From river to ridge: a blueprint for sustainable management in the Georges River catchment

Research on sustainable transport and water projects, conducted in North America during 1999, identified four key considerations common to a number of projects. These four considerations are the preconditions necessary to achieve sustainability in a given location. These preconditions (BAPP) are boundary definition, administrative alignment, protection of non-urban lands, and the participation of all interested parties. This paper considers the perceived attitudes of various catchment stakeholders and focuses on planners and planning. The results of questionnaire surveys based on BAPP concepts suggest that local government is perceived as having the highest priority for protection of riparian lands and waterways (as individual Councils and Regional Organisations of Councils). Thus local government is the preferred arena for coordination, responsibility and jurisdiction of waterways and riparian land. The opportunity exists to examine the differing roles of local and state government. The paper concludes by outlining the implications of this research for land use planning and institutional structures in sustainable river management.