CHAPTER 6 . Coastal Environmental Management in Southeast Australia:The Roles of Ecology
123
the New South Wales Environment Protection Authority (NSW Department of Education 1997), rather than any of the readily available mainstream scientific literature
on the topic.
6. Where adequate information exists so that a desired progranIme of environmental
management can be predicted to be successful, the scientific components should be
reviewed by appropriate experts. This requires more honesty and openness by decision-makers to recognize that they are rarely, if ever, in possession of all the relevant expertize, that a highly desirable project is not necessarily based on the appropriate scientific foundations and that external critical appraisal of proposals and
outcomes of projects is the norm in science. Such review would increase the longterm worth of all scales of environmental management.
Abc)ve all, planning and management in the face of uncertainty (Lee 1993) and variability is complex, coastal environments require more commitment by managers, scientists and local community groups to the ideal that environmental well-being is more
important than shorter-term goals and political struggles.
This is not a new message. It is a well-worn one. For the coastal regions of southeastern Australia, it is a critical and urgent one. Experience in other parts of the world
suggests that there are different models, different mixes of policy and different ways
of reaching outcomes. For example, uncertainty in the United States is open, but can
become a weapon in the arsenal of legal challenges to decision-making. In contrast, in
Europe, scientific uncertainty tends to lead to less open, but potentially more effective
discussions among dissenting experts (Klapp 1992). Neither seems to be the way forward in Australia. Uncertainty about scientific issues exists as in all other parts of the
world. Added to it, however, is greater apparent uncertainty because many current environmental programmes determinedly ignore available scientific knowledge - making it seem that less is known. In consequence, decision-makers act in greater potential ignorance than is necessary, individual projects do not receive sensible advice to
help them increase their success, catchment managers have completely inappropriate
or unskilled technical advisers and the long-term ideals of environmental improvement are not achieved with maximal effectiveness.
It may not be too late to improve the situation, but hope and optimism are not welldocumented as a basis for firm, scientific predictions. What can be predicted confidently ~s that, without increased incorporation of appropriate information, expertize
and education, our coastal environments will continue to wither, despite increasingly
expensive management.
Acknowledgements
The preparation of this paper was supported by grants from the Australian Research
Council and the Centre for Research on Ecological Impacts of Coastal Cities. We thank
Vanessa Mathews and Jenny Beckett for help with preparation of the paper and
Dr. D. Roberts (Wyong Council), Mr. S. Illeck (Bicentennial Park), Project Aware on the
Rocks (Pittwater Council), Project Anchor (the Boating Industry and Marinas Associations of Australia), the Olympic Coordination Authority and Ocean Rescue 2000
(Federal Department of Environment, Sport and Territories) for opportunities to be
involved in environmental management where relevant science was needed and wanted.
123
the New South Wales Environment Protection Authority (NSW Department of Education 1997), rather than any of the readily available mainstream scientific literature
on the topic.
6. Where adequate information exists so that a desired progranIme of environmental
management can be predicted to be successful, the scientific components should be
reviewed by appropriate experts. This requires more honesty and openness by decision-makers to recognize that they are rarely, if ever, in possession of all the relevant expertize, that a highly desirable project is not necessarily based on the appropriate scientific foundations and that external critical appraisal of proposals and
outcomes of projects is the norm in science. Such review would increase the longterm worth of all scales of environmental management.
Abc)ve all, planning and management in the face of uncertainty (Lee 1993) and variability is complex, coastal environments require more commitment by managers, scientists and local community groups to the ideal that environmental well-being is more
important than shorter-term goals and political struggles.
This is not a new message. It is a well-worn one. For the coastal regions of southeastern Australia, it is a critical and urgent one. Experience in other parts of the world
suggests that there are different models, different mixes of policy and different ways
of reaching outcomes. For example, uncertainty in the United States is open, but can
become a weapon in the arsenal of legal challenges to decision-making. In contrast, in
Europe, scientific uncertainty tends to lead to less open, but potentially more effective
discussions among dissenting experts (Klapp 1992). Neither seems to be the way forward in Australia. Uncertainty about scientific issues exists as in all other parts of the
world. Added to it, however, is greater apparent uncertainty because many current environmental programmes determinedly ignore available scientific knowledge - making it seem that less is known. In consequence, decision-makers act in greater potential ignorance than is necessary, individual projects do not receive sensible advice to
help them increase their success, catchment managers have completely inappropriate
or unskilled technical advisers and the long-term ideals of environmental improvement are not achieved with maximal effectiveness.
It may not be too late to improve the situation, but hope and optimism are not welldocumented as a basis for firm, scientific predictions. What can be predicted confidently ~s that, without increased incorporation of appropriate information, expertize
and education, our coastal environments will continue to wither, despite increasingly
expensive management.
Acknowledgements
The preparation of this paper was supported by grants from the Australian Research
Council and the Centre for Research on Ecological Impacts of Coastal Cities. We thank
Vanessa Mathews and Jenny Beckett for help with preparation of the paper and
Dr. D. Roberts (Wyong Council), Mr. S. Illeck (Bicentennial Park), Project Aware on the
Rocks (Pittwater Council), Project Anchor (the Boating Industry and Marinas Associations of Australia), the Olympic Coordination Authority and Ocean Rescue 2000
(Federal Department of Environment, Sport and Territories) for opportunities to be
involved in environmental management where relevant science was needed and wanted.