Terrain NRM has been working with its many members and associated community groups to secure the most effective community engagement possible in the Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) statutory Water Resource Planning (WRP) process.

Terrain has been contracted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resource Management (DERM) to support the regional community in these processes.

This role means Terrain is working to provide support to the wider community and the many sectors of the Wet Tropics region to help ensure people have good access to the process and identification and resolution of key matters as they emerge. Tasks include:

• Keeping a wide range of stakeholders up to speed with information about the WRP process via written updates and presentations via existing catchment and sector networks
• Organising, and facilitating, catchment meetings (including meeting venues, agenda, notices to stakeholders) to provide further opportunity for discussion about the WRP development
• Meetings within individual catchments. Even though catchment scale discussions will be informal, ensuring the right people are at the table is important because structured discussion at the catchment scale will help tease out the issues and responses in specific catchments.
• Working with Traditional Owner organisations and representatives to organise specific Indigenous meetings [these meetings will facilitate further discussion on specific cultural and spiritual values]
• Providing a number of written reports to DERM in various stages of the WRP process in regard to critical issues that need resolution and solutions being sought by the community.

It is important to note that Terrain encourages all key sectors and organisations to ensure they develop their own clear response to the WRP as well as their own direct communications with DERM about WRP issues. Terrain’s role will be to provide additional support where needed and to bring together solutions to issues emerging across a range of sectors.

To ensure greater coordination across planning processes Terrain has also been contracted to develop Healthy Waters Management Plans (HWMP) for the Herbert, Johnstone, Russell and Mulgrave Rivers. The WRP and the HWMP processes are complementary planning processes that will be coordinated across the region providing frameworks for water quantity and quality management.

Key Terrain NRM contacts:

Find out more at:
DERM - Wet Tropics WRP process

Downloads:

•  Terrain's role in the WRP process - Oct 2010 509.92 Kb
•  General information brochure - Part I 452.31 Kb
•  General information brochure - Part II 463.66 Kb