In analysing any public policy matter, a number of interrelated questions must be considered (Jenkins 1978, Ham and Hill 1984):

• is there a problem – if so, what is its scale and priority, relative to other issues on the public agenda?

• who has articulated the problem and what are the various perceptions and attitudes of interested or affected parties?

• what is the political culture (milieu) within which the issue will be debated?

• which agency or authorities should have administrative jurisdiction over it?

• how well is the machinery of government equipped to handle the problem? (There are various elements of organisational structure and process which must be considered, as well as necessary resources such as time, money, expertise and information).

• what is the feasibility of policy formation and implementation, given the likely impact of political expediency, precedent and external influence, as well as questions of timing and accidents of history?

Not all of these aspects were discussed in detail during the workshop and they cannot be analysed to any substantial extent within the limits of this attempted overview; nonetheless a few observations may be recorded to highlight some practical difficulties in achieving policy solutions.

As far as land degradation in Australia is concerned, is there a problem? Contrasting views are expressed by authors in this book and the evidence collated seems rather ambiguous. Clearly there are many individuals and groups within the community who genuinely believe land degradation to be a substantial and insidious problem likely to cause major environmental and economic difficulties in the future.