Policy context | East Gippsland Regional Catchment Strategy

The RCS provides an integrated planning framework for managing land, water and biodiversity in the East Gippsland region for the next six years. In line with the requirements of the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 (CaLP Act), the principal objectives of the strategy are to:

establish a framework for the integrated and coordinated management of catchments
establish processes that can be used to assess the condition of the region’s land and water resources, and the effectiveness of land protection measures.

Since the development of the last RCS, a number of major events have occurred, legislative reform, and new plans and strategies introduced. These impact the management of the region into the future and influence the new RCS. The timeline below shows the key planning, policy and environmental influences on our region since the development of the last RCS.

The current RCS presents a planning framework which focuses on maintaining the condition and productivity (sustainability) of the natural assets of the region. This RCS uses a collaborative and risk-based prioritisation process, based on an assessment of ‘the land and water resources of the catchments of the region and how they are used’ (CaLP Act).

The sections below outline the relevant policy context for the current RCS at a regional, state, national and international level.

Theme	Policy / legislation
Land	East Gippsland Soil Erosion Management Plan (EGCMA / AgVic) Draft East Gippsland Rural Land Use Strategy (EGSC)
Water	East Gippsland Waterway Strategy (EGCMA) East Gippsland Urban Waterway Strategy (EGW) East Gippsland Regional Floodplain Management Strategy (EGCMA) Integrated Water Management – East Gippsland Strategic Directions Statement (EGW / DELWP) East Gippsland Shire Urban Waterway Management Strategy (EGSC) East Gippsland Shire Urban Waterway Guidelines (EGSC)
Biodiversity	Biodiversity Response Planning process (DELWP) Gippsland Plains and Strzelecki Ranges Conservation Action Plan (Parks Victoria) East Gippsland Conservation Action Plan (Parks Victoria) Greater Alpine National Parks Management Plan (Parks Victoria) Protection of the Alpine National Park – Feral Horse Strategic Action Plan 2018-2021 (Parks Victoria) Protection of the Alpine National Park: Feral Horse Action Plan 2021 (Parks Victoria)
Coasts and Marine	Gippsland Lakes Ramsar Site Management Plan (EGCMA) Gippsland Lakes Priorities Plan (EGCMA) Beware Reef Marine Sanctuary Management Plan (Parks Victoria) Cape Howe Marine Park Management Plan (Parks Victoria) Point Hicks Marine Park Management Plan (Parks Victoria) Gippsland Lakes Recreational Fishery Plan (VFA)
Community	East Gippsland Landcare Support Plan
Traditional Owners/First Nations Peoples	Gunaikurnai Whole of Country Plan 2015 Gunaikurnai and Victorian Government Joint Management Plan
Cross-theme (other)	East Gippsland Climate Change Adaption and Mitigation Plan (EGCMA) East Gippsland Environmental Sustainability Strategy (EGSC) East Gippsland Bushfire Recovery Plan (EGSC led) Gippsland Regional Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (DELWP)

Theme	Policy / legislation
Land	Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 Strong, Innovative, Sustainable: A new strategy for agriculture in Victoria 2020 Victorian Forestry Plan Land Management Strategy (Parks Victoria)
Water	Water Act 1989 Water and Catchment Legislation Amendment Act 2019 Water for Victoria – Water Plan 2016 Victorian Waterway Management Strategy 2013 State Environment Protection Policy (Waters) Integrated Water Management Framework for Victoria 2017 Draft Gippsland and Central Region Sustainable Water Strategy 2022 Victorian Seasonal Watering Plan (VEWH) Victorian Floodplain Management Strategy 2016 Victorian Rural Drainage Strategy 2018
Biodiversity	Flora and Fauna Guarantee Amendment Act 2019 Flora and Fauna Guarantee Threatened List Protecting Victoria’s Environment ‐ Biodiversity 2037 (Bio 2037) Framework for the Victorian State of the Environment Report 2023 Trust for Nature State-wide Conservation Plan 2013 Victorian Deer Control Strategy
Coasts and Marine	Marine and Coastal Act 2018 Marine and Coastal Policy 2020 Draft Marine and Coastal Strategy
Community	Victorians Volunteering for Nature ‐ Environmental Volunteering Plan
Traditional Owners/First Nations Peoples	Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 Traditional Owner Settlement Act 2010 The Victorian Traditional Owner Cultural Landscapes Strategy Victorian Aboriginal Affairs Framework 2018-2023 Self-Determination Reform Framework Framework for Government Engagement with Traditional Owners Pupangarli Marnmarnepu ‘Owning Our Future’ Aboriginal Self-Determination Reform Strategy 2020-2025 DELWP Aboriginal Inclusion Plan 2016-2020 The Victorian Traditional Owner Cultural Fire Strategy The Victorian Traditional Owner Native Foods and Botanicals Strategy Managing Country Together Framework
Cross-theme (other)	Our Catchments Our Communities Strategic Directions Statement Our Catchments Our Communities – Integrated Catchment Management in Victoria 2016 Climate Change Act 2017 Victorian Climate Change Strategy 2021 Environment Protection Act 2017 (and associated Amendment Act 2018) Victorian Planning Provisions Alpine Resorts Strategic Plan 2020 – 2025 Planning and Environment Act 1987

Theme	Policy / legislation
Land	Australian Government’s National Landcare Program (and Regional Land Partnerships (RLP) Program) Australian Government’s National Soil Strategy
Biodiversity	Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 Act Australia’s Strategy for Nature 2019-2030 (2019) Threatened Species Strategy 2021-2026
Coasts and Marine	Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 Act (Ramsar wetlands) National Coastal Risk Assessment (DAWE)
Traditional Owners/First Nations Peoples	Native Title Act 1993 Native Title Legislation Amendment Act 2021 The National Agreement on Closing the Gap Indigenous Advancement Strategy
Cross-theme (other)

Theme	Policy / legislation
Biodiversity	UN Convention on Biological Diversity – Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 and the Aichi Targets Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance
Cross-theme (other)	UN Framework Convention on Climate Change United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People