sis - P ly o li a c n y A - - 4HE5NIVERSITYOF3YDNEY 0LANNING2ESEARCH#ENTRE I n n f o o r m a t i Meeting the Sea Change Challenge: Best Practice Models of Local & Regional Planning for Sea Change Communities Dr Nicole Gurran Caroline Squires Professor Edward J Blakely Report No. 2 for the NATIONAL SEA CHANGE TASKFORCE January 2006 Table of Contents Executive Summary................................................................................................................................................. i The Sea Change Challenge............................................................................................................................... i Meeting the Sea Change Challenge: Tools for Policy Makers and Planners ................................................. vi 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 The Sea Change Challenge ...................................................................................................................2 1.2 The National Sea Change Taskforce .....................................................................................................3 1.3 A Typology of Coastal Communities ......................................................................................................3 1.4 Aims and Research Methodology...........................................................................................................4 1.5 Best Practice ...........................................................................................................................................5 1.6 Structure of the Report............................................................................................................................5 2 Governance..................................................................................................................................................... 6 2.1 The Challenges.......................................................................................................................................6 2.2 Best Practice Principles and Strategic Responses ................................................................................8 2.3 Innovative and Best Practice Examples ...............................................................................................10 3 Environment ................................................................................................................................................. 15 3.1 The Challenges.....................................................................................................................................15 3.2 Best Practice Principles and Strategic Responses ..............................................................................16 3.3 Innovative and Best Practice Examples ...............................................................................................20 4 Community Wellbeing ................................................................................................................................. 24 4.1 The Challenges.....................................................................................................................................24 4.2 Best Practice Principles and Strategic Responses ..............................................................................26 4.3 Innovative and Best Practice Examples ...............................................................................................29 5 Economy and Tourism ................................................................................................................................ 34 5.1 The Challenges.....................................................................................................................................34 5.2 Best Practice Principles and Strategic Responses ..............................................................................35 5.3 Innovative and Best Practice Examples ...............................................................................................42 6 Infrastructure................................................................................................................................................ 46 6.1 The Challenges.....................................................................................................................................46 6.2 Best Practice Principles and Strategic Responses ..............................................................................47 6.3 Innovative and Best Practice Examples ...............................................................................................51 Meeting the Sea Change Challenge: Best Practice Models of Local and Regional Planning for Sea Change Communities i 7 Meeting the Sea Change Challenge: Tools for Policy Makers and Planners ...................................... 55 7.1 Tool Kit of Policy and Planning Options ...............................................................................................55 7.2 A Supportive Framework for Implementation.......................................................................................61 7.3 Priorities for Further Research and Policy Development.....................................................................61 8 References.................................................................................................................................................... 62 Appendices Appendix 1 – Best Practice Examples and Further Information Appendix 2 – National Sea Change Taskforce Participating Local Government Areas Tables Table 7.1: Key Challenges and Responses Meeting the Sea Change Challenge: Best Practice Models of Local and Regional Planning for Sea Change Communities ii Executive Summary This is the second report for the National Sea Change Taskforce. The first report by the Planning Research Centre, Meeting the Sea Change Challenge: Sea Change Communities in Coastal Australia (March 2005), identified the key social, economic, and environmental planning issues facing coastal sea change communities in Australia, and reviewed current responses to these issues (Gurran et al 2005). This report documents the range of governance, environmental, community, economic, and infrastructure challenges affecting “sea change” councils in Australia and internationally, and identifies best practice in addressing these issues. It has been prepared for the National Sea Change Taskforce, which includes over 60 local government areas in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia. The research contained in this report forms part of a broader study being conducted by the Planning Research Centre at the University of Sydney, in partnership with Australian coastal communities represented by the National Sea Change Taskforce. Meeting the Sea Change Challenge was reported widely in the national media and referred to in the recent NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into Infrastructure Provision in Coastal Growth Areas. This report builds on the earlier research and has three main objectives: • To identify best practice principles for responding to the governance, environmental, community, economic, and infrastructure needs of non-metropolitan coastal communities in Australia affected by the sea change phenomenon; • To identify actual examples of national and international best practice in planning for rapid growth and change within highly environmentally sensitive contexts analogous to non-metropolitan coastal Australia; and, • To define a set of tools and planning options suitable for implementation within the various types of sea change communities in Australia. The research included three steps: (1) a review of international literature on the environmental, social, economic, and governance challenges associated with migration to high amenity destinations; (2) identifying best practice responses to these challenges, through an analysis of the literature and through discussion with practitioners working in sea change communities of Australia; and, (3) identifying actual examples of innovative or best practice suitable for implementation within sea change communities in Australia. The Sea Change Challenge Sections 1-5 of the report highlight the specific challenges associated with rapid population growth in high amenity and non metropolitan coastal areas, referring to five key themes: governance, environment, community wellbeing, economy and tourism, and infrastructure. “Best practice” principles and strategies to respond to these challenges are then identified, followed by examples that have been implemented in sea change communities. Governance - Best Practice Principles and Strategic Responses Systems of governance for coastal areas of Australia should: • Integrate social, economic, and environmental considerations at local and regional levels, consistent with the goals of Integrated Coastal Zone Management; • Provide for cross agency collaboration, between different levels of government and across administrative boundaries; • Engage the community and private sectors; and, • Apply the principle of “subsidiarity” – that is, that higher levels of government should not take responsibility for matters able to be addressed by lower levels of government, but rather, should fully support and enable lower levels of government, particularly local government, to adopt these roles. Meeting the Sea Change