CONSERVATION OUTSIDE NATURE RESERVES

Edited by Peter Hale and David Lamb

Published by the Centre for Conservation Biology, .The University of Queensland

This book is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for purposes of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the CopyrightAct 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. Enquiries should be made to the publisher.

The National Library of Australian Cataloguing-in-Publication entry:

Conservation outside nature reserves

Bibliography Includes index. ISBN 0 86776 728 6.

1. Nature conservation -Australia - Congresses. 2. Wilderness areas -Australia - Congresses. 3. Environmental protection -Australia -Congresses. I. Hale, Peter (PeterThomas).II. Lamb, David. 111. University of Queensland. Centre for Conservation Biology.

Published July, 1997.

Published by the Centre for Conservation Biology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane Qld 4072, Australia.

Printed by The University of Queensland Printery, Brisbane Qld 4072, Australia.

INTRODUCTION -

In recent vears considerable effort has been devoted to increasing the size of the nature reserve system in Australia and making it more representative of the many biogeographic regions throughout the continent. But there has been a growing recognition that this approach alone will be insufficient to achieve the goal of conserving biodiversity. 'I'h; reserve system will usually be a minor proportion of most landscapes so it is in the wider landscape that biological diversity will be ultimately consewed. The question is, therefore, how can the protection of biological diversity be combined with the various other productive uses that are made of landscapes?"

The primary objective of the Centre for Conservation Biology is to promote and undertake research and policy development aimed at the management and restoration of biological diversity, both on- and off-reserves. Towards this end the CCB has organised three conferences in recent years; "Conservation Biology in Australia and Oceania" (Moritz and Kikkawa 1994), which assessed current practice in the management and restoration of biodiversity; "Conservation through Sustainable use of Wildlife" (Grigg et a1 1995), which examined the practicalities of achieving conservation aims through the use of wildlife; and "Conservation Outside Nature Reserves" held at the University of Queensland in February 1996, of which this book is the proceedings. This meeting attracted more than 450 participants, about 10 percent of whom were primary producers. It explored the potential for conservation outside the traditional reserve system by examining approaches to land use that could enable sustainable primary production and nature conservation to be combined. A variety of ecosystems were considered, ranging from intensively used agricultural lands to the rangelands and production forests. The conference looked at the economic incentives that might encourage nature conservation and some of the social and community issues involved as well as the ecological questions. Participants included individual landowners and community groups, working independently and in collaboration with government to find solutions to these questions, as well as regional and national government organisations.

Key issues inneed of general discussion were canvassed amongst participants on the first two days of the meeting and then discussed in a number of forums, which were "stakeholder empowerment", "processes and mechanisms", "material incentives", "biodiversity monitoring", and "conservation in production forests". Draft recommendations arising from these forums and other conference, sessions were presented on the last day of the conference to a plenary session for discussion and endorsement. The recommendations that were ultimately carried, either unanimously or by a clear majority, are to be found on pages xi to xiv herein.

In editing the proceedings we have been careful to include the diversity of viewpoints presented in manuscripts as well as the more technical aspects of the topic.Al1 manuscripts were peer reviewed and we have edited to encourage opinion as well as to assess the scientific aspects of the material for publication.

The book is divided into ten sections. The first, "Thoughts from the bush" includes contributions from freehold and leasehold landholders about the approaches necessary to achieve conservation outside reserves. These are important viewpoints, especially as about 70% of the land area of Australia is under freehold or leasehold title and ultimately the adoption of practices that could improve nature conservation is the decision of landholders. The recommendations from the forums "Stakeholder empowerment", "Processes and mechanisms" and "Material incentives" are reflected in the arguments expressed in these and many other papers in the book. Other chapters dealing primarily with the citizens' role in the process are contained in the sections on "Nature reserves on private land" and "People, communities and nature conservation". Papers concerned primarily with the role of government and big business comprise the sections "Perspectives from government and industry" and "Instruments and incentives". The sections on "Strategies for balancing productivity with conservation", "Habitat restoration and monitoring", "Vegetation clearing and conservation", "Conservation on a landscape scale" and "Production

forestry and conservation" deal with ecoiogical aspects of biodiversity conservation in production landscapes, especially the integration of production and conservation.

