Caring for Dhawura Ngunnawal - A natural resource plan for the ACT 2022–2042.

Caring for Dhawura Ngunnawal - A natural resource plan for the ACT 2022–2042 (the Plan) proposes a way forward for the management of natural resources (NRM) in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) over the next 20 years, with a 5-year review period. The Plan gives priority to protection and restoration of the environment within the broader economic, social and political context and recognises the strong connection between people and nature. The Plan provides a road map of the key actions and conditions the timing to implement each action upon agreed priorities, the complexity of the action and availability of resources. Although the Plan is a non-statutory document, it is endorsed as a whole-of-government document by the ACT Government.
The Plan proposes that NRM is a fundamental pathway to resilience for both the community and the environment. This is driven by high level principles that are articulated in the key focus areas. Those principles include: give a central focus to the rights of Ngunnawal people to care for/speak for Country; embed recognition of connection to nature as a key factor in the health and wellbeing of all Canberrans; foster sustainable and innovative management of agricultural landscapes; conserve, protect and restore the natural environment with a particular focus on threatened ecosystems and species; maintain and improve ecosystem services in the face of climate change and other pressures; position the ACT as a leader in environmental governance and community partnerships for environmental outcomes. The following key focus areas have been identified in the plan, each with specific management objectives, although it is recognised that they are highly integrated: Cultural Landscapes; Community Connection to Nature; Rural Landscapes; Urban Landscapes; Natural Landscapes (Waterways; Forest and Woodlands; Grasslands; Bogs and Fens); Ecosystem Function and Services; and Governance. Climate change is the largest issue facing NRM management within the ACT. Every aspect of this Plan is considered against a backdrop of climate change and, as such, addressed as a pressure within all focus areas.