It has been 20 years since FNQNRM began natural resource management in the Wet Tropics. Why was it established and how have regional NRMs benefitted the environmental sector?

People might be surprised to hear that it was Coalition Prime Minister John Howard who instigated the regional delivery model for natural resource management. The framework was created to solve a problem identified in a mid-term review of the Australian Government’s Natural Heritage Trust.

The Natural Heritage Trust, funded through the sale of Telstra, invested $1.5 billion into Landcare programs in 1997. While it was a significant policy and investment, the mid-term review found the effectiveness of the program was hampered by:

• A scatter gun approach (27 programs, thousands of small grants)
• Not enough science behind funding decisions
• A local approach that didn’t necessarily meet landscape needs
• A lack of defined strategic targets
• Limited monitoring, evaluation, and accountability
• Limited partnerships and cooperation.

As a result, a new concept of ‘regional delivery’ was proposed to tackle landcare issues from a landscape perspective, invest at a regional scale, work collaboratively, build capacity in local communities and enhance knowledge and information.

A network of 56 NRM organisations was set up around the country, with 14 of them in Queensland (now 12). Geographical boundaries were determined by catchments. One of the key reasons for the framework was recognition that each region had its own unique challenges that needed tailored landscape-scale strategies to be effectively managed.

In the Wet Tropics, FNQNRM Inc was established to cover the nine catchments from the Daintree to the Herbert. The business name Terrain NRM was adopted in 2006.

Different organisations, same philosophy

The organisational structure of the original 56 regional NRM organisations varied around the nation. In Queensland they were set up as independent not-for-profit companies. In some of the other states they were attached to local or state governments.

Today, Terrain NRM announces the upcoming appointment of Barry Hunter as Board Chairperson.

Barry succeeds Keith Noble who, after 12 years on the Terrain NRM Board including eight as Chair, has announced that he will retire from the Wet Tropic region’s natural resource management board on 14 November.

Barry was first appointed to the Board in 2018. A descendant of the Djabugay and Jiddabul-speaking people of the Cairns hinterland, his career has included a broad range of roles in government, mining and not–for-profit organisations. He has a passion for working with indigenous land and sea rangers and has consulted on indigenous land management, the carbon industry and community economic development.

Terrain NRM CEO Stewart Christie said he was looking forward to working with Barry in his new role: “Barry brings a wide breadth of knowledge and experience and will provide important continuity for Terrain NRM as we position the organisation for the future. I would also like to thank Keith Noble for his invaluable contribution as chairperson since 2011.”

Outgoing Chair Keith Noble said Terrain NRM was privileged to have Barry on its board.

“A nationally recognised leader in landscape management, Barry also brings a continuous and unbroken connection to the Wet Tropics reaching back thousands of generations,” he said. “His input over five years has been integral to our development, collaborations and future aspirations.”

Barry said he firstly wanted to pay tribute to Keith and his leadership over the past 12 years, during a period where the not-for-profit organisation’s innovative thinking led to ground-breaking projects combining science and local knowledge.