Their are numerous proposals in the book aimed at achieving off-reserve nature conservation. Many concern the Australian political and social context but they are relevant to a wider audience because the underlying questions are applicable anywhere; how can production and conservation be integrated so that neither is compromised, how much should be conserved to maintain biodiversity, and of course, who pays? What is clear is that there is a great deal of enthusiasm on the part of landholders to do a better job of conservation, but, as pointed out in Chapter one by primary producer Adam Clark, "you can't be green when you're in the red". The recent Federal Government initiative of a Natural Heritage Trust Fund may provide additional resources to implement the proposals herein. Certainly this book provides a wealth of information for those who will take forward the process of achieving conservation outside reserves.

References

Moritz, C. and J. Kikkawa (eds) 1994. Conservation in Australia and Oceania. Surrey Beatty and Sons, Chipping Norton. NSW.

Grigg, G.C., P. Hale and D. Lunney (eds) 1995. Conservation through sustainable use of wildlife. Centre for .

Conservation Biology, University of Queensland, Brisbane.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Conferences are expensive to organise and run. We are grateful to those government organisations who provided financial support; the Australian Nature Conservation Agency ($10,000), Queensland Department of the Environment ($10,000), New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service ($6,000) and Queensland Department of Primary Industry ($2,000). The National Association of Forest Industries ($2,000) and Institute of Foresters of Australia ($2,000) were notable among the industry groups to provide sponsorship.

We are also grateful to the considerable assistance provided by Robyn Rolfe and Belinda Watson, without whose efforts the conference could not have succeeded. Many thanks to Maryanne Wade, of the University's Media and Information Services, for her diligence in typesetting the book. Those who formed the organising committee were Laurie Capill from the Queensland Department of Primary Industry; Peter Hale, Les Hall, David Lamb (Chair), Hamish McCallum, Craig Moritz and John Mott from the University of Queensland and Paul Sattler from the Queensland Department of the Environment.

Peter Hale1 and David Lamb1* July 1997.

I Centre for conservation Biology and2 Department of Botany, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072 Australia.

CONTENTS Chapter Page

............................................................................................................ Foreword: E Hale and D . Lamb ............................... ..... v

.................................................................. Recommendations from the conference "Conservation Outside Nature Reserves" xi

Thoughts from the bush: perspectives from private landholders ............... Forward planningfor bibdiversity and production on the land . ByA . Clark .. ....................... 1

A primary producer's perspective on nature conservation . By J.D. Fenron ................................................................................. 3

. Co-management and self governance: contemporary indigenous natural resource management By 1! Sinnamon ................... 10

Freehold land: the key to effective conservation . By I: Dunbabin .......................................................................................... 17

Preservation of biodiversity on grazing lands . By N.J. Robinson 19

Jumping the gun: inside out on nature reserves . By D . Ruska ............................ .. ............................................................... 23

. Balancing production and conservation on a NSW western division property . By H Withers .................... .. .................... 26

Combining conservation and farming in the wheatbelt of Western Australia . By A . Doley .............................................. 31

Perspectives from government and industry The global garden: Eden revisited? By EB . Bridgewaler ........................................................................................................ 35

Sustainable conservation: a new integrated approach to nature conservation in Australia . By S.R. Shea. I . Abborr. J.A. Armstrong & K.J. McNanzara ...................................................................................................... 39

Integration of bioregional conservation planning with ecologically sustainable management: examples from the coastal lowlands and rangelands of Queensland . By E Satrlerj G . Morgan & B . Wilson ...................................................................... 49

Indigenous protected areas: new opportunities for the conservation of biodiversity . By R . Thackwoy. S . Szabo & D . Smyrh ... 62

Principles for negotiating conservation on indigenous land . By A . Dale ................................................................................. 74

An ecosystem approach to planning . By G . Whire ..................... .. ............................................................................................ 79

Conservation outside nature reserves in southern Africa with Kwazulu-Natal a case study . By R . Physick ............................ 84

On the process of extending wildlife conservation beyond nature reserves . By H.J. Lavery. T H . Kirkpalrick D.M. Foore. A.U!M. Garenby & M . U! Rirchie ............................................................................................................................................... 89

Environmental initiatives of the Queensland cane growing industry . By M . Everson ............................................................. 93

