Implementation of a national conservation strategy: The case of Australia

Summary The World Conservation Strategy called upon all governments to produce their own national conservation strategies. Many countries responded to this, although their degree of determination has varied considerably. One of the most exemplary responses was the National Conservation Strategy for Australia (NCSA). The production and endorsement of the NCSA, and of its subsequent progress, are reviewed. Attention is then turned to the actual and potential roles of Commonwealth Government, State and Territory Governments, and other governmental and non-governmental organisations in implementing the Strategy. It is noted that various bodies have endorsed the NCSA, whilst some state governments and the Australian Forestry Council have produced their own strategies. These responses are considered further, but it is found that they appear only rarely to chart precise courses of action. More typically, they comprise broad statements of intent: if real progress is to be made, more attention must be given to the production of detailed, tactical documents. These must be expressed with sufficient precision to permit effective measurement and monitoring.Dr. Paul Selman has recently returned to the UK after having completed a short period at the Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies at the Australian National University, Canberra. He is currently a lecturer in Environmental Management in the Department of Environmental Science at the University of Stirling. This paper was first submitted early in 1987.