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While planning is essential for strategic investment in natural resource management, too much planning and not enough doing will not only compromise on outcomes, but erode the community support that is so critical to achieving real change. In NSW, catchment management planning has been an evolving process, with many community members being involved for more than a decade. This year will see the end of the planning phase, with the release of Catchment Blueprints.

With the planning almost over, it is imperative that government moves quickly to support the transition from "developing plans" to "implementing actions ", or risk losing community commitment.

 

This paper provides a brief assessment of the need to move forward on natural resource management, from planning to implementation, and identifies some of the challenges for achieving this, particularly in the rangelands.

 

This paper is based on the experiences of both authors in natural resource management over the last ten years, in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.