The Lake Eyre Basin Steering Group was formed in 1995 by community members of the Basin who were concerned by the conflict between different groups and the potential for World Heritage listing. They wanted to do something constructive and bring together the different interests to work towards sustainable management of the natural resources in the Basin.
The Steering Group membership included representatives from the pastoral industry, Queensland and South Australian Governments, conservation groups, mining and petroleum industries, Landcare groups, Aboriginal organisations and local government.
The initial funds to establish a Project Officer position (Catchment Coordinator) were raised through member contributions and later through the National Landcare Program. This initial position later became that of Chief Executive of the subsequent Lake Eyre Basin Coordinating Group.
The Steering Group tasks included preparing an information paper (Catchment Management Issues Paper) on the current management of the Basin, a discussion paper (Catchment Management Options Paper) on options for catchment management, and consulting with the community and interested groups on these issues.
Fourteen public meetings were held around the Basin in the first half of 1997, from Kooroorinyah in the north-east, to Alice Springs in the west, and Marree in the south.
These meetings discussed:
- catchment management and regional planning
- natural resource management issues of the region
- if catchment management was agreed to by the community in the Basin, what was needed and what would it look like?
People who believed catchment management would not work in the Basin were asked to list their reasons.
All this information was put together into a draft options paper. This was circulated as widely as possible for comments which were then incorporated into the final version of the Catchment Management Options Paper.
The Lake Eyre Basin Steering Group, having fulfilled its Terms of Reference, ceased to exist at a large public meeting at Birdsville in November 1997.
The meeting decided to form a Lake Eyre Basin Coordinating Group supported by an independent Chair and up to 5 catchment management groups not constrained by state borders. A Transition Taskforce was established to oversee this.
It was recognised that it may not be appropriate to establish catchment management groups in some regions, particularly when there were existing planning processes or where the population was sparse. In those instances, regions discussed having direct membership on the Lake Eyre Basin Coordinating Group. It was agreed that such membership must be determined through a fair and accountable method. The individual/s from each region would be supported in communicating with all interest groups in their region. In that way an appropriate process for the involvement in the Coordinating Group by each region would be agreed and established.
The tasks of the Transition Taskforce were to:
- develop position description for independent chair of LEB Coordinating Group
- advertise and appoint independent chair
- coordinate formation of catchment groups
- develop budgets for interim operation of coordinating group and catchment groups
- abdicate to Coordinating Group upon its formation
By October 1998, the Transition Taskforce had fulfilled its role and the Coordinating Group was operating. The Coordinating Group's role was to provide a forum to deal with Basin-wide issues, develop a Basin-wide vision, lobby governments, encourage investment and establish partnerships within the Basin, and help educate people within and outside the Basin about natural resource management and catchment issues.
Most positions on the Group are for catchment-based members. They are supported by government observers and skills-based members, appointed to increase the depth and breadth of experience and knowledge of the Group. These will help form strong links with other organisations and governments and will assist in increasing the flow of information, funding, and goodwill to the Group.