The changing roles of State and Local Government in fauna conservation outside nature reserves: a case study of koalas in New South Wales . By D . Lunney &A . Marrhews .................................................................................................... 97

Compatabilities and conflicts between production and conservation in the Queensland Mulga Lands biogeographic region . By B.A. Wilson ........................................................................................................................................................................ 107

Any future for nature conservation within the industrial landscape?: case studies from Central Queensland . By R . Evans. E Johnsrone. A . Melzer & L . Wade ................................................................................................................... 115

Instruments and incentives 21 Mixing instruments and institutional arrangements for optimal biodiversity conservation . By M.D. Young &

N . Gunnlngham ....................................................................................................................................................................... 123

22 Adapting leasehold tenures to meet emerging conservation needs.By J.H. Holmes ............... .. ......................................... 136

. 23 Redirecting agricultural subsidies into conservation: strategies and experiences in the European Union . ByA Muhar ......... 143

24 Wetlands and wildlife: the need of a non-taxing land reform.By L . Brake, J . White & D . Cole ........................ .. .............. 148

25 Farm forestry enterprise as a way of enhancing nature conservation values . By L . Capill .......................... ... ............. 152

Nature reserves on private land .................. 26 Protecting biodiversity within the agricultural landscape: a case study . By M . Sufherland 159

. . 27 Establlshlng a nature refuge.By R . Scanlan .......................................... ............................................ : ............................ 162

28 A model based on community initiative: creating a culture where conservation values are incorporated into private land . . . By J . Edwards & M . Burns ........................ .. ........................................................................................................................... 164

. . . .

vii

CONTENTS . .

29 Publiclprivate partnerships for land conservation: making it work . By K.W Cox ............................................................. 169

30 The Oxygen Farm: buying land for conservation . By C . Sheed ............................................................................................. 171

31 Victoria's Conservation Covenant Program: How effective has it been at achieving private land conservation? By J.A. Todd .............................................................................................................................................................................. 173

32 The UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Program comes of age: learning by doing, landscape models for sustainable . conservation and resource use By D . Brunckhorst, I! Bridgewater & J? Parker .................................................................. 176

33 Linking development and conservation through biosphere reserves: promoting sustainable grazing in Xilingol Biosphere Reserve. Inner Mongolia. China . By R . Thwaites & I: DeLacy ....................... ... ................................................................ 183

34 The advantages of a trust in conservation for private land owners . By B.R. Whelan .......................................................... 190

35 Conservation of the Deep Bay wetlands. Hong Kong: will private "nature reserves" work? By S.Y: Lee ............................. 195

People. communites and nature conservation 36 The golden-shouldered parrot of Cape York Peninsula: the importance of cups of tea to effective consenration .

............................................................................................................................................ By S . Garnett & G.M. Crowley 201

. 37 Issues from a study of conservation on private agricultural land . By R . Beilin. J Fleming & II Fleming ............................... 206

...... 38 Community involvement in conservation outside nature reserves: partnerships for a win-win situation . By I? Harrison 212

39 It's gnow or never: malleefowl conservation in Western Austra1ia.B~ S . Dennirlgs ............................................................. 214

40 The influence of owners intentions on remnant bush conservation in Tasmania . By L . Gilfedder & J . Kirkpatrick ............... 217

41 Identification of rural landholders' requirements for nature conservation information . By G . Siepen & G.C. Stone .............. 226

42 Balancing productivity and conservation in southern inland Queensland: a case study at the grass.roots . By K . Dorricott, B . Lawric & II Voller ................... .. ...................................................................................................................................... 233

43 Aboriginal use and conservation of wildlife in northern Australia: a cultural necessity . By M.J. Vardoq C . Missi, M . Cleary & G.J. U! Webb ....................................................................................................................................................... 241

44 Cassowary conservation in the Daintree: can we repair this "hole in the heart?" . By IIM . Pavlov ......................................... 245

45 Scientific and community roles in intertidal conservation . By M.G. Chapman .................................................................... 249

Strategies for balancing productivity with conservation 46 A strategy for the rehabilitation of degraded sheep lands . By N . Lawrance ........................................................................ 255

