The National Land & Water Resources Audit has commissioned this report to enable expertise in designing and implementing social and economic surveys for natural resource management (NRM) to be drawn together for the benefit of regional bodies, industry and government policy officers. This document outlines the steps involved in conducting a survey. It aims to provide regional bodies, industry and government policy officers with sufficient information to successfully engage a consultant to produce the results they desire.

To improve the management of R&D programs, LWRRDC commissioned an ex-post evaluation of nine completed research projects, all of which were considered to have achieved their intended R&D outcomes. The consultants surveyed key beneficiaries of the R&D to identify the actual outcomes and benefits that had resulted from the projects to users of natural resources and to the Australian community. There were two irrigation, three water, three land and one vegetation project. All operated between 1989 and 1994.

In this issue: Climate Connect 2006; Meet the MCV team; Working with the weather, on land and on water; Drier or wetter-its not all about rainfall; Less frosty for northern wheat growers

This project aimed to discover and negotiate access to all existing GIS (electronic) ECM habitat maps, collate the GIS maps and then apply the relevant national classification schemes, develop new nationally consistent habitat classification schemes where not available and conduct quality assurance and document the national map series. The ECM national habitat map series consists of two main groups of information products: 1. a series of three national habitat maps based on the collaboratively developed national intertidal/subtidal benthic (NISB) habitat classification scheme: 2. four products covering the remaining habitat types of dune, vegetation, estuaries, coastal wetlands and shorelines (beaches).

This fact sheet written by John Woinarski and Brydie Hill presents the key findings from the Land & Water Australia managed project: Defining successional patterns and biodiversity values of north Australian eucalypt forests. Overall, this study provides major new insights into the dynamics of these important tropical eucalypt forests, particularly allowing comparison with the dynamics of temperate eucalypt forests. The study has important management implications. It is now possible to provide some explicit quantitative criteria for the delineation of "old-growth" in these forests (relating particularly to the incidence of larger trees, and the consequential abundance of hollows and hollow-associated fauna). For regrowth vegetation, it is now possible to justify regulatory controls; although we recommend that if there is a need for choice, it is better to (re-)clear regrowth than to clear intact forest, better to clear younger than older regrowth, and better to clear isolated regrowth than regrowth that may form connections between otherwise isolated intact forest patches.

These guidelines have been prepared to meet the objectives shown in the terms of reference. The main task of the guidelines is to provide a framework to improve the quality and appropriateness of program evaluation. This framework can then be atest benefit.

This issue focuses on the concept of ecological 'thresholds' and how these may be used in managing our landscapes. Are there break-points in nature that respond to the ways we manage land, beyond which we should not goΓ The break-point may be the rapid decline of a species in response to declining levels in key factors, such as sites to shelter and breed. It's a bit like asking 'How much is enoughΓ' Where research establishes that a threshold exists, the implication for managers is that we should stop before we reach that point or we will have gone too fa An occasional magazine from Land & Water Australia's Native Vegetation Program that is

The Healthy Country, Healthy People project has explored the relationship between landscape health and Aboriginal health in northern Australia. Aboriginal people worked with a transdisciplinary research team to test the assertion that investment in Indigenous Natural and Cultural Resource Management (ICNRM) benefits both people and the environment. The project was designed as a proof of concept and the results have been highly encouraging.

Australia's primary industries have developed a national research strategy to address climate change and emissions management and trading. The strategy outlines six research priorities: Understanding future climates Managing emissions Preparing industries Accessing information Facilitating change Linking decision makers. The strategy also lists existing research activity, and the major gaps in our knowledge. It also commissioned specific reports on climate change impacts and adaptation and emission trading. The strategy is a joint initiative of the Rural Research and Development Corporations; Federal, State and Territory Governments; and the CSIRO, managed by Land & Water Australia.

The DroughtPlan project was funded under the LWRRDC-managed National Climate Variability R&D Program, and also supported by the Meat Research Corporation and the International Wool Secretariat, as well as the contributing research organisations and many producers. This document presents a full overview report on the project, but more details are available on many elements in their own publications, working papers, and production materials