What
Is Total Catchment Management?What
Is Total Catchment Management?Background to Catchment Management
Total Catchment Management (TCM) is a philosophy to promote co-ordinated natural resource management in New South Wales on geographic catchment areas and on a holistic basis, rather than on administrative areas. TCM aims to assist the community and the Government in working together to achieve on the ground results such as: cleaner water; reduced soil erosion; improved bushland quality and vegetative cover; etc.
The concept of Total Catchment Management (TCM ) has evolved as the
best way to deal with
the issues of concern affecting the environment of a catchment area.
The concept was enacted into planning legislation through the Catchment
Management Act (1989).
Total Catchment Management (TCM)
Definition of TCM
TCM is defined by the Act as the co-ordinated and sustainable use and
management of land, water; vegetation, and other natural resources on a
water catchment basis so as to balance resource
utilisation and conservation.
The catchment
A catchment area is the natural and appropriate area for the co-ordinated
approach of TCM, rather than areas contained within, say, local, State
or federal government boundaries. The physical or ecological results of
many land use and land management activities spread beyond areas with such
man made divisions. But the results become obvious within the creeks and
waterways of a catchment.
In our catchment, contaminated water runoff from land within the catchment becomes concentrated in the waters of the creeks and waterways of Middle Harbour. Activities that degrade, disturb or use the land surface ultimately impact on the water bodies within our catchment area.
TCM unites and co-ordinates the community and Government - in working
together to achieve "on
the ground" results such as:
For TCM to succeed in our catchment, government at all levels, the community
and land users
must get involved and must co-operate. We define land users as: