The Federal Government’s Regional NRM Planning for Climate Change Initiative used a principles approach to guide the outcomes of the project. This provided a great opportunity for individual CMAs to develop and implement a planning process that fitted the individual needs to their regions.

However, the Victorian CMAs recognised early that this Initiative also provided a great opportunity for collaboration, sharing and learning. The Victorian NRM Planning for Climate Change forum was initiated at the start of the program even before application for the funding were submitted.

This Forum has proved successful in meeting its objectives of collaboration, sharing and learning, whilst still achieving the objective of meeting the varied needs of the CMA regions.

This presentation will outline the keys of collaboration, sharing and learning without following a prescriptive planning process. For us this included leadership, relationship building, a bit of healthy competition and respect for different approaches.

It highlighted what can be achieved by Regions trying different approaches, sharing their learnings and the value of the Principle approach to the planning guidelines and how this can encourage innovation.