Governance of Tasmania’s private bushlands: artful ensemble or hodgepodge?

Conservation of bushland on private property in Tasmania, as in other parts of Australia, has seemingly benefited from numerous regulatory and policy initiatives in recent decades. But more is not necessarily better; a smorgasbord of initiatives may lead to a hodgepodge of confusing and contradictory approaches.Through this article’s evaluation of governance of private bushland in Tasmania, a valuable case study emerges of wider relevance to the design of environmental law. Some theories of regulation suggest that a mix of instruments and actors can be advantageous – such as by efficiently and democratically tailoring governance to specific contexts rather than imposing indiscriminate, blanket controls.The Tasmanian experience suggests that such an advantage does not easily arise. The mosaic of governance in Tasmania includes local planning schemes, conservation covenants, threatened species legislation and forest practices legislation, in addition to federal regulation. Continuing land clearance and degradation in Tasmania is fragmenting and degrading wildlife habitat corridors and replacing old growth with young growth. To overcome such pressures may necessitate, perhaps counterintuitively, a simpler approach and a new synergising process.