The scenic margin

Conservation planning on the coastline in terms of the values which need to be protected is of special importance. Some progress in coastal conservation in Australia has 'occurred, all amenity values, recreation places, and sites of scientific interest having received attention. Recent major innovations such as the New South Wales Coastal Protection Scheme are noteworthy. Integrated planning of access is important. As a result of the relatively high degree of Government ownership of coastal land, Australia was well placed to secure adequate planning of the coast for conservation. However, planning authorities have been impeded in their task by the low priority given to both planning and conservation by the community at large. The present picture is one of planning authorities beginning to make up some of the lost ground of the fifties and sixties.