Download the  Communication Strategy - 1998-2003 (pdf - 100KB)

Communication will be critical to the effectiveness of NDSP in delivering economically useful outcomes. In planning the second phase, it has been recognised that communication must be an integral component of all projects and an activity that encompasses all objectives and themes.

A national network of communications coordinators will develop and implement a Communication Strategy for the life of the second phase. This strategy will be a significant component of the program by ensuring that products and services developed to meet the program's objectives are delivered.

The focus of early communication activities must be the outputs of phase one - lessons learned from the five focus catchments and generic R&D activities which can be applied and adopted during the second phase. Longer-term communication activities will utilise the extension networks of industry and government program partners.

Communication will be important at several levels:

• Salinity management needs to take place on a catchment scale. Many catchment groups are embarking on integrated catchment management plans of which salinity will be a component. Whilst all catchments are unique, each can benefit from the R&D findings in other catchments. In this way a community of informed land managers will evolve and expensive and discouraging mistakes will be avoided.
• The establishment of links with other significant natural resource management programs (eg: acid soils, vegetation decline, river health, etc) will result in mutual benefits.
• In some instances salinity will not be reversible. Land managers will need to be made aware of the options and opportunities for the productive use of saline land, and have access to informed technical advice.
• Traditionally, salinity has been seen as a problem for agriculture and water resources. Increasingly there is an awareness of the consequences for urban communities and for service utilities.
• There are now some well established principles for best practice in predicting, assessing and managing dryland salinity. Extension providers and land managers must have easy access to this information.
• Communication will be a two-way process. It is not simply a matter of providing information, but also of collecting information on the needs and findings of all stakeholders.
• Important lessons must be communicated from those catchment groups and local governments who have successfully implemented salinity management plans. Consensus and commitment in communities which have developed successful implementation plans and cost sharing models should provide valuable empirical information for other groups.
• There must be sustained political commitment to preventing and managing dryland salinity. This requires that the general public be made and kept aware of the magnitude, trends and significance of dryland salinity, and understands the relationship between the cause and the effect. The public must also be able to witness the steps that are being taken to deal with the problem.

Proposed actions

In delivering the products and services developed by program activities, the Communication Strategy will:

• Service statewide and industry networks which could comprise leading land managers, catchment groups and boards, landcare groups, project officers, private and government extension providers, local government and staff, and students of natural resource management.
• Encourage the development of local networks of land managers with skills in particular aspects of salinity management at the local level.
• Assist communication across states to ensure a national approach can be taken when required, and to facilitate the flow of information between states and to enhance each state's communication program.
• Use a range of communication instruments such as newsletters, email updates, internet and personal contact, ensuring that the communication is a two-way process.
• Understand the regional salinity issues, including the operating environment that impinges upon land management decisions.
• Assess the different communication needs of those dealing with dryland salinity. The needs of, for example, an extension officer working full-time on salinity will be quite different to those of an agronomist and different again to the local government environment officer.
• Identify, acquire or prepare, and provide resources of interest to particular regions or stakeholder groups.
• Establish and maintain communication with relevant industry groups, policy makers, managers and regulators.
• Prepare and provide topical and informative media releases for rural, regional and state media.
• Liaise with the respective State salinity programs to determine and provide for the regional training needs of people working with salinity issues.

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