Western Australia’s Coastal and Marine Community Network (CMCN) supports connection, collaboration and engagement of stakeholders to improve the health and sustainability of Western Australia’s coastal and marine environments.  The Network was established in February 2020 in response to an identified need for enhanced coordination of the work of community-level organisations engaged in coastal and marine conservation and management activities. It was also established to serve as a centralised information hub for use by community organisations as well as local, State and Federal government agencies.

The CMCN is a network of diverse stakeholders with a passion for the WA coastal and marine environment, who interact to learn together and from each other. In WA, valuable coastal and marine conservation and management work is already undertaken by individuals, community groups, private organisations, research organisations and government agencies (termed collectively the ‘WA coastal and marine community’ or ‘Community’).

The CMCN believes that through the sharing of best-practice, knowledge of high-quality coastal and marine processes and ecological data, successful outcomes achieved, and the facilitation of education and training, conservation and management outcomes will be maximised for the benefit of the whole Western Australian community and coastal/marine systems. There is currently no other organisation or accessible mechanism that facilitates appropriate levels of resource sharing and cohesive outcome-focused local-scale management practice for WA coastal and marine stakeholders across communities, government and science in this manner.

What we do

The CMCN will facilitate collaboration and cohesion in local-scale coastal and marine management activities in Western Australia by:

• Providing a coordinating network across all of Western Australia,
• Acting as a point of connection between members of the Community already engaged in coastal and marine conservation and management activities,
• Providing an inventory of high-quality information, data and knowledge that can be accessed and shared by the coastal and marine community, and used in their work, and
• Promotion of evidence-based management outcomes for a healthy and sustainable coastal and marine environment for WA.

How we work

The Network brings together individuals and groups with an interest in the WA coastal and marine environment. The Network operates via:

• Core Strategic Group: who provide leadership and strategic networking
• Working Group Members: who take an active role in the Network to achieve the Network’s goals. Working Group Members contribute to one or more key Network themes.
• Members: members who engage in communication (e.g. email list, meetings) and benefit from Network, although do not take an active role.
• An Advisory Group: that provides input and advice to the Core Strategic Group on an as-needs basis.

Our Principles

The CMCN is committed to:

1. Connection: Acting as a focal point for members of the WA coastal and marine community.
2. Subsidiarity and inclusivity: Recognising and supporting the work of the diverse WA coastal and marine community in Western Australia.
3. Spatial integrity:  Western Australia’s variable geomorphological and ecological settings underpin our approach to connect, collaborate and engage.
4. Sustainability: Long-term sustainability of the network and its role in supporting collegial and coordinated coastal and marine management in Western Australia.

Our Goals

CMCN has five goals:

1. Develop a sustainable and integrated network that supports on ground coastal action, long-term coastal and marine conservation, and monitoring, which is not limited by jurisdiction or location.
2. Improve the quality and accessibility of information used in decision-making from all sectors, including government, non-government and academic.
3. Raise awareness of the importance of coastal and marine management and conservation in Western Australia by facilitating outreach, education and training opportunities.
4. Recognise coastal and marine communities, including Aboriginal communities, in their coastal and marine management and conservation actions.
5. Assist the Community to identify and secure resources for coastal and marine management activities.