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Land Tenure, Ownership and Use as Barriers to Coastal Wetland Restoration Projects in Australia: Recommendations and Solutions

Published Article

Australia

Publication date: April 3, 2023

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Coastal wetland restoration in Australia is hindered by complex legal barriers involving land tenure, ownership, and land use. Drawing on expert interviews, this study highlights boundary ambiguity, limits to landward migration, and public–private land challenges, offering recommendations for policy, incentives, and legislative reform.

Subject Tags

  • Policy
  • Habitat restoration
  • Coastal

Abstract

Globally, there is an urgent need for widespread restoration of coastal wetlands like mangroves and saltmarsh. This restoration has been slow to progress in Australia for a number of reasons, including legal issues surrounding land tenure, ownership and use. This paper uses the responses to a survey of coastal zone experts to identify and articulate these legal issues, before considering and analysing in-depth recommendations, solutions and levers to facilitate restoration, and areas where further research or possible policy and/or law reform is needed. It calls for legislative reform to clarify tidal boundaries generally and under sea-level rise, greater use of incentive schemes to encourage the uptake of restoration projects, and utilisation of contracts and land-based covenants to secure projects and carbon flows.

Citation

Bell-James, J., Fitzsimons, J. A., & Lovelock, C. E. (2023). Land tenure, ownership and use as barriers to coastal wetland restoration projects in Australia: Recommendations and solutions. Environmental Management, 72(1), 179-189.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-023-01817-w

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