Under state legislation, the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council (VEAC) is charged with providing advice to government regarding the use of public land, with public consultation a key component of the process. The Victorian government accepted VEAC’s clear, evidence-based recommendations that domestic stock grazing not be permitted on public land along the Ovens River; that a collaborative approach be undertaken with land holders and natural resource agencies to remove stock grazing and develop practical solutions for fencing issues; and that the land along the lower Ovens River be gazetted as National Park. A range of other statutes also facilitated the removal of grazing.

Life systems are connected across geo-political and social boundaries. The Beach Co-op works within a global understanding of environmental and social opportunities and challenges but acts at the local and national level to address them.

In recent times, a participatory research programme led by the private partner has been working towards allowing the new heritage authority to promote a genuine values-based and participatory heritage management. Understanding heritage in terms of who assigns just what importance can inform site conservation and improve the management of change in the wider landscape. Diverse perceptions of, and relationships with, the World Heritage property and other heritage have been mapped, and this has allowed previously neglected connections and interdependencies to emerge.

The initiative also works to identify capacity within civil society, institutions and among local heritage specialists to contribute to heritage agendas and so steps beyond classic cultural mapping to understand what triggers positive change in a broad local network.

The first tangible results emerging are geo-referenced tools aimed at improving decision-making regarding change and continuity and harnessing local capacities in the process. The overarching aim is that of capturing the full potential of heritage’s contribution to sustainable development in this difficult and complex area.

The nature of Herculaneum’s burial 2000 years ago meant that open-air excavation in the early 20th c. revealed an extraordinary level of preservation of the Roman town but had to be accompanied by the stabilization of these multistorey ruins, and the reinstatement of roads and drainage systems. The site today requires conservation of the archaeological fabric but also of these aging restoration interventions, and at an urban scale.

However, efforts at Herculaneum in the late 20th c. approached the site as a series of individual elements. This was partly due to limited access to interdisciplinary expertise and steady funding sources – sporadic capital funding for one-off localised projects predominated.

With the turn of the millennium, a new approach was taken that mapped conservation issues and interdependencies between them across the entire site, and acted on them. Initial efforts focused on resolving situations in areas at risk of collapse or with vulnerable decorative features. Over time the focus shifted to long-term strategies for reducing the causes of decay and developing site-wide maintenance cycles sustainable by the public authority alone so that the site would not revert back. With these now entirely sustained by the public partner the overarching objective has been achieved.

Each year, Save The Waves accepts one new World Surfing Reserve from surf communities all around the world. The application process requires significant work from local communities and their inquiry is based on the following core criteria: 

1) Quality and consistency of the wave(s);

2) Important environmental characteristics;

3) Culture and surf history;

4) Governance capacity and local support;

5) Priority Conservation Area

Each application is reviewed by an indepedent Vision Council made up of professionals in the conservation, business, nonprofit, and surf fields. Once the World Surfing Reserve is selected based on the rigorous criteria, they undergo the Stewardship Planning Process and the other building blocks to formally dedicate the World Surfing Reserve.

A Local Stewardship Council (LSC) is the main representative of a World Surfing Reserve and is in charge of implementing the Local Stewardship Plan. The LSC works together with Save The Waves Coalition to Protect, Steward, and Defend their surf ecosystem.

LSC members work on the ground and with the local community to carry out activities that result in the long-term conservation of the reserve as well as celebrate and honor the tradition of surfing and ocean recreation.  The Stewardship Planning Process brings together the LSC and important community members to map out the the critical threats to the region and come up with long term goals and objectives for permanent protection.  

The Stewardship Planning Process generally follows the outline in "Measures of Success" that includes building a Conceptual Model, developing a management plan that identifies goals, objectives, actions and timelines based on the threats to address.

The tubular nets technology was co-designed with women producers themselves to ensure it was adapted to their needs and became theirs.

Several tests were necessary to determine the optimal length of the nets (15m instead of 30m), and how to harvest them (opening them to remove the seaweed instead of cutting the seaweed outgrowth). This ensured the nets were adapted to the women's needs. 

In 2020, CORAL and the Polo’s Water Board commissioned a third-party consultant to assess the WWTP's performance and necessary improvements. Identifying improvement areas to achieve continued compliance with high water quality standards and a wastewater treatment capacity for the projected population growth of the greater West End area and its tourism industry until the year 2040.

The result is an investment gap of approximately USD 300,000.00. However, phased investment is considered in the fundraising strategy.

Projected Investments (currently in fundraising stage)

By 2022: Replacements in the aeration system, going from aerator pumps to a fine bubble diffuser system.  

By 2030: Addition of a new anoxic tank for denitrification.

By 2040: Addition of a new decanter and mechanical sludge dehydrator. 

The projection for 2040 is based on population growth/requirements as a tourist destination/compliance with national & international water quality regulations). The estimated average daily flow will be 612 m3/day. 

Partnership in the recycling industry enhances success in the business. Arena's recycling industry duty is to collect plastic wastes as raw materials which is why they have been able to enter into a partnership with Coca-Cola because they have common goals and interests. Coca-Cola is producing a lot of plastic packaging items which are raw materials for Arena. Likewise, Arena is in the process of establishing collaboration with all the companies that produce plastic products. The aim is to enter into an agreement that all the garbage produced at any of their events must come to Arena.

A diagnostic and reflexive approach on values, knowledge and expectations at individual level is a useful baseline to prepare the group interactions and to balance representativeness and synergies in pluralistic settings