47 Sustaining catchment health: Prioritise! Co-operate! Evaluate! By C.D. Irons ...................................................................... 257

48 Parallel knowledge? Acomparative study of land classification by farmers and soil scientists . By A . Herbert ...................... 262

49 Management indicators for production and conservation in grazed woodlands of Queensland: a case study . By IIG . Filer, J.C. McCosker and D . Osten ................................................................................................................................................... 266

50 Homestudy course in wildlife management on farms . By B.R. Roberts & K . Dorricon ......................... .. .................... 271

51 Conservation of microchiroptera demands an integrated approach to landscape management . By D.J. Mills, 'LU! Norton & H.E. Parnaby ......................................................................................................................................................................... 273

. ................................... 52 Pasture monitoring: a tool to help graziers learn about ecological sustainablity . By L Pegler .... . . . 279

53 An innovative model for sustainable wildlife management in off reserve areas . By M . Cleland. R . Bell & BJ? Murphy ....... 281

54 Conservation and Himalayan tahr on leasehold land in New Zgaland . By K.F.D. Hughey ...................... .. ......................... 287

55 Aco-operative research plan for the commercial harvest and management of trepang by Aboriginal communities in the Top End . By J.L. Carter & D . Xbarbuk ............ ... ............................................................................................................. 290

. ...... 56 The South Australian Watervalley Wetlands: a case study of destruction and restoration By J.M. White & M.J. Harper 293

Habitat restoration and monitoring 57 Conservation of tableland rural bushland: the uneasy interface between ecological research and vegetation management .

By PJ . Clarke & E.A. Davison ......... 1 .......... ....... ..................... ................................................................................... 297

58 The extension of rehabilitation and soil surface management techniques for native vegetation on degraded. hardsetting, . ................................... .............................................. rangeland soils of Southerli inland Queensland . By I: Koch & J Gray : 301

. .......................................................... 59 Establishing off-reserve surveys of fauna in western NSW.By 'L Mozer & M Ellis 304

. . . ..... 60 Conserving vegetationin fragmented rural landscapes: edge effects and eucalypt forest remnants By J Beer & M Fox 313

.................... 61 Ants as indicators of ecosystem restoration following mining: a functional group approach . ByA.N. Andersen 319

62 The importance of abandoned mines as habitat for bats . By L . Hall, G.C. Richards, N.L. McKenzie & N . Dunlop ................ 326

CONTENTS

63 Habitat restoration for wildlife nesting on degraded braided riverbeds in New Zealand . By K.ED. Hughey & A.EJ . Warrer~ ........................................................................................................................................................................... 334

64 Small mammals in cropped and uncropped parts of dry lakes along the Darling Anabranch in south-western New South Wales . By S . V Briggs ................... .. ....................................................................................................................................... 343

. 65 Pipeline trenches: an under-utilised resource for finding fauna . By D Ayers & G . Wallace ..................... .. ....................... 348

66 Managed fire to control the impacts on northern Australian plant communities of the invasive shrub Cryptostegia grandiflorn . By A.C. Grice & J.R. Brown ................................................................................................................................. 356

Vegetation clearing and conservation 67 The impact of clearing on brigalow communities and consequences for conservation.By R.W Johnson ............................... 359

68 The current extent of tree clearing in the Central Brigalow Belt and what this means to the man on the land . By J.C. McCosker & G . Miller .............................................................................................................................................................. 364

69 Reality versus rhetoric: a casy study monitoring regional deforestation.By C. I? Carterall. R.J. Storey & M.B. Kingston ..... 367

70 Impact of trees on the diversity of pasture species and soil biota in grazed landscapes on the Northern Tablelands. NSW . By C . Chilcott. N.C.H. Reid & K . King ............... .... ......................................................................................................... 378

71 Bringing down the curtain on native vegetation clearance: the ~outh~ustra l ian experience.By S . Lewis ............................. 387

. . ....................... ..................................... 72 Native vegetation management and clearance controls in Victoria By C Douglass .: 391

73 Forest and woodland cover in the central western region of New South Wales prior to European settlement.By M . CroJl. D . Goldney & S . Cardale .................... ... ............................................................................................................................. 394

Conservation on a landscape scale 74 Inside looking out: findings of research on reserve selection relevant to "off-reserve" nature conservation . By R.L. Pressey

