers of the State NRM Plan were seen by many as too complex; with a vision, 3 goals, 13 guiding targets, 56 representative measures, 10 priorities to strengthen the management system, and 7 principles as part of a new NRM Standard. While there are targets that relate to most areas of NRM, including water, soils, pest plants and animals, some stakeholders indicated that the Plan overall is too generic and management system-oriented. They consider it does not provide enough connection with the issues that many natural resources managers and landholders relate to. Ownership of the Plan While respondents generally consider that many parts of the State NRM Plan are sound, they consider that it has not fully realised its potential. One key reason was that despite significant consultation, some organisations were not involved in the process at an early stage, and the Plan was not widely owned by stakeholders across the NRM sector; it was largely seen as a document by, and for, the NRM Council; and to a lesser extent, for DEWNR. It was widely felt that if the State NRM Plan is amended, the process for that amendment was equally, if not more, important than the final product produced. In order for the Plan to be owned by the broader NRM sector, the process needs to allow for joint development of the Plan by the key state-wide partners involved in NRM (e.g. state government agencies, Conservation Council SA, Primary Producers SA, Aboriginal representative organisations, Local Government Association, Landcare Association of SA, and regional NRM boards). The value from jointly developing the SA NRM Investment Strategy 2016 demonstrates the strength and success of this approach. Therefore, any amendment to the Plan should be jointly developed by key organisations across the NRM sector to ensure the Plan accurately reflects contemporary thinking and shared priorities, and remains relevant to the sector s evolving needs. To ensure ongoing ownership and effectiveness of the State NRM Plan, the Minister may wish to consider tasking a suitable lead to continue working with partners on coordinating effort across the sector to deliver the Plan. Traditional Owners should also be closely involved in developing and implementing the Plan. State and regional planning Regional NRM plans are developed through close involvement with regional communities, providing a focal point for community leadership in managing natural resources. A key role of the State NRM Plan is to connect these regional planning processes into state-wide policymaking and help highlight the value of regional community engagement. The State NRM Plan could play this role best if it is built up from these regional plans, providing an umbrella layer that pulls together the high level themes from the regional plans and showcases the way each regional plan delivers on these themes. The review has identified a gap in the current State NRM Plan in that it does not clearly articulate approaches to managing issues across regional boundaries, and across private and public land. Further, these approaches are even less clear in engaging Traditional Owners at the scale of their respective Countries that cut across both regional NRM but also state boundaries. The practical connection between state-wide policies and programs and regional level planning and action is not as clear as it could be in guiding coordinated action. It was generally felt that there is an important role for the State NRM Plan to clearly explain the direction at a state-level and that it should reinforce state-wide messages and commitments. This should include identifying and supporting those issues which are beyond any single region s ability to manage. It was felt that the State NRM Plan could provide a conduit for state government agencies (e.g. DEWNR, PIRSA, DSD, DPTI, EPA) looking to incorporate their NRM related issues into the NRM planning system from the State NRM Plan through to regional NRM plans. There is significant opportunity for an amended State NRM Plan to provide a link between state-wide policies and regional level planning and action. 8 P a g e

9 There are a range of state-level policies that cover specific aspects of natural resources management (e.g. No Species Loss/Nature of SA, Climate Strategy, and Water for Good). Natural resources management is generally seen as integrating a range of these policies, therefore the State NRM Plan potentially has a role in bringing together these state policies, and providing a link between the policies and regional planning and delivery. The State NRM Plan should also be designed to influence other state policies and plans through clear objectives and practical opportunities to shape shared outcomes. For instance, achievement of more sustainable natural resources management outcomes should contribute to, and help to shape broader policies to achieve strong economic development and resilience to climate change. It was generally felt that the State NRM Plan should provide a consistent, but not constrained, framework for regional NRM planning. This could include providing high level principles for underpinning concepts, such as: landscape and systems approaches to planning use of resilience concepts incorporation of climate change adaptation principles for community engagement principles for investment decisions a risk based approach to planning health and wellbeing There are fundamental challenges inherent in the timing of preparation of the State NRM Plan and the eight regional NRM plans. The staggered nature of regional NRM planning, with several under review or being updated at any given time, inevitably means that any time a State NRM Plan is adopted will be too late to influence regional plans that have already been completed. Some stakeholders have indicated a desire for greater consistency across the State NRM Plan and the eight regional plans to improve accountability and help state-wide agencies and non-government bodies to engage with regional processes. This is not always straight forward to achieve as regional plans are prepared by boards in consultation with their local communities, reflecting local priorities, and are presented in ways that are meaningful to local communities. In order to allow for a true adaptive planning process across state and regional planning, consideration needs to be given to the format and process for the State NRM Plan s development. A high level, visionary plan, developed with regional involvement, should learn from the lessons of regional planning and planning in other jurisdictions, guide future regional plans, and allow for the detail and up to date priorities to be defined at regional/ subregional levels, and through other stakeholders action plans. In addition to regional plans, the State NRM Plan can provide high level guidance to other action and business plans for organisations within the NRM sector. This could include agency business/corporate plans and NGO action plans. The Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016 (PDI Act) brings changes to land use planning and development approvals. The Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure is in the process of developing the tools and systems that will support the implementation of the new Act. For instance, changes to regional development planning instruments and processes may provide opportunities for greater alignment between regional plans under the NRM and PDI Acts. There is an opportunity for a range of NRM stakeholders to work with DPTI now to better align the NRM planning and land use planning systems, to achieve a range of natural resources outcomes. This work should be progressed over the next 12 to 18 months, whether or not the State NRM Plan is amended. South Australian Government focus relating to Aboriginal governance has shifted significantly towards establishment of Aboriginal regional authorities and commencement of Treaty negotiations. Caring for 9 P a g e

