Planning for ecologically sustainable development in northern Australia

As development and investment interest grow, there is an urgent need to ensure economic activity supports regional and community wellbeing while safeguarding the environment and cultural values. Currently, however, development decisions are often made without taking a holistic view of the region, failing to integrate all social, economic, environmental, and cultural considerations.

This project examined how sustainable development in northern Australia can be enhanced by improved regional and local planning, integrating robust knowledge. This process has been supported by a deep analysis of how the planning and development approval system works within the north. It aimed to identify priority improvements in this system that could achieve sustainable and inclusive growth while also protecting catchments, coasts, and communities. The research specifically focused on three sentinel case studies, using a Governance System Analysis Method and deep stakeholder engagement to identify systemic problems and possible solutions to planning and development assessment: 1) the Gilbert River catchment (Queensland); 2) the Douglas-Daly region (Northern Territory); and 3) the Pilbara Region (Western Australia). The project also established and engaged a new Northern Australian Regional Planning Community of Practice around these issues.

Approach and findings

Synthesis report: Pathways for the Northern Development Refresh

To bring together the findings from this research, the project included a detailed research synthesis that drew on lessons from over seven years of strategic research on these issues in northern development. The report identifies key strengths and weaknesses within the current northern Australian policy and program framework with a view to creating a more sustainable and inclusive investment pipeline across the north. The synthesis report proposes 27 targeted recommendations that focus on enhancing the region’s economic future while addressing social, cultural and environmental challenges.

Key findings included the importance of research and development capacity being retained in the north, the need for major public sector investment in enabling infrastructure, broader financial brokerage approaches, and early and inclusive planning. The synthesis report also highlighted the value of integrating Indigenous knowledge and aspirations into planning and assessment processes, as well as the importance of place-based partnerships.

Gilbert River catchment (Queensland)

In the Gilbert River catchment, the project collaborated with stakeholders to identify strategies for enhancing regional planning and environmental assessments in this important Queensland region. Two key outputs were produced:

1. an analysis report outlining findings across 21 identified planning and assessment sub-domains, and
2. a solutions report proposing practical responses to priority challenges in the catchment.

The analysis report examined the complex issues affecting current decision-making, highlighting tensions between conservation and development. It showed the need for a more regionalised, inclusive, and evidence-based approach to planning, development assessment, and conservation investment. Building on these insights, the solutions report recommends the application of new mapping and facilitative approaches to help develop cross-governmental and regional consensus about appropriate development models. It also highlights the importance of building long-term local institutional capacity to support the development of ecosystem service markets and offset management, enabling landscape-scale conservation outcomes.

Douglas-Daly region (Northern Territory)

The project also explored planning and development assessment challenges in the Douglas-Daly region, an area of great economic opportunities that is under increasing agricultural development pressure. The analysis report offers an in-depth examination of weaknesses within the existing system of regional planning and development assessment. It identified conflicting visions in the region between a strong industry desire to expand production levels and to take full advantage of available water resources, and concerns about protecting the region’s high biodiversity and cultural values, as well as progressing the aspirations of Traditional Owners.

The accompanying solutions report sets out priorities to strengthen planning and development decision-making in the Douglas-Daly region. It recommends regionally-based approaches to build cross-government and local consensus on development models, ground-truthing these models to support evidence-based trade-off analysis, and integrating bioregional and water planning. The report also highlights the need to grow long-term local institutional capacity to support sustainable industries and conservation outcomes, including through ecosystem service markets and offsets. These steps aim to support ecologically sustainable development and long-term regional prosperity.

Pilbara region (Western Australia)

The third sentinel case study, focused on the Pilbara region in Western Australia, continues to be developed and progressed in partnership with the region. The analysis and solutions reports for this region can be requested from the project leader, Professor Allan Dale.

Outcomes

Overall, this project provides a practical roadmap for improving ecologically sustainable development planning and development assessment across northern Australia, using three sentinel case studies. It offers guidance on how to integrate environmental protection, community values, cultural preservation, and long-term economic goals into planning and assessment processes.

Strengthening regional-scale planning and development assessment systems should lead to better development outcomes while protecting vital ecosystems and cultural values. This supports local communities and Traditional Owners across the region.

The project’s continuing Community of Practice for northern Australia also helped bring together a wide range of regional stakeholders.

In thinking about the implications of this project, it remains important that, sustainable development in northern Australia, at the regional or catchment scale, reflects the integrated delivery of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) and Australia’s legislative commitment to Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD).

Project location