& VS . Logan ............................................................................................................................................................................. 407

.................... 75 Options for conserving large vegetation remnants in the Darling Downs. south Queensland . By R.J. Fensham 419

.... . 76 Conservation of native lowland grassland remnants in south-eastern Australia . By J.S. Benson ................... .. ............... 424

77 The potential for road reserves in the maintenance of biodiveristy: a Western Australian perspective . ByA.C. Napier ......... 428

78 Threatened flora of Western Australia: a focus for conservation outside reserves . By D.J. Coates & K.J. Atkins ................... 432

79 Are rare plant translocations beneficial to conservation? By M . Rossetto & K W Dixon ...................................................... 442

80 Threatened plants in the northern provinces of South Africa: case studies and future approaches . By E.TE Witkowski. L . Knowles & R.J. Liston .................... .. ................................................................................................................................. 446

81 Vegetation studies in the Daintree lowlands: a community approach to biodiversity conservation . By A . Small. J . Playford. G . Werren &A . Shapcott ........... ... ........................................................................................................................................ 452

82 Plant conservation outside reserves in the lower north island. New Zea1and.B~ J.WD. Sawyer ........................................ 4 5 8

Production forestry and nature conservation 83 Management of disturbance and biodiversity in production forests and forest reserves . By I! Attiwill ................................... 463

84 Fauna conservation in production forests in Western Australia.By I? Christensen ..................... .. .................................... 466

...................... 85 Development of indicators of sustainable management in Australian forests . By J . Turner & M.J. Lambert 471

86 The development of consistent nationwide baseline environmental standards for Australia's native forests . . By M . Leonard ................... ... ............................................................................................................................................... 476

............... . 87 Management decision classification: a system for zoning land managed by Forestry Tasmania By A.M. Gerrand 480

. . ................ 88 Some issues for managing habitat for mammalian fauna in forests outside reserves By S.J. Cork& I?C Catling 488

89 A review of prescriptions employed for conservation of hollow-dependent fauna in wood production forests of eastern Australia . By I? Gibbons & D.B. Lindenmayer ................ ............ ...................... ........................................................... 497

90 The importance of stand structure in off-reserve forest wildlife conservation: a case study from the Victorian mountain ash forests . By D.B. Lindenmayer & J.E Franklin ................... .... ..................................................................................... 506

91 Biological diversity in plantation forests.By1.E Spellerberg& J.U(D. Sawyer ............. .. ........ ........... .............................. 516

92 The significance of State Forests for conservation ofLitoria pearsoniana (Copland) and associated amphibians . By K.M. Pnrris & TW Norton .................................................................................................................................................. 521

Author index .................................................................................... ......................................................................... 527 . . Subject ~ndex ............................................................................................................................................................... 528

Recommendations from the conference "Conservation Outside Nature Reserves"

OVERALL RECOMMENDATIONS

Recognising that a national system of representative reserves is an essential component of biodiversity protection; but also, that such reserves will, at best cover a minority of the land area, can never be representative of the entire biota, and will not be viable in the long-term if located within a hostile environment; This conference commends the bipartisan political support for funding of major programs relating to off-reserve conservation, and re~ommends that:

1. Conservation of biodiversity be given greater prominence within programs for Ecologically Sustainable Management;

2. The operation of these programs be reviewed to ensure that maximum funds and benefits flow to local communities and that these communities own the process;

3. Social and economic incentives be used to reward land-holders and industries that achieve effective biodiversity conservation,

4. Information on the performance of these programs in relation to biodiversity be publicly owned and available.

5. Any recommendations associated with Ecologically Sustainable Management not contravene accepted existing agreements and processes under which land management operates unless re-negotiated with the stakeholders.

STAKEHOLDER EMPOWERMENT

To address this issue participants first identified impediments to empowerment and then went on to develop recommendations for their removal. Impediments were listed and then discussed under four themes which it was agreed, id6ntified the major aspects of the problem: 1, lack of mutual trust; 2, reluctance to share power; 3, reluctance to provide resources; and 4, lack of mechanisms.

