Place-based collaborative governance: The potential influence of governments

摘要

Governments seeking to implement state/territory-wide or national agendas and policies can impose (un)intended impacts and consequences on self-managed community-led collaborative governance initiatives by which people attempt to solve place-based environmental and resource problems. The impacts of government actions and changes to policy, funding targets and criteria, and local government reform on emergent place-based and self-managed community collaborative governance initiatives can be significant in relation to longevity and ongoing achievement of beneficial environmental outcomes. Such outcomes are irrespective of whether place-based initiatives are considered to emerge in the shadow of government or independent of central government. This article establishes that place-based self-managed community-led collaborative governance initiatives are not immune to the influences and consequences of state/territorial and/or federal government decisions and actions, be those through the development of environmental regulations and policies that direct actions and/or set targets for policy outcomes; the provision of funding to be administered according to set criteria; or, at state/territory government levels, forced local government amalgamations. Discussion about these issues is positioned in relation to a successful place-based community-led collaborative water governance initiative known as the Clarence Floodplain Project (CFP) in northern New South Wales, Australia. The experience of the CFP suggests that state/territory and/or federal government decisions and actions may result in (un)intended negative as well as positive impacts on place-based community-led collaborative governance initiatives. Although the CFP was impacted by government actions, its success also highlights the importance of place-based approaches to natural resource management and governance.