10 Country (lands and waters) and Aboriginal engagement in NRM are common themes re-iterated by Traditional Owners. An amended State NRM Plan would provide a valuable opportunity to meaningfully contribute to these processes. State NRM Plan content The review has highlighted a number of content areas that could be improved in an amended State NRM Plan. These include: Providing better links to key economic drivers and the state economic priorities. Improved natural resources management is critical for some sectors of the economy (e.g. primary production). Good NRM is good for business sustainability and building social and economic resilience. Acknowledging and respecting the fundamental role that land managers (such as primary producers, local government and Traditional Owners) play in managing the natural resources of the state to support prosperous businesses, promote community wellbeing and protect valuable assets. Incorporate the role of consumer knowledge and behaviour in influencing the use and management of natural resources. Better reflecting the changing narrative on biodiversity i.e. moving from the No Species Loss Strategy to the Nature of SA (with a focus on how we help South Australia s natural environment in the face of changing climate and ongoing pressures such as weeds and habitat loss). Emphasising the importance of adapting to climate change across the state, and particularly in the NRM sector, as well as highlighting the potential opportunities in mitigating climate change for the NRM sector (e.g. carbon sequestration through NRM). Better including water resources management and the importance of water for natural resources, communities, and economic development. Emphasising the role of the NRM sector in the state and national biosecurity system, including the Intergovernmental Agreement on Biosecurity, Australian Weeds Strategy and Australian Pest Animal Strategy. Incorporate a framework for Aboriginal engagement and involvement in natural resources management across the state, and making reference to the importance of indigenous biocultural knowledge. The Plan should recognise and enable the valuable co-benefits from Aboriginal involvement and leadership in NRM including more sustainable employment and business opportunities and associated health and wellbeing outcomes. A respectful partnership also enables the application of Aboriginal knowledge and innovations that can advance our understanding of sustainable livelihoods and NRM. New approaches to NRM planning that are being used in regional planning means the State NRM Plan is now somewhat dated. It should be updated to reflect more contemporary planning approaches (such as resilience and systems based planning) and changing priorities (such as a stronger focus on sustainable production and climate change), and contribution of NRM to community well-being outcomes. Many respondents interviewed during the initial consultation on the State NRM Plan review indicated that the SA NRM Investment Strategy 2016 provides a good model for expressing contemporary approaches to some of these issues, and provides a good starting point for a future State NRM Plan. Focus question: What natural resources management topics should a future State NRM Plan address? 10 P a g e

