Environmental solutions fast-tracked: Reversing public scepticism to public engagement

Abstract Setting accomplishable goals for managing environmental health might be more effective where the environmental goals align with social interests. Engaging community stakeholders in the decision-making process allows social knowledge, expectations and concerns to inform planning. This inclusion reduces the risk of community or political backlash to environmental decisions and builds support for the solutions. We provide an account of engaging the public with the management and socio-ecological history of a coastline, a social process that reversed public scepticism (of government investment in marine infrastructure) to support for the recovery of extinct habitat (1500 km of oyster reef). The resulting social participation in the decision-making process created public stewardship of an innovative solution to revive an extinct habitat at a coastal-scale (Australia's first large-scale reef restoration). Our analysis of a shared social and governmental optimism for this revival recognises three key components: 1) a collaborative decision-making process through regular engagement with coastal residents and workers, 2) encouragement of collaborative innovation of solutions (co-designed) to benefit economic and social activities, and 3) engaging local communities on the region's forgotten socio-ecological history to reveal the opportunity to recover their natural history. This project demonstrates that ecological restoration at coastal-scales is a viable policy solution for the environment and society; illustrating how valuing the socio-ecological context with social engagement can rally support for building positive environmental legacies.