Sustaining a Living Wales: Natural Resource Planning

Sustaining A Living Wales • Green Paper consultation • Set out ideas that may lead to the development of future Welsh Bills • Consultation ran between Jan 30th – May 31st 2012

Green Paper: A fresh approach to the management of our natural resources:

• Better long-term planning and use of our natural resources • Simpler regulatory systems • Involving people and benefiting communities • Getting the evidence-base right for decision making – greater clarity upfront

Natural Resource Management Planning? • Need for a spatial context for natural resource management - National level ? - Local level ? • Exploring the relationship with land use planning, community planning, business and industry.

Responses – Overview by profession 279 Responses in total: Private Individuals

29 14

Conservation / access and receation / tourism

17

Energy and Environment 131 25

Agriculature, Forestry and land management Local Government 63

other

Breakdown by Sector (279 total) 19

13

27

Private individuals Voluntary sector 131

31

Public Sector Private sector Partnerships Profeesional bodies

58

What the responses said (1) • Overwhelming level of agreement with the high-level aspirations • Any changes must be based on robust evidence • Reversing the loss of biodiversity must still be a priority

What the responses said (2) • Support for the application of the Ecosystem Approach • Support for the principles of natural resource planning at a local and national level…but: - how does this relate to existing plans/strategies? - dangers of adding complexity / layers of bureaucracy - need to achieve right balance of national and local interests • Need for more detailed proposals, to be able to have a strong view

What the responses said (3) • Some degree of support for streamlining of regulations and designations, on condition that… • No weakening of standards for environmental protection • Provides greater clarity to business and developers Is it possible to do both?

We should “retain the foundations of existing protected area mechanism – these are an essential part of the toolkit for applying the ecosystem approach – the two are not alternative mechanisms”

What the responses said (4) • More effective implementation of

environmental legislation: - Evolution, not Revolution - Focus on the way legislation is implemented rather than reforming - Better enforcement and compliance frequently mentioned

Comments on natural resource planning 88 respondents said they agree with the development of a national resource management plan (75 with local plans) 156 expressed no clear view (157 for local plans) 28 needed more information (40 for local plans) 7 disagreed (7 also for local plans)

Comments on natural resource planning National natural resource plan could: • Be built up from the collection of existing designations and environmental strategy targets • have a longer term vision with a series of shorter term goals to map how to achieve that vision • Be effective means to ensure that national principles and priorities are reflected in local decision-making • Contain national priorities reflecting local capacity and constraints • Set adaptive targets and priorities reflecting the state of longterm environmental indicators

Comments on natural resource planning Local resource management plans could: • Help translate national targets into local action, • Facilitate community engagement, • Make use of existing partnerships and processes, • Ensure a more coordinated approach to delivery

Questions on natural resource planning • Who will be developing resource plans? • Which bodies will be involved in their implementation and delivery? • What is their status and scale? • How do they relate to other plans? • What ecosystems or ecosystem services would be covered?

What next? • Policy Team now established to lead this work • Working closely with the Living Wales Programme (Single Body) • Aligned with Sustainable Development and Climate Change policy

Team Role • To lead on developing policy for Natural Resource Planning and Environment Bill • WG Policy client for the Single Body • Review of regulations and wider role of designations • Lead on Strategic Environment Assessment • Lead on looking at market instruments

How are we now proposing to do this? 1.

Developing Natural Resource Planning (spatial elements) – which could result in some form of output or strategy

2.

Changing approaches to natural resource management, which include: -

3.

Embedding the Ecosystem Approach in the Natural Resources body and across Government where appropriate ..and beyond… Improving regulatory processes Behaviour change - e.g. – the way decisions are made. Raising awareness. Showing leadership. Delivering the Environment Bill and other Bills

How are we now proposing to do this? Sep – Dec 2012 Phase 1

Jan – Mid 2013

Mid 2013 onwards

Phase 2 Phase 3

Scoping phase:

Delivering Framework

Implementation

External input

Firming up our proposals

Delivery programmes

Delivering and evaluating demonstrations

Draft Bill

Scoping possible demonstration projects

Thank you

Enquiries: [email protected]