Our plans
Department for Environment and Water Corporate Plan
DEW has developed a Corporate Plan to communicate our goals, approach, outcomes and priorities. We are committed to measuring our impact to help us continuously improve, be accountable and engage the public in our work.
Reconciliation Action Plan
DEW's Reconciliation Action Plan 2021 – 2024 is a practical plan for action built on relationships, respect and opportunities. The Plan was created by DEW staff and DEW's Reconciliation Sub-Committee of Executive lead the plan's implementation.
State Landscape Strategy
From 1 July 2020, the Landscape South Australia Act 2019 (the Act) replaced the Natural Resources Management Act 2004 as the new framework for managing the state’s land, water, pest animals and biodiversity.
Under the Act, eight new regional landscape boards and Green Adelaide will facilitate the sustainable management of our state’s landscape. The nine boards are:
- Alinytjara Wilurara
- Eyre Peninsula
- Hills and Fleurieu
- Kangaroo Island
- Limestone Coast
- Murraylands and Riverland
- Northern and Yorke
- South Australian Arid Lands
- Green Adelaide
The Act requires the development of a State Landscape Strategy that sets out principles, policies and high level strategic directions to ensure the sustainable and integrated management of the State’s landscapes.
The State Landscape Strategy is currently being developed. The Act’s transitional provisions provide for the State Natural Resources Management (NRM) Plan to be the Strategy until a new Strategy is developed.
Regional Landscape Plans
A key component of the government’s landscape reform agenda is to streamline planning and community engagement, improve accountability, and draw a stronger line of sight between levies and expenditure. Regional NRM plans continue to operate while the landscape boards prepare new regional landscape plans in consultation with their local communities.
Landscape boards have prepared initial business plans for 2020/21. Existing regional NRM plans will continue to be adopted by landscape boards until new plans are finalised. All plans can be accessed at www.landscape.sa.gov.au
South Australia’s Net Zero Strategy
South Australia’s Net Zero Strategy will guide the state’s transition to a net zero emissions future. The strategy outlines the government's objectives, policy priorities and actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the economy while creating new jobs, developing new industries, supporting wellbeing, and enabling decarbonisation beyond our borders.
Resilience and Adaptation Actions
South Australian Government Climate Change Resilience and Adaptation Actions outlines a range of actions to support efforts across all levels of government, business and the community to better prepare for, manage and adapt to the impacts of climate change.
Climate Ready Government
To lead by example in reducing South Australia’s emissions, the government’s Climate Ready Government initiative outlines how the South Australian public sector will manage climate related risks and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in its operations.
Fire management plans
Fire management plans set directions and guide fire management activities in parks and reserves across South Australia.
Park management plans
Park management plans set management directions for individual parks.
Statewide park strategies
There are a number of strategies and policies in place to help us manage South Australia’s parks and reserves.
Water Allocation Plans
Given the complexity of water-related matters and the need to comprehensively engage further, water allocation planning is largely unchanged. However, some prescribed water resources may be located in more than one landscape region. Accordingly, some changes to water allocation planning and water levies have been necessary to align water allocation planning with the landscape reforms.
Currently, regional and state NRM plans are used to guide the development of Water Allocation Plans (WAP). Designed to ensure the responsible allocation and management of water resources, each WAP is developed in consultation with the department, the Minister for Environment and Water and the community.
In line with the new approach to regional boundaries and regional landscape planning, the process for preparing and amending WAPs has been simplified. WAPs will be developed and amended through best-practice consultation in accordance with guidelines to be prepared by the Minister.
Note: The Kangaroo Island region does not have any prescribed water resources, so it does not publish a WAP. Its water resources management policies are currently outlined in Volume 3 of their regional NRM Plan.
Water Security Statement
The Water Security Statement was developed by the South Australian Government in 2022 to provide an overview of water security across South Australia and includes 10 strategic priorities out to July 2024.
These priorities seek to further enhance water security and meet the state’s growth targets, while adapting to a changing climate.
The statement provides an overview of water security status for key population centres and water resources across South Australia, and was prepared to meet the water planning requirements of the Water Industry Act 2012.
