Holistic Natural Resource Management of Crow’s Nest Shire (‘Project Green Nest’)
The ‘Holistic Natural Resource Management of Crows Nest Shire Project’, which I coordinated in 2001-2, saw Queensland’s Crows Nest Shire become one of the first rural local governments in Australia to implement an incentive-based NRM program that included an environmental levy and rate rebates for native vegetation conservation agreements. The Project was later renamed ‘Crows Nest Shire Project Green Nest’.
Project Green Nest was acclaimed for its innovative strategies and the way in which it engaged the community, receiving a Commendation Award in the ‘Environment – Natural Resource Management: Partnerships for Biodiversity Conservation’ category in the 2002 National Awards for Local Government, and the Landcare Australia Local Government Award in the 2003 Queensland Landcare Awards. Crows Nest Shire has since been amalgamated into the new Toowoomba Regional Council.
The work of Rick Galbraith and Nigel Kimball contributed to the success of Project Green Nest. Rick Galbraith had a long association with Crows Nest Shire, including many years working as an environmental officer for Council. He was instrumental in the development of the conservation strategies implemented through Project Green Nest, as discussed in the Remnant Vegetation Corridor Management Strategy, which had been informed by my earlier work on the Gatton Shire Biodiversity Strategy.
Nigel Kimball worked on Project Green Nest for the workplace placement that was part of his environmental management studies at The University of Queensland. I engaged him in researching the critical role of human values and attitudes in NRM through the preparation of Striking That Happy Medium, Community Attitudes to Natural Resource Management in Crows Nest Shire, Qld. This research was informed by my earlier work on the Gatton Shire Biodiversity Strategy and Sustainable Management of the Helidon Hills Project.
