Rethinking Environmental Decision-Making Practice : Analysis of Environmental and Climate Change Decisions in Australian Governments

Climate change is one of the most challenging environmental issues in the 21st century. The role of governments was highlighted by the United Nation’s Agenda 21 to develop and implement environmental policies and to address issues concerning biodiversity, water, land, and so on. Little is known, however, as to whether and how governments, particularly the local governments address environment issues in a changing climate. Hence, the principal aim of this paper is to analyse environmental decision-making practice of different levels of governments to address simultaneously both environmental and climate change issues. By drawing upon the relevant literature and policy review, the study analyses environmental policy approaches of the three layers of government in Australia. The study focuses on Lake Macquarie City Council in NSW to identify environmental decision-making practice at a local level by analysing three strategic documents of the local government of Lake Macquarie: a) Lake Macquarie Strategic Plan- Lifestyle 2020, b) Lake Macquarie Environmental action plan, and c) Lake Macquarie Community Plan. The idea is to examine if the decision-making practice combines environmental and climate change issues concurrently. The analysis advances the argument about what has been characterised as a ‘lost opportunity’ – the failure of governments to make and implement both environmental and climate change decisions. The paper concludes by highlighting the need for major re-thinking in the way that environmental decision-making practice is institutionalized at various levels of government to provide effective solutions to climate change and environmental problems