Deliberating in the Reef world: how can place-based deliberation help to envision sustainable regional futures for the Great Barrier Reef?

Achieving a sustainable future for lived landscapes like the Great Barrier Reef requires understanding how local communities collectively envision their futures and prioritise socio-economic and environmental goals. Public deliberation is a method for creating conditions whereby citizens reflect on how their collective values and beliefs–including social, economic and environmental goals–inform decisions regarding the best course of action. In this article, we explore the potential of place-based, small-group deliberation as a method for envisioning and prioritising the social, economic and environmental goals of communities within the Great Barrier Reef region. Drawing on observations from a pilot process conducted with local residents in Townsville, the largest population centre in the Reef region, we examine and reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of implementing deliberative methods in the real-world context of the Reef. We also discuss how place-based forms of deliberation could play a role in supporting communities to envision and navigate sustainable regional futures within the context of climate change and other pressures on the Reef, and identify areas for future research and practice.