For the first time on Australian soil, experts came together at the Island Arks Symposium (the Symposium) from 7-11 December 2009 to discuss how we can better manage islands and ensure their sustainability. It also provided an opportunity to showcase the excellent work already being undertaken across Australia and to discuss the challenges facing our nation's islands.
The first three days of the Symposium focused on presentations of papers and preliminary discussions on how we can help to make islands more resilient and more capable or dealing with future threats. Following a Reef trip on day four of the Symposium, an island summit was then held on Friday 11 December 2009, which saw a core number of delegates engage in meaningful negotiations and strategy development.
The Symposium saw the formation of new ideas and potential collaborations between delegates and represented organisations. It also highlighted the need for a focussed national agenda for island management, with future actions planned in 2010.
