Developing a Management Framework for Wetlands: The Illawarra Experience

This article reports the setting up of a database and the development of a management framework for the wetlands of the Illawarra region of New South Wales. The mapping of wetlands in the region shows that they are the remnants of once more extensive ecosystems, and that they are still threatened by continuing urban pressures. It highlights the significance of small farm dams as a regional wetland resource, and identifies discrepancies in the protection given under state legislation (SEPP 14) for coastal wetlands. The Illawarra Wetlands Project provides an example of the usefulness of Geographic Information Systems as analytical tools for environmental management.