Australian Local Government Association

Facilitator network

Update: June 2006 - Current achievements, future opportunities. A report highlighting the achievements of the local government facilitator network in the last three years.

With the development of the second phase of the Natural Heritage Trust (NHT), the Australian Government sought to encourage communities to work together to draw up and implement their own integrated regional natural resource management (NRM) plans. To assist with this process, a network of local government facilitators was formed.

There are currently 7 facilitators employed by and hosted within local government associations around Australia. It is hoped that a South Australian representative will be appointed soon, meaning a local government facilitator will be located in every state and territory. In addition, the Australian Government has a national network Manager.

What is their role?

The objectives of the Local Government Facilitator Network are to work towards:

• Engaging local governments in regional NRM planning and implementation
• Building the capacity of regional bodies and local governments to effectively engage with each other
• Supporting regional bodies to ensure that local governments are effectively supporting and delivering the NRM priorities of the region

The local government facilitators undertake a wide range of activities, and these activities vary between the states. They work with the wider NRM facilitator network to promote relevant government programs and increase the profile of regional NRM arrangements. The local government facilitators also guide councils through the regional process and help to build stronger links between local and regional decision making bodies.

Contacts

Contact your local government facilitator for more information.