Integrating sustainability and principles of Local Agenda 21 : a study of four local governments in NSW and QLD

Local Agenda 21 (LA21) under the 1992 Earth Summit charter highlighted the important role of local governments in promoting sustainable development by working with local communities. By ratifying the charter, Australia has embraced the principles of Local Agenda 21 (LA21) and is therefore required to include it into local strategies and planning. The basic elements of LA21 include the creation of a community vision that brings together the aspirations of all stakeholders: the establishment of a partnership between local authorities, communities, and businesses; the engagement in a community-based, inclusive process of issue analysis: the preparation of action plans based on formalised objectives; and processes for implementation, monitoring, evaluation and feedback. How well does the Agenda 21 as a policy sit within the context of the local governments in Australia? How do different planning systems in Queensland and New South Wales have an influence in adoption by local councils? What are some of the challenges facing the councils in implementing the Local Agenda 21? These are some of the questions that the paper seeks to address. The paper reports on an ongoing study of four local governments, two in Sydney and two in Queensland, to determine the extent of adoption of Agenda 21.