In 2004 the Natural Resources Management Act replaced the Animal and Plant Control Act 1986, Soil Conservation and Land Care Act 1989 and the Water Resources Act 1997. It also provided for the division of the State into eight natural resource management areas. Our area is managed by The South East Natural Resources Management Board which brings together the activities of the Animal and Plant Control Boards, the Soil Conservation Boards, South East Natural Resource Consultative Committee and the South East Catchment Water Management Board.
The Initial NRM Plan for the South East was developed in 2006 as an interim document to allow the former Boards to operate under a single strategic direction. The Board is required to review the business plan component of this document each year to identify necessary adjustments and outline proposed income and expenditure for the coming financial year.
The SE NRM Board is now focused on developing a comprehensive Regional NRM Plan, which will be a statutory document under the Natural Resources Management Act 2004 and is due for implementation from July 2009.