Evaluating the Australian Defence Force stakeholder participation at Shoalwater Bay Training Area, Queensland, Australia

Stakeholder participation has become a popular management approach and its significance has been widely recognised. There is a lack of studies regarding evaluation of stakeholder participation, especially in environmental management by defence sectors. This paper examines how the Australian Defence Force (ADF) involves stakeholders in environmental management and its effectiveness, using Shoalwater Bay Training Area, Queensland, as a case study. Based on the combination of field observations, extensive interviews, a public questionnaire survey and relevant analyses, this study concluded that, overall, stakeholder participation was considered by respondents to be marginally effective. Recommendations were finally provided to improve the ADF's stakeholder participation in the future.