1. Re-invigorate the application of ESD guidelines/principles as a priority in decisionmaking through the use of an intergovernmental process (COAG, or NR Ministerial Council, or some other form of IGA).
2. Evaluate approaches for estuary, wetland and coastal monitoring, guideline use, application of standards and auditing of investments by governments (an independent inquiry could be used?).
3. Maintain a national data base, for instance in Geoscience Australia, for assessing changes in the condition of coastal resources/habitats especially where the changes can be linked to government supported long-term monitoring programs.
4. Develop and maintain a single web-based archive of C2C conferences (a role for ACS?).
5. Establish a network of community-based monitoring programs linked to government-supported long-term monitoring activities.
6. Provide more information on application of Environmental Condition Assessment Framework (ECAF) for coastal managers.
7. Examine the use in Australia of the New Zealand model of effects-based monitoring and reporting focussing on what environmental values are to be protected.
8. Look at ways of improving communication between scientists and bureaucrats, especially in providing opportunities for scientists to work on secondment within the public coastal management sector.
9. Support more detailed bathymetric and hydrodynamic investigations to underpin modelling that is required in areas at risk from the impacts of climate change.
10. Foster the need for long-term funding commitments for coastal monitoring programs in order to maintain continuity at time scales reflecting environmental change.
11. Need for a national agreement on which sea level rise scenarios should be used and how best to be reviewed, for both planning and risk management purposes.
12. Establish a Marine Protected Area network to assist with the design and implementation of MPA plans.
13. Find better ways to support the National Estuary Network involving collaboration between the Commonwealth and the states.
14. Ensure that coastal NRM regions each have a dedicated Coastcare facilitator to assist those supported by Caring for our Country grants and in developing and implementing coastal components of Action Plans.
15. The Australian Government should reinstate the Sea Country Planning Program.
Coast to Coast Australia