Towards an effective governance of coastal areas

Resumen

A case study on coastal planning and management in Australia was selected to undertake an analysis of governance problems and/or solutions. The case study is the Augusta-Margaret River Shire1 in the southwest coast of Western Australia located at 290 km from Perth, the State capital. This case study has been selected from a series entitled ?Case Studies from Coastal Councils? presented by the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA). The case study of Augusta-Margaret River was written in 2005 (Trail J., 2005). In order to update it, local authorities were contacted who kindly provided additional documentation as well as very valuable comments. In parallel, a review of the latest documentation from public sources was undertaken. All information presented in this paper is in the public domain. Useful contacts are included in the footnotes and the reference material. The objective of the paper is to review and analyze the case study on the basis of a conceptual model used for governance studies (Olsen, S.B., Page, G., Ochoa, 2009). This model has been applied in the study of governance in different countries. The model allows for the examination and integrated analysis of the main sources/mechanisms of governance (market, government and civil society) and the interrelationships between them. The model also allows for the review of governance responses to different human interventions along a sequence of time (past-present), and whether they have produce positive or negative impacts. The paper is divided into four parts (See ?Paper?s Road Map? in Annex 1. Part I presents a summary version of the case study as well as a chronology of events associated to coastal management in the Augusta Margaret River Shire through time. On the basis of this information an analysis of the trajectory of change is undertaken. Part II presents a brief review of the conceptual model. Special attention is given to the objectives and benefits of the model as well as its key features, particularly why it is based on the analysis of the past (trajectory of change) as the basis to build up future scenarios, as well as the assessment of governance responses to ecosystem changes through time. The discussion also includes the ?how to?, of measuring the governance process and outcomes. Part III focuses on the analysis of the main sources and mechanisms of governance (government, market and civil society) in Augusta Margaret River. To set the stage for analysis, an due to the complexity of the planning system in Australia, an overview of Australia?s three-tier coastal management system is provided, in order to facilitate the analysis of governance issues within this unique planning scenario. Part III discusses and reflects on the most critical governance issues, weather they are rooted in the government, the market or the civil society, that affect and had affected Augusta-Margaret River Shire through time. Part IV reflects on the applicability and uniqueness of this case study as well as the predominance of different sources of governance, It also discuss the degree of integration in the responses of the governance system and the existence of the necessary pre-conditions for implementation of a plan of action directed to the effective governance of the coastal areas.