1. Lack of mutual t rust

The conference recommends that the qualities and processes needed to build trust are:

(a) mutual respect amongst all stakeholders,

(b) continuity of people involved in the consultation or negotiation to allow continuity of contact among stakeholders,

(c) interpersonal skills, especially the ability to listen, and

(d) adequate and effective communication on an individual basis.

2. Reluctance to share power

The conference recommends that power-sharing between stakeholders can be achieved through:

(a) free exchange of information,

(b) identification of stakeholders vision,

(c) identification of difficulties with powersharing,

(d) equal standing for all stakeholders,,

(e) developing a shared vision using compromise as a tool, and

( f ) developing the capacity of'stakeholders to assume their role in the negotiation process.

3. Reluctance to provide resources on the par t of government and landholders

The conference recommends that the reluctance to provide resources can be addressed through:

(a) removing financial constraints on landholders,

(b) provision of education and information,

(c) continued development of a land ethic,

(d) the development of an integrated approach to conservation outside reserves by governments, with long-term goals,

(e) delivery of government programs by trained staff,

( f ) continuity of contact by staff with landholders,

(g) recognition of the E.S.D. process by financial institutions,

(h) Federal funding to be directed through the States to facilitate the consultative process, and

(i) increased transparency in the funding process.

4. Lack of mechanisms for community empowerment

The conference recommends that the lack of mechanisms for community empowerment can be addressed through:

(a) recognition of the value of the consultative process to promote nature conservation within production enterprises; this should be based on a structure with flexibility with regards to time, convenience and respect for the stakeholders,

(b) assigning landholder representatives to boards and authorities affecting decisions relevant to grass roots membership,

(c) fully acknowledging the level of knowledge and expertise of landholders through a two-way educat~on process,

(d) training in communication and negotiation skills as a major priority for agency representatives and landholders,

(e) keeping stakeholders and community informed of tangible results during and after the completion of projects, and

(f) measuring the success of projects in terms of outcomes acceptable to stakeholders, as opposed to outcomes defined by government.

xii RECOMMENI

PROCESSES AND MECHANISMS 2. Taxation reform

Discussion on this topic examined different approaches among the States toward property management planning. General discussion on a number of specific types of management options lead to the identification of the following issues and recommendations.

1. Property management

The conference recommends that:

(a) nature conservation values be integrated into property management planning (PMP) in Australia,

(b) all PMP exercises should incorporate specific procedures designed to minimise any negative impacts on nature conservation values,

(c) relevant local and regional natural resource information is needed to facilitate the incorporation of nature conservation into PMP and that this be more readily available at the local council level,

(d) at the local level, nature conservation officers be available to provide advice on PMP, and

(e) to ensure effective planning for nature conservation all PMP exer,cises need to be closely linked to integrated regional planning.

2. Commercial ownership rights t o wildlife and native flora

The conference recommends that:

(a) ownership of protected vulnerable or endangered fauna and flora should be vested in the Crown

(b) within legislative mechanisms there should be structures available for situations where better conservation outcomes may be achieved by divesting Crown ownership to landholders.

MATERIAL INCENTIVES

The conference recognised the need for a broad shift away from the current focus on commodity production to a new system which recngnises that management for conservation and land-care be closely integrated with production. The importance of material incentives as tools in facilitating changes in attitudes, knowledge, skills and ultimately behaviours in such a transition was also recognised. In this spirit the conference endorsed the following recommendations:

1. Rating system reform

The conference recommends that:

(a) the Conference of Australian Governments (COAG) revise the valuation systems used to rate land so that land of identified conservation value (including uncleared and rehabilitated lands) not be subject to rates, provided that the lands are subject to binding management agreements, and

(b) the Federal Government reimburse Local Governments for any revenues foregone as a result of this initiative.

The conference recommends that:

(a) the Federal Government revise the taxation rules in ways that will discourage the continuation of land clearing and instead provide positive incentives to all landholders to retain native bush and to actively manage land for environmental conservation, including:

(b) State Governments reform the land tax system by removing provisions for higher tax rates on "undeveloped" land.

3. Encouraging stewardship

The conference recommends that the Federal, State and Local Governments recognize the 'national and community benefits that result from the active management of land for conservation by individuals through:

(a) Payment for conservation management activities, where those activities are in accord with a negotiated conservation action plan.

