Author(s)

J.A.WILLIAMS, R.J.S. BEETON & G.T. MCDONALD

Abstract

The complexity of natural resource management (NRM), which is socially an evolving ‘discipline of disciplines’, creates challenges for society. With the continual degradation of the natural resource base it can be hypothesised that the past and present approaches to NRM in Australia have failed. NRM is recognised in the 21st century as having assumed importance as a development strategy because of the claims that it can contribute towards sustainable livelihoods; thus NRM has two facets: the natural resource base and the institutional arrangements required to maintain this base. Australia is presently going through a transformation with the evolution of a regional NRM systems approach. This paper reports a hypothesised model of a sustainable regional NRM system for Australia.

Keywords

key elements, model, success attributes, sustainable regional NRM system