NRM FRAMEWORK

The Peel-Harvey Catchment Council is a non statutory, community based NRM group with an aim to assist in the integration and co-ordination of NRM in the Peel-Harvey Catchment.  Following the signing of the National Heritage Trust (NHT) Bilateral Agreements in December 2002 the Peel-Harvey Catchment Council is now considered to be one of six sub-regions within the South West NRM Region and a sub-regional group of the South West Catchments Council (www.swcatchmentscouncil.com).  The other sub-regions include the Blackwood, Cape to Cape, Geographe, Leschenault and Warren Catchments. 

The South West Catchments Council operates within an Australia-wide framework for regional natural resource management. The Australian and Western Australian Governments have formalised a commitment to work with regional communities to manage natural resources in a way that integrates social, economic and environmental considerations.

The SWCC, with the support of the Australian Government, through the Natural Heritage Trust (NHT) has developed a Regional NRM Strategy. This strategy with the accompanying Investment Plans provides a ‘road map’ to show potential partners how their investment is going to target priorities and deliver resource condition change within the South West Region. The South West Regional Investment plan 2005/06 and South West Regional Investment plan 2006/08 (when approved by Ministers) will provide a targeted framework for funds from the NHT Extension program and the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality.

The South West Catchments Council has a formal Partnership Agreement with the Government of Western Australia to deliver maximum public benefits from the NRM framework. The agreement with SWCC was the first of its kind in WA (Statement of Agreement and Cooperation SWCC 2000).

The South West region includes all or part of 33 local government authority areas and local government has an important role in promoting and delivering more effective NRM within the region.  (Adapted from the SWCC website www.swcatchmentscouncil.com)

The following diagram, taken from Pannell et al 2004, ‘Catchment management bodies in four Australian states: structures, legislation, and relationships to Government agencies’ represents the overarching WA State Government framework under which the SWCC and subsequently the PHCC (as a sub-regional group) operates.

View Structure of CMB Arrangements in Western Australia»