We extend a very warm invitation to you to attend this conference, and to enjoy Northern Tasmania and, in particular, Launceston and the Tamar Valley.A question frequently posed by farmers and managers of projects utilising our natural resources of land and water is: “Can we combine productivity, and profitability, with healthy biodiversity?” This conference sets out to answer that question through a very wide selection of real life case studies – giving examples of innovative best practice which is backed up by science. The “keynote” speakers from overseas and Australia will bring to us the broader picture while the case study presenters through their real life experiences will lead us to an understanding of the biodiversity and productivity potential and opportunities for each of us working in our unique and particular productive environments.Our aim is to make this conference rather different from others. The form of the conference will encourage participation – not just listening. Who knows which of our ideas or reactions or conversations will produce important consequences or brilliant long lasting results? So, you the participant will be encouraged to engage, share experiences and contribute actively. We want you to have ownership of the conclusions and outcomes and so we are adopting a format aimed to achieve that.It is important that the case studies chosen focus on fisheries, agriculture and forestry. This recognises the reality of the enormous amount of NRM work, integration, planning and action throughout catchments by community members and managers of land and water around the nation.

What better venue for such a conference than the Tamar Region with its incredible diversity of uses of land and water and its fully engaged and supportive community.We are continually challenged at a local, national and global scale by new awareness of limits:Limits to how far we can tame our environment;Limits to atmospheric resilience in the face of human endeavour;Limits to redistributive practices with water.We are confronted constantly by the environmental and human needs and the economic realities of sustainability.We celebrate the successes of the past and present – as well as the opportunity to hold this conference and the difference it, and the published conference proceedings and outcomes will make.Tamar NRM and the University of Tasmania’s Centre for Environment look forward to welcoming you to this conference – itself a challenge, a confrontation and a celebration.We believe the research and innovative endeavour and enterprise revealed in the remarkable case studies to be presented contain hope and direction for the future.We hope you will join us and enjoy being part of this event.