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The recent natural disasters, such as the Haiti earthquake (2008), the Sichuan earthquake in China (2008), the Russian heat wave (2010), the typhoon Megi in the Philippines (2010), the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan (2011), the earthquakes in Chile and New Zealand (2011), the volcano eruptions in Iceland (2011), floods in Tennessee (USA) and Rio de Janiero (2010), landslides in Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela (2010) and Malaysia (2011), and tornedos in Illinois, Oregon and Wisconsin in the U.S.A (2010), and many others have negatively affected millions of people in many countries across continents. In addition, man-made incidents, for example, forest fires in Indonesian, have fortified the full swing of the natural forces causing serious consequences which are not confined in one country, but are transnational. The challenges of environmental management are multi-faceted and interdependent, and must be addressed by relevant stakeholders in the public and private sectors, and civil society. In other words, environmental sustainability is the obligation of respective stakeholders, including the public, at all levels. This chapter aims to (i) briefly discuss environmental issues in Australia, (ii) introduce a multi-sector governance model for environmental sustainability, including the public and private sectors, and civil society, and interaction among them, (iii) examine the current institutions, mechanisms and initiatives adopted by Australia to address environmental sustainability, and (iv) analyse the main factors influencing the efficacy of this governance model. This paper is significant as it will address the research questions from an interdisciplinary perspective and practical points of view. The governance framework explored in this chapter would provide a better understanding for further research in governance and sustainable development. Finally, neighbouring countries in the region may benefit from the lessons drawn from the Australian experience in terms of how to achieve economic development without destroying the environment. © 2012 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.
