Book Chapter
Compromising science for regulatory compliance: a case study of confounding conservation policy
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Published:2004
Citation
Paul Meek, 2004. "Compromising science for regulatory compliance: a case study of confounding conservation policy", Conservation of Australia's Forest Fauna, Daniel Lunney
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Balancing the needs of conservation, industry and policy (regulation) is laden with complications for land managers and legal professionals. Designing legislation, a rigid system, to manage natural systems, which are in constant flux, imposes conflicting demands and can lead to unexpected and not always desirable outcomes for land management and conservation. In some cases, legislation that is designed to protect biodiversity can create a confounding outcome and may contribute by its implementation, as a threatening process or create an inadequate conservation result. This chapter outlines some of the difficulties of trying to balance conservation in a legislative framework using the Integrated Forestry Operations Approvals (IFOA) Threatened Species Licence (TSL) process in NSW. Several problems have arisen since the implementation of the IFOA TSL that need to be resolved to improve forest management. Habitat models which underpin the requirements of the TSL need refining, management emphasis needs to shift from records-based to landscape - community level and survey requirements need adjustment to improve conservation outcomes. A considerable number of improvements are required to the TSL to deliver the best conservation outcome for flora and fauna in New South Wales
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