Effectiveness of coastal management
Coasts (2016)
Coastal governance and management
Ineffective Partially effective Effective Very effective
In Grade In Trend
To previous years
Coastal governance and integrated management
Cumulative impacts management
Limited scientific understanding of the impacts of multiple pressures, particularly their interactions.
Year(s):
Confidence (in grade):
Somewhat adequate
Confidence (in trend):
Comparability (to previous reports):
Somewhat comparable
Approach/Process
This assessment summary is the result of consultation with three or more independent subject-matter experts. Each expert was asked to provide scores for the state and trend of the topic, the confidence in their scores, and supporting information to explain their reasoning. Consensus scores were determined after considering responses from all experts in the light of supporting information, and in conjunction with other data sources where they were available.
Data/Information sources
Combined input from three or more independent experts (see Approach/Process above), together with the literature and data sources cited in the report text.
Cumulative impacts and management of multiple uses
Cumulative impacts management has been used in some recent planning frameworks, but only in small proportion of managed areas.
Data on the direct effects of many pressures, and their interactions, is sparse in some areas.
Seldom implemented due to knowledge gaps and lack of resources.
Outputs and outcomes
Implemented in the Great Barrier Reef marine park zone management, though the reef remains in a poor state and is deteriorating.
Assessment Summary Key
Very effective
Elements of management effectiveness and assessment criteria
Description of grade
Managing context (understanding of environmental issues; adequacy of regulatory control mechanisms and policy coverage)
Understanding of context
Decision-makers and environmental managers have a good understanding of:
environmental and socio-economic significance of environmental values, including ecosystem functions and cultural importance
current and emerging threats to values.
Environmental considerations and information have a significant impact on national policy decisions across the broad range of government responsibilities.
Understanding of environmental and cultural systems, and factors affecting them is good for most management issues
Policies and plans are in place that provide clarity on:
objectives for management actions that address major pressures and risks to environmental values
roles and responsibilities for managing environmental issues
operational procedures, and a framework for integration and consistency of planning and management across sectors and jurisdictions.
Effective legislation, policies and plans are in place for addressing all or most significant issues. Policies and plans clearly establish management objectives and operations targeted at major risks. Responsibility for managing issues is clearly and appropriately allocated
Management capacity (adequacy of resources, appropriateness of governance arrangements and efficiency of management processes)
Resources are available to implement plans and policies, including:
Financial and staffing resources are largely adequate to address management issues. Biophysical and socio-economic information is available to inform management decisions
A governance system is in place that provides for:
appropriate stakeholder engagement in decisions and implementation of management activities
adaptive management for longer-term initiatives
transparency and accountability.
Well-designed management systems are being implemented for effective delivery of planned management actions, including clear governance arrangements, appropriate stakeholder engagement, active adaptive management and adequate reporting against goals
Achievements (delivery of expected products, services and impacts)
Management objectives are being met for:
timely delivery of products and services
reduction of current pressures and emerging risks to environmental values.
Management responses are mostly progressing in accordance with planned programs and are achieving their desired objectives. Targeted threats are being demonstrably reduced
Management objectives are being met for improvements to resilience of environmental values.
Resilience of environmental values is being maintained or improving. Values are considered secured against known threats
Understanding of environmental and cultural systems, and factors affecting them is generally good, but there is some variability across management issues
Effective legislation, policies and plans are in place, and management responsibilities are allocated appropriately, for addressing many significant issues. Policies and plans clearly establish management objectives and priorities for addressing major risks, but may not specify implementation procedures
Financial and staffing resources are mostly adequate to address management issues, but may not be secure. Biophysical and socio-economic information is available to inform decisions, although there may be deficiencies in some areas
Well-designed management systems are in place, but are not yet being fully implemented
Management responses are mostly progressing in accordance with planned programs and are achieving their desired objectives. Targeted threats are understood, and measures are in place to manage them
Resilience of environmental values is improving, but threats remain as significant factors affecting environmental systems
Partially effective
Understanding of environmental and cultural systems, and factors affecting them is only fair for most management issues
Legislation, policies and planning systems are deficient, and/or there is lack of clarity about who has management responsibility, for several significant issues
Financial and staffing resources are unable to address management issues in some important areas. Biophysical and socio-economic information is available to inform management decisions, although there are significant deficiencies in some areas
Management systems provide some guidance, but are not consistently delivering on implementation of management actions, stakeholder engagement, adaptive management or reporting
Management responses are progressing and showing signs of achieving some objectives. Targeted threats are understood, and measures are being developed to manage them
The expected impacts of management measures on improving resilience of environmental values are yet to be seen. Managed threats remain as significant factors influencing environmental systems
Understanding of environmental and cultural systems, and factors affecting them is poor for most management issues
Legislation, policies and planning systems have not been developed to address significant issues
Financial and staffing resources are unable to address management issues in many areas. Biophysical and socio-economic information to support decisions is deficient in many areas
Adequate management systems are not in place. Lack of consistency and integration of management activities across jurisdictions is a problem for many issues
Management responses are either not progressing in accordance with planned programs (significant delays or incomplete actions) or the actions undertaken are not achieving their objectives. Threats are not actively being addressed
Resilience of environmental values is still low or continuing to decline. Unmitigated threats remain as significant factors influencing environmental systems
Deteriorating
Unclear
Adequate: Adequate high-quality evidence and high level of consensus
Somewhat adequate: Adequate high-quality evidence or high level of consensus
Limited: Limited evidence or limited consensus
Very limited: Limited evidence and limited consensus
Low: Evidence and consensus too low to make an assessment
Comparable: Grade and trend are comparable to the previous assessment
Somewhat comparable: Grade and trend are somewhat comparable to the previous assessment
Not comparable: Grade and trend are not comparable to the previous assessment
Not previously assessed
Clark GF, Johnston EL (2016). Coasts: Effectiveness of coastal management . In: Australia state of the environment 2016, Australian Government Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra, https://soe.environment.gov.au/assessment-summary/coasts/effectiveness-coastal-management, DOI 10.4226/94/58b659bdc758b
Comparability of this Assessment Summary
The Coasts theme did not include any assessment summaries in 2011. The effectiveness of management assessments can be considered to be somewhat comparable to parts of the 2011 Effectiveness of marine management assessment summary.
Dr Graeme Clark
Professor Emma Johnston