This is an important point that has not been fully appreciated by most government agencies undertaking collaborative management in Australia. Generally the context indicates the intended extent of the community in each case. In practice, pure community management seldom occurs at the whole resource level, in that the community always manages on the basis of government policy or legislation. However, at the local level, it is not uncommon for communities to take on responsibility for specific areas or issues. The possession of a stewardship ethic by stakeholders is crucial to the success of sustainable collaborative management.
Stewardship is discussed in more detail below.