The state government provided $4.5 million for a four-year program to remove grazing from Warby-Ovens National Park and the other Red Gum parks. Licensees were offered $8 per metre for fencing and $3000 per kilometre to install off-stream water for stock where a license included river frontage. Participation in the rebate scheme was voluntary as was fencing in a practical alignment rather than on property boundaries. Funding and technical support was provided to identify legal boundaries. A long phase-out schedule was developed that recognised the significant impact to licensees and their families.
Farmers grazing illegally (i.e. not holding a grazing license) were not funded and faced compliance action if they did not comply with the changes. Many kilometres of unwanted fencing associated with past grazing practices was also removed as part of the program. In some cases, metal bollards replaced the barbed wire fences allowing native animal movement while preventing illegal vehicle access, rubbish dumping and firewood removal.
· The complexity of the program was acknowledged early and a flexible adaptive approach was taken to deal with assets constructed on public land e.g. a house built on crown land was excised from the park.
· As much as possible, the location of park boundary fencing considered ‘practical boundaries’ with boundary markers used to identify actual boundaries.
· The removal of internal, unwanted fences acted as a deterrent to those graziers who continued to allow their stock to enter the park illegally.
· Park neighbours were generally willing to negotiate to achieve sensible outcomes. While the majority of park neighbours disagreed with the phase-out of grazing, most gave up freehold land (typically 5 - 10 hectares) to enable boundary fencing to be erected above flood zones and ensure its longevity.
· Complex land use changes take substantial time and negotiation to work through issues and impacts. It was important to allow a sufficient period to enable graziers to be able to modify their farming enterprises. This was especially the case for farmers with smaller landholdings that relied more heavily on Crown land for their income.
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.
VEAC’s review of land use was a participatory process, occurring over multiple years. This resulted in social licence and acceptance of the process.
There was strong community engagement in the process with over 9,000 submissions received (for the entire River Red Gum footprint (296,000 ha of Crown land across a total area of 1.2 million ha).
The existence of VEAC as a Government-supported public land use arbitrator led to the creation of the park and supported improved land management practices (including removal of grazing).
It’s important to inform community of land use changes and commence engagement processes as soon as possible.
Working with and for communities in beach clean-ups as well as mobilizing community members to be agents of change as well as enhancing the capacities of members in dirty dozen methodology
Young people being the heart of sustainable development must be capacitated and supported to be the best version of themselves and make the change they want to see
Amplifying the work of community members in the media has enabled build confidence and urgency among young people to be the push of beach clean-ups as well as an educational awareness campaign
Engaging community members as researchers in plastic waste management data collection has strengthened participatory development as well as cascaded knowledge pf plastics to community members
Invest in community structures and work from bottom-up approaches as well as working with community structures to mainstream sustainable plastic waste management as well as beach clean-ups
Work with brands to come up with an alternative to plastic packaging as well providing technical assistance to companies to transition.
People learn best through meaningful and fun experiences linked to evidence-based information that supports them to take action on plastic waste beach management.
Young people being the heart of sustainable development must be capacitated and supported to be the best version of themselves and make the change they want to see
Development of a mobile application to assist in beach clean-up to ensure that marine plastics have been removed from beaches in the cape of South Africa.
Pioneering the dirty dozen clean methodology to streamline monitoring and evaluation of marine plastic litter as well developing strategies in conducting beach clean-ups
Enhance the capacities of community members to be agents of change by empowering them with tools, knowledge, and resources to become change agents
A multidisciplinary approach must be employed when dealing with hardliners to ensure they are won over or facilitated to have a paradigm shift on the transition to a circular economy
Outreach and awareness are paramount to reach people with the right messages on streamlining circularity, upcycling on the development
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.
Creating partnerships that scale the impact of dirty dozen work. Through partnerships, The Beach Co-op have deepened the relationship with existing partners and formed 14 new partners within the last two years
Conducting immersive workshops have helped strengthened our collaboration as well as cascaded the methodology for usage and application by other organization
Holding trash bashes, regular beach clean-ups have helped our partners own the journey of cleaning beaches as well as integrating methodological monitoring of plastic waste on beaches
