Planning and institutional arrangements

Protection of the environmental values of aquatic ecosystems is addressed in regulatory planning, assessment, approval, compliance and enforcement mechanisms administered by Commonwealth, State and local Governments. Some regulatory mechanisms deal with specific environmental issues (e.g. water quality), while others may address whole catchment systems, such as water resource planning.

Aquatic ecosystem rehabilitation projects can be triggered by these types of regulatory arrangements. Where very significant degradation processes are occurring government may determine that new planning or legislative arrangements are required.

An example is regulation preventing the removal of vegetation that is providing key ecosystem services. These interventions can be used to return components and processes after they have been altered inappropriately such as the removal of an illegally constructed levee.

See also, Programs, policy and legislation.