11 There remain questions on whether policies for specific issues should be contained within the State NRM Plan or should sit elsewhere. For instance, there are a number of proposals to streamline water planning through state-wide policies that could apply in the absence of a specific water allocation plan. Such policies could potentially be embedded within the State NRM Plan, or could be better housed in other documents, which could be referenced within the State NRM Plan. Focus question: Should a future State NRM Plan include state-wide policies on particular subject matters? If so, what types of state-wide policies would be most useful? Draft Recommendations An amended State NRM Plan should: Be refreshed to better meet the needs of its primary users: regional NRM boards, state government agencies, local government and peak bodies. While the Plan should primarily aim to guide these organisations, it should be written in a way that is accessible to a broad audience and clearly demonstrate the value of NRM for the public. Aim to excite and empower stakeholders and inspire action. Remain a strategic enabling/guiding document that sets the shared vision, goals, principles and priorities that guide action by the entire NRM sector in order to achieve coordinated, coherent outcomes at the state-wide scale. Describe and promote South Australia s integrated approach to NRM, in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the governance and delivery mechanisms in place to achieve improved natural resource outcomes, including: o o providing the linking framework for other state policies and plans, including supporting and influencing broader government objectives such as achieving sustainable economic development and resilience to climate change explaining how regional planning and action delivers on ground, and how that contributes to natural resources outcomes across the state. Provide a clear rationale for ongoing effort and investment in NRM at all scales; by governments, industry, landowners, the not-for-profit sector and individuals. Provide prominence to strategies that seek to build the capacity of Aboriginal people and organisations to take a leading role in NRM and that creates opportunities for Aboriginal business and employment. Clearly explain the state-level priorities for managing natural resources, including any broad priorities to improve the state-level systems, processes and relationships for managing natural resources. Provide a linking and coordinating framework for regional plans, primarily built up from regional plans, that guides future regional planning and identifies those issues and priorities that are more appropriately addressed at a state-level. There is an opportunity for the State NRM Plan to build on these regional plans and provide an umbrella layer that pulls together the high level themes from the regional plans and showcases the way each regional plan delivers on these themes. Aim to improve our collective ability to target investment to the greatest needs across the state. Be jointly developed by key organisations, partners and Traditional Owners across the NRM sector to ensure the plan accurately reflects contemporary thinking and shared priorities, and remains relevant to the sector s evolving needs. 11 P a g e

12 Aim to ensure ongoing ownership and effectiveness of the State NRM Plan. The Minister may wish to consider tasking a suitable lead to continue working with partners on coordinating effort across the sector to deliver the Plan. Further streamline the monitoring and evaluation framework to reflect the learnings from the March 2015 review of the NRM Reporting Framework. The forthcoming Environmental Reporting Strategy being prepared by DEWNR, due in June 2017, will provide the foundation for greater alignment of environmental reporting relevant to project, regional, state and program reporting and informing State of the Environment Reporting. Consider whether the next version of the State NRM Plan should remain a single document, or be separated into volumes to enable easier updating and targeting of content. As an example, the State NRM Plan could comprise several volumes, which could be updated at different times and would have specific and defined purposes: o o o o A ten to twenty-year strategic policy statement that sets out the vision, goals and principles that are unlikely to change significantly over time this would form a high level direction setting document that could remain in place without change, providing long term direction consistent with the long term needs of natural resources. A one to three-year business or investment priority statement (along the lines of the current SA NRM Investment Strategy 2016) setting out the current shared priorities for action by partners in the NRM sector. This could be updated frequently to reflect changing priorities and changing investment needs to address the long term natural resources outcomes sought. A five-year monitoring, evaluation and reporting framework to guide alignment and efficiency of reporting, ensuring that information can be collected once and used for multiple reporting purposes. Specific state-wide policies or guidelines that could be developed or updated as needed (such as for state-wide water policy or biosecurity). Focus question: What format (e.g. single or multiple volume) would be most useful for a future State NRM Plan? NRM stakeholders should continue working with DPTI as a priority to improve alignment of NRM and PDI Act planning tools, even before the State NRM Plan is amended. 12 P a g e

13 Attachment A: Review of the State NRM Plan Phase 1 Preliminary engagement with key partners NRM Investment Strategy Workshop 29 August 2016 A workshop to develop the SA NRM Investment Strategy 2016 also considered broader aspects of strategic NRM planning, including the role, strengths and weaknesses of the State NRM Plan. This workshop included representatives from the Council of NRM Presiding Members, PPSA, CCSA, Landcare Association of SA, LGA, DEWNR, and PIRSA. Aboriginal Engagement Workshop 28 September 2016 A range of Aboriginal people involved in natural resources management were invited to a workshop in 2016 to discuss strategic NRM planning, particularly to inform the development of the SA NRM Investment Strategy 2016 and the review of the State NRM Plan. Invitees included Aboriginal members of regional NRM boards, park co-management boards, Aboriginal regional authorities, Aboriginal Lands Trust, and SA Native Title Advisory Service. 13 P a g e

14 Interviews/ Meetings December 2016 March 2017 Structured interviews were held with the following organisation during the phase 1 preliminary engagement Organisation Council of NRM Presiding Members Kangaroo Island NRM Board South East NRM Board SA Arid Lands NRM Board Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges NRM Board Natural Resources Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Eyre Peninsula Natural Resources South East Natural Resources Kangaroo Island Natural Resources Northern and Yorke Natural Resources Alinytjara Wilurara Natural Resources South Australian Arid Lands Natural Resources South Australian Murray Darling Basin Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources Primary Producers SA Conservation Council SA Trees for Life Landcare Association SA Local Government Association of South Australia Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia Environment Protection Agency Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure Department of State Development South Australian Chamber of Mines and Energy Australian Government Department of Agriculture & Water Australian Government Department of Environment & Energy 14 P a g e