Integrated Catchment Management in northern Australia : From concept to implementation

In 1990, the Queensland Government initiated an Integrated Catchment Management (ICM) program in response to community concerns about the sustainability of the statesʹ natural resources. This paper outlines the characteristics of this new policy approach and reviews the progress of ICM implementation in the Johnstone River catchment (JRC) on the wet tropical coast (WTC) of Queensland. Conceptual and process aspects of ICM are detailed and the technical, economic and institutional environment in which ICM operates in the JRC are discussed. Mechanisms are presented to facilitate the implementation of the institutional and individual change required to translate the ICM philosophy and its associated planning activities into meaningful outcomes for stakeholders.