Ecologically Sustainable Development

Local Agenda 21 'Accepting the Challenge for Western Australia'

Mandurah Declaration

In 1992 the concept of Local Agenda 21 was created at the international conference in Rio de Janeiro. Local Agenda 21 is a program where local communities promote solutions to sustainable development issues at a local level. Since then there has been an emerging understanding of sustainability issues and how to respond to these. Western Australian Local Governments gathered in Mandurah on 11 and 12 of March 1999 to develop a commitment to sustainability throughout Western Australia.

As representatives of Western Australian Local Government, we acknowledge a commitment to:

• Leading our local communities to a better understanding of Local Agenda 21 and more sustainable practices.
• Recognising the importance of the principles of sustainability and the integration of the environmental, economic and socio/cultural factors.
• Promoting global sustainability and reverse the negative trends.

Our commitment is based on acknowledging the importance of:

• Sharing and learning from each other in assisting our local and other communities to progress toward sustainability.
• Actively seeking to involve local communities in the process of development of Local Agenda 21 action plans.
• Achieving simultaneously the ecological, economic, social and cultural goals for a sustainable future.
• Recognising the difference and diversity of issues confronted by different local communities when addressing Local Agenda 21 matters.
• Recognising that it is a long-term strategic objective that we are setting out to achieve and that positive outcomes will be achieved by a lot of small actions.

To assist Local Governments in the development of this process we:

• Invite the Western Australian Municipal Association and the State and Federal Governments to join into partnership with Local Governments to achieve the Local Agenda 21 objectives.
• Request that the Western Australian Municipal Association promote sustainability as the guiding principle of core business of its members and continues to resource this within its framework.
• Request the Western Australian Municipal Association to work as an agent for Local Government to develop partnerships with State and Federal Government departments.
• Call on State Government agencies to work in partnerships toward achieving a sustainable future.
• Request State and Federal Governments to provide a recognition in their legislation and policy frameworks of the importance of sustainable development principles and the central roles of Local Government in delivering sustainable outcomes at the local level.
• Need all governments to commit resources to the enhancement of sustainability.
• Want to keep up the momentum and see Local Agenda 21 demonstrated as widely as possible.