NQ DRY TROPICS STRATEGIC PLAN 2018 – 2022

Connecting living landscapes, local livelihoods and cohesive communities from the rangelands to the reef.

WHO WE ARE

NQ Dry Tropics is an independent community-based business leading change towards best practice management of land, water, and biodiversity in the dry tropics of North Queensland.

Formed in 2002, we deliver solutions that benefit landscapes, livelihoods and communities for the long-term.

We are a respected and trusted local partner to a wide network of community, corporate and government clients.

WHAT WE DO

We deliver practical and scalable land, water and biodiversity solutions, using best available knowledge.

We drive behaviour change by providing strategic regional leadership and a strong community voice.

We help shape policy and leverage investment to:

restore water quality to help protect the Great Barrier Reef;
improve land condition for greater farm sustainability and resilience;
support well-functioning land and water ecosystems; and
promote Traditional Owner and community engagement in natural resource management (NRM).

Our core products and services include:

designing and delivering projects and strategies from the landscape to property scale;
delivering extension, education and training to improve property and business management;
project monitoring, evaluating and reporting;
securing and brokering investment, resources and commercial opportunities;
supporting innovation through trials and research partnerships;
training and funding opportunities that strengthen community and Traditional Owner engagement; and
building effective partnerships across all sectors.

HOW WE DO IT

We are committed to:

INTEGRITY—we are respectful, honest, trustworthy, consistent and fair;
COLLABORATION—we listen to other perspectives, work for mutual benefit, and share successes;
LEADERSHIP—we drive change through creativity, tenacity and commitment;
SOLUTIONS—we create innovative solutions using experience and best available evidence; and
SERVICE—we provide outstanding service for our clients.

THE DIFFERENCE WE WILL MAKE

During the next five years, we will continue supporting communities to build resilience and meet challenges. We will pursue smarter solutions, stronger partnerships, and increased community and political commitment to protecting natural resources.

WHERE WE DO IT

We work in the 146,000 km² Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM region that connects rangelands from the Great Dividing Range to the Great Barrier Reef.

We focus on working landscapes used mainly for grazing and cane, to achieve environmental, economic and community benefits.

We aim to extend our influence by working with national and global partners.

WHY WE DO IT

We are driven to make our regional communities more resilient – environmentally, socially and economically.

Our work promotes:

living landscapes — healthy and productive natural land, water and biodiversity resources;
local livelihoods — profitable primary production to support vibrant regional economies; and
cohesive communities — a resilient social fabric.

OUR FIVE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES:

1 Solutions for living landscapes

Sustaining natural resources for current and future generations requires evidence-based, landscape level solutions, built on community needs.

We will focus on:
a) using best available knowledge to pilot, prove and promote scalable NRM solutions that deliver long-term benefits;

b) identifying regional investment priorities led by science, supported by community and aligned with government policy;

c) selecting projects and partnerships that deliver maximum benefit, leverage and scale;

d) expanding partnerships with groups across all sectors, focusing on program design, investment and delivery, policy and behaviour change, and knowledge sharing; and

e) developing a strategic framework to monitor, evaluate and improve the impact of our work.

2 Performing as a champion team

Our continued success relies on a great team of staff supported by a network of high-quality collaborators.

We will focus on:
a) attracting, developing and retaining the best talent by being an employer of choice, and promoting a culture that celebrates collaboration and high performance;

b) maintaining a lean and scalable business model by strengthening our core internal technical and project management skills, and maintaining a flexible network of trusted professional and community partners;

c) engaging with staff and partners to ensure everyone agrees on NRM priorities and is pulling in the same direction;

d) strengthening capacity within the broader NRM network across Queensland; and

e) demonstrating personal and organisational leadership that reflects our values.

3 Great governance and leadership

Our reputation as a trusted local partner relies on continued strong governance and leadership.

We will focus on:
a) employing best-practice corporate systems to support outstanding client service and accountable decision making;

b) maintaining a highly-skilled Board and senior management team to provide strong internal leadership and contribute strategically to the wider NRM
community;

c) ensuring our identity and branding aligns with our values and helps us better engage with clients and stakeholders;

d) expanding opportunities for stakeholders to contribute towards identifying priorities, planning projects and other strategic activities;

e) strengthening project planning, delivery, monitoring and reporting practices to improve performance and help us better demonstrate the benefits we deliver; and

f) actively scoping risks and opportunities to ensure our organisation’s resilience and relevance.

4 Resilient cohesive communities and local livelihoods

We will continue to support resilient, empowered communities by providing advocacy, education opportunities, and mateship.

We will focus on:
a) developing community connections so we are ‘welcome at every gate’;

b) building local capacity and empowering communities to sustainably manage natural resources for the long-term;

c) working with Traditional Owners to deliver culturally appropriate work that promotes reconciliation;

d) designing and delivering programs that build social, natural and financial capital; and

e) connecting government, corporate and community partners.

5 Securing reliable resources

Our ability to continue making an impact relies on more diverse and secure longterm resourcing.

We will focus on:
a) demonstrating positive results and promoting the business case for NRM, highlighting its environmental, economic and community benefits;

b) exploring market-based investment mechanisms such as credits, offsets and payments for ecosystem services, which encourage sustainable stewardship;

c) developing fee-for-service and commercial collaborations based on our core capabilities;

d) continuing to put our clients at the centre of everything we do, and exploring collaborations that deliver better service and value; and

e) building government and community support for NQ Dry Tropics as a champion of NRM priorities and benefits.

Implementation and performance reporting

This corporate strategic plan will be updated and reported against annually.

Priority actions to support this plan will be identified and implemented through an annual business plan and specific project plans.

Key performance indicators will include financial results and achievement towards identified environmental, economic and community targets.

Download a PDF hardcopy of our strategic plan.