رویکرد همکاری برای مقابله با اثرات تجمعی از تخلیه آب معدن : مذاکره مشارکت آبراه بین بخشی در حوزه بوون، استرالیا

The social and environmental impacts of rapidly expanding coal and gas industries have generated high levels of public concern and there is increasing evidence of cumulative impacts. In the Bowen Basin of Queensland (Australia) water quality issues have triggered a collaborative response to coordinate monitoring efforts, integrate data and information and undertake regional analysis to inform landscape-scale management. Collaborative governance is promoted as a response to complex environmental problems, such as cumulative impacts. However, application of this approach to the resources and energy sectors remains a significant research gap. This paper reports the results of action research in the 2 years taken to negotiate the establishment of collaborative governance arrangements to address mine-water discharge impacts in the Bowen Basin. The long establishment phase has been required to refine objectives, build trust, develop governance mechanisms and secure resourcing commitments. The partnership established involves more than 20 organisations including regulators, resources and energy companies, agricultural industries and research organisations. The breadth of participating sectors is a significant innovation, but also represents a major challenge in establishing this model of regional environmental governance. Promising strategies adopted to manage these tensions have included neutral brokerage, facilitative leadership, establishing legitimacy of the collaboration and credibility of its reports. The case study provides a cautionary tale of the pursuit of the promise of ‘everyone working together’ to address cumulative impacts. Policy implications include the need for extended commitment and integration of collaborative and other responses.

Coal and gas industries are undergoing substantial expansion in Australia and internationally (Measham et al., 2013). Cumulative environmental impacts are likely to arise with multiple developments and competing land uses. Cumulative impacts are more complex and uncertain than single issue or single site environmental management problems (Franks et al., 2010a and Franks et al., 2010b). In recent decades, collaborative approaches to waterway management have provided a mechanism for multiple stakeholders to plan and coordinate responses. A rich literature on collaboration provides some guidance on the challenges and benefits of such an approach (Forester, 2012 and Huxham and Vangen, 2005). Experience of collaborative governance models within the resources sector is, however, limited. This research aims to explore the application of regional collaborative governance models to manage the cumulative impacts of resource industries. Are collaborative responses appropriate in this context? How can collaborative approaches be brokered, and what limits their effectiveness? These questions are explored through a single case study of an innovative regional model that has emerged in the Bowen Basin of Queensland, Australia. The Fitzroy Partnership for River Health was established to “develop and implement an integrated waterway monitoring programme that will report publicly on waterway health at the catchment scale, and support improved water resource management by all sectors” (Fitroy Partnership for River Health, 2012). The partnership is unique in that it includes substantial engagement with the resources sector and other key catchment stakeholders (the 26 inaugural partners include private corporations, government agencies and non-government organisations). This paper reports on the outcomes of a 2-year action research process that followed the progressive negotiation of partnership objectives, membership, funding arrangements and governance structures. In the following section we review literature on cumulative impacts and collaborative governance. “Research questions” details the research questions that guided our enquiry and “Methods” outlines the methodology and data collection methods. In “Background to the Fitzroy partnership for river health”, we provide background on the establishment of the partnership and in “Results”, detail the results. The paper concludes with implications for policy and practice.

Cumulative impacts in mixed use regions present complex environmental problems, compounding a history of mining and environmental conflict and undermining ‘social licence to operate’. This provides an impetus for mining companies to participate in collaborative arrangements to address cumulative impacts. This paper reports findings from a case study of regional collaborative governance in Australia to consider the performance of such models for addressing cumulative impacts in the resources sector. The Fitzroy Partnership for River Health is a recently established partnership of 26 private corporations, government agencies and non-government organisations. The establishment of the Partnership was triggered by the environmental impacts of the resources sector. We reported on the outcomes of a 2-year action research process that followed the progressive negotiation of the objectives, membership, funding arrangements and governance structures of the Partnership. The case revealed that a collaborative approach offered some promise but also demanded new skills and unconventional ways of working together. The neutral brokerage and facilitative leadership strategies employed can be characterised as new models of leadership associated with collaborative responses that are distinct from independent action or top-down regulation. To be an effective knowledge partnership, groups like the Fitzroy Partnership need to be perceived as credible, legitimate and salient both internally (amongst partners) and externally (by stakeholders). Transparent processes that provide independent scientific advice and active stakeholder participation proved to be promising strategies for demonstrating credibility and legitimacy while managing the tensions between partners with diverse interests. Yet, collaborative governance is not a panacea for complex issues or cumulative impacts. There is some evidence that collaborative responses may not be effective where rapid or unpopular responses are sought. This suggests that government and industry policies should provide for extended commitment in cases where collaborative responses are deemed desirable. Besides putting in place enabling policies, the government has an important and challenging role in collaborative governance that is worthy of further research, and warrants a concerted effort by governments to develop new skills themselves, build the capacity of others and support new forms of distributed power and leadership.