Spatial planning along the ecological tightrope

Abstract

There is a significant change coming to the way that we do environmental planning. The forthcoming Spatial Planning Act (SPA) will challenge us to think of our regions as ‘ecologies’. This holistic view of accommodating people and repairing ecosystems, represents a profound and necessary change to planning beyond zoning areas for different activities. The damage from Cyclone Gabrielle highlighted the maladaptive regulatory environment for managing erosion. Elsewhere, nitrates progressively contaminate aquifers, lakes, and estuaries. Many regions face significant transition costs to more sustainable land-uses. Many of our ecosystems are incessantly disturbed, and their resilience and biodiversity comprised.