Next Generation Rural Landscape Governance for Australia

Rural natural resource management in Australia is under pressure due to changes in government, rural communities, markets and the natural resource base itself. Australia has to achieve significant improvement in the... [ view full abstract ]

Rural natural resource management in Australia is under pressure due to changes in government, rural communities, markets and the natural resource base itself. Australia has to achieve significant improvement in the profitability of rural land-use to afford both good incomes and responsible environmental protection, however far greater effectiveness and efficiency in the conservation of natural systems and assets are required coupled with significant improvements in how fairly the benefits and costs of land-use and conservation are shared. From when Europeans first brought industrial farming to Australia significant environmental harm was inevitable. Population growth and entrepreneurship inevitably has increased those harms. Many of these processes cannot be reversed: soil erosion, invasive plants and animals, and other environmental problems increase unless there is sustained control. Climate change will add to biodiversity and productivity problems. It is unlikely that rural communities can effectively shoulder this increasing burden without significant support. We identified that a more negotiated, diverse investment model for Australian rural landscape governance is required, one which improves how we manage human issues tackling legal and institutional frustrations and addressing sustainability recognition and data issues. The core themes of our research included behaviourally effective rules; co-regulation; over-arching legal architecture, effective engagement and risk instruments. This paper provides results from a 4-year study exploring the next generation of rural landscape governance for Australia.