Towards Integrated Coastal Area Management: A Case Study in Co-operative Governance in South Africa and Australia

In Australia and South Africa an ecologically diverse coastline is the focal point for virtually the whole spectrum of human activities. A key to coastal area management in both polities is "co-operative governance", that provides a solution to the dilemmas arising from divided jurisdiction and overlapping or competing claims for responsibility between different units of government. This paper examines the respective roles of national, sub-national and local government in coastal area management in South Africa and Australia focusing on legal and political factors supporting co-operative governance of the coastal area.