(b) Reimbursement of management costs associated with land rehabilitation and maintenance of conservation values.

(c) Establishment of appropriate prizes and other awards to recognise and promote a land stewardship ethic amongst landholders and land managers

(d) Resourcing the establishment and operation of independent statutory land conservation trusts such as Trust for Nature, Victoria, thereby enabling the rapid and effective processing of trust applications.

BIODIVERSITY MONITORING

With regard to the monitoring of biodiversity, the conference recommends that:

1. within 12 months, off-reserve conservation programs be reviewed to identify biodiversity performance indicators, how they will be used, and mechanisms for feedback between monitoring and management.

2. a scheme should be funded to train biodiversity technicians from local communities and employ them within catchments to work with land-holders in developing, implementing and interpreting results of monitoring at local and regional levels,

3. . the information derived from monitoring programs should be comparable across catchments and bioregions and publicly accessible via a nation-wide computerised database. This database should be developed within 2 years.

PRODUCTION FORESTRY

The production forestry forum of the Conference met in the context of ongoing discussion on biodiversity conservation amongst policy makers, land managers and the wider community. The forum took these wider discussions as its starting point. It noted that the conservation of biodiversity is internationally recognised

DATIONS xiii

as an essential component of sustainable development. It also noted that, in Australia, biodiversity conservation is an important policy objective of the Commonwealth and all the States andTerritories. In this context, the Conference found that:

All native forests, including those used for wood production, those in agricultural and other private or aboriginal lands, as well as those in National Parks and equivalent conservation reserves have the potential to make an important contribution to conservation;

Permanent conservation reserves such as National Parks have a crucial role to play in the conservation of forest biodiversity and that the utility of the conservation reserve system i s currently being s t rengthened by the Comprehensive Regional Assessment (CRA) program being conducted under the auspices of the National Forest Policy; and

Despite recent additions to the conservation reserve system and the additions that are likely to result from the CRA process, it seems unlikely that the reserve system could ever, by itself, fully conserve forest biodiversity and that, as a result, all native forests need to be deliberately managed to conserve and enhance biodiversity irrespective of their tenure or other management priorities.

The Conference further noted that, irrespective of the tenure in which they are held, all forests are dynamic ecosystems that are subject to change from both internal ecosystem processes such as succession and external agents such as direct human disturbance and climate change. In this context, the Conference found that human disturbance can effect forest biodiversity and that the direction and significance of these effects depend on the scale, intensity and timing of the disturbance and the particular environmental conditions under which the disturbance occurs.

T h e Confe rence noted that cu r ren t sc ient i f ic knowledge about the biodiversit? ofAustralian forests had advanced to the point where it eould provide practical guidance on the identification of priority reservation needs and, in some cases, the specific management requirements of particular species o r areas. However, scientif ic understanding of forest biodiversity is far from complete and the conference found that there were significant information gaps that led to unacceptably high levels of uncertainty about the adequacy of the current and proposed systems of reserves and the efficacy of management practices inside and outside these reserve areas.

6 The Conference also noted that current forest land

management and planning systems in Australia are not sufficiently open and transparent and that, as a result community confidence in existing forest land management and planning systems is limited.

The Conference resolved to call upon all stakeholders inc luding governments , sc ient is ts , environmenta l organisations, the timber and other forest industries, other primary producers, aboriginal people and other landholders

and the wider community to work together to ensure that the conservation potential, as well as the timber extraction and other ecologically sustainable productivity, of all forested lands is recognised and achieved. To this end, the Conference recommended that:

1. Funding forscientific research on the nature, distribution and functioning of forest biodiversity be increased as a matter of urgency to allow more informed forest land allocations and management decisions;

2. All public forests management agencies recognise that monitoring the health of key ecosystems processes inc luding the s t a tus o f biodiversi ty i s a key management responsibility for forest areas under their control or supervision, irrespective of the tenure under which forests are held;

3. The planning and management of all forests be guided by the principles of freedom of information and maximum feasible community involvement;

4. Forest land allocations and planning decisions be informed by comprehensive, publicly available assessments of forest resources and social, economic and environmental impacts; and

5. The environmental performance of all forest land management agencies be regularly audited with independent, third party validation of compliance with the requirements of policy, codes of practice and other aspects of field performance.

INDIGENOUS GROUPS AND NATURE CONSERVATION AGREEMENTS

Indigenous Australian have maintained their traditions and cul ture for over 60,000 years t o protect their environment and to utilise their resources on a sustainable basis a s a way of life, and they continue t o d o so. Recommendations on the recognition of indigenous interests in the management of the natural and cultural resource endowment have been made in two major national inquiries in recent times, the National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development Working Groups (Anon 1991) and the Resource Assessment Commission Coastal Zone Inquiry (Anon 1993). Both National and State governments are called upon to develop measures to implement those recommendations. I t i s noted the Con tempora ry Ind igenous Management involves indigenous agency use of both traditional indigenous ecological knowledge and more recent non-indigenous developed resources management technologies.

In respect to the development of agreements for resource management arrangements with indigenous Australians there are a number of key prerequisites for the negotiation of such arrangement which relate to the conservation of the nation's natural and cultural resources endowment. Many of these principles were discussed I the final statement form indigenous participants in the Indigenous Protected Areas Workshop held in Alice Springs in 1995. Conservation Agreements are one of a number of options available for Indigenous management

xiv RECOMMENI JATIONS

of land and sea country. In respect to the development of such agreements the conference recommends that key prerequisites for the negotiation of these agreements are that:

1. Agreements will only be at the instigation of the appropriate indigenous group. This is a voluntary process.

2. There must be recognition and respect for the native title rights of traditional landowners by all parties.

3. There must be recognition and respect for indigenous values by all parties;

4. There must he a tolerance and understanding of contemporary indigenous lifeways by all parties;

5. There must be an acceptance of indigenous ownership of indigenous intellectual property by all parties.

6. There must he an acknowledgment that indigenous groups must retain the capacity to sustain viable social and economic benefit from their land and marine resource endowment;

7. All parties must avoid stereotyping and judging indigenous identity;

8. There must he mutual trust in representatives chosen by all parties and a commitment to negotiation by those individuals,

9. Arrangements must be made for the provision of appropriate resourcing for the equitable participation of all parties in the negotiation process. There must be a commitment by all parties to the development of their skills in dealing with each other;

10. All such management arrangements will be on a case by case basis between the respective parties. There will be no talk of "models" for such arrangements;

These recommendations in no way are to be interpreted as committing any indigenous group to the negotiation of any such conservation agreements with the Australian government. They are written as a guide to those groups that may think those arrangements are appropriate for their own specific economic and cultural needs. Governments are urged to assist in the development of an open process of negotiation with indigenous sector interests which would include but not be restricted to the outlined principles.

Representatives of indigenous groups at the conference also believe that a process of compensation should be developed for traditional land affected by adverse impacts through the mismanagement of land and marine habitat and attendant resources, and further, where indigenous knowledge and resources are use for commercial gain, negotiated arrangements for remuneration must be made to the parties involved.

CONSERVATION IN URBAN AND INDUSTRIAL LANDS

Parts of the National Strategy for the Conservation of Biodiversity in Australia draw attention to the need for protection of biodiversity of more urbanised areas and relatively common species, as well as the more remote and less disturbed areas of Australia and habitats containing endangered, vulnerable or rare species. Urbanisation in Australia has tended to occur in the more fertile areas of high biodiversity. Since theseurbanisedareas arecharacterisedalso by the high monetary value of the land, conservation outside nature reserves is important in these areas. The conference has heard that these areas are presently very poorly represented in any reserve system and that remnant areas are disappearing rapidly. This conference resolves to:

1. reaffirm the National Biodiversity Strategy's recognition of the importance of urban areas and common species and calls upon governments and nature conservation agencys to provide appropriate, effective measures to address these aspects of biodiversity conservation in partnership with local communities, and

2. commend planning initiatives that recognise conservation values in urban and regional land use planning and that preserve these values by restricting further loss of habitat and by controlling other threatening processes and urges that such initiatives be extended to nature conservation generally.

REFERENCES Anon, 1993. Resource Assessment Comm~ssion Coastal Zone Inquiry.

A.G.P.S, Canberra.

Anon, 1991. Ecologically Sustainable Development Working Groups. Final Report. Fisheries. A.G.P.S., Canberra.