Managing policy-driven landuse change to enhance the sustainability of rural communities

Abstract

Landuse change is occurring across rural Australia with significant implications for rural communities, socially, economically and environmentally. Some of this change is the result of explicit government policy. Policy-driven landuse change has the potential to change landscapes, alter local and regional economies, and change social dynamics. In some cases, the changes that take place are unable to be absorbed by local communities, who may not have the resilience or 'stocks' of social capital to cope with and adapt to the changes. Hence, policy-driven landuse change may threaten the social and economic sustainability of surrounding communities. Alternatively, the change may be 'embraced' by the local community as a positive alteration to the existing economic, social and physical landscape, and can offer economic and social opportunities for communities under pressure from highly variable market and climatic conditions. By synthesising three bodies of literature, and exploring case study evidence, this thesis aims to make both a practical and theoretical contribution, by exploring the conditions under which policy-driven landuse change can contribute to sustainable rural communities. I argue to achieve this, it is necessary to identify and manage social and economic issues associated with landuse change. This study examines two case studies of policy-driven landuse change, and examines the social, economic and institutional issues that have arisen. The knowledge gained from this study will enable policy makers to better implement proposed landuse change to promote opportunities for regional and local communities. The first case study examines the Adjungbilly community near Gundagai and Tumut in NSW. Predominantly a grazing community, the major change in the region is the active, government-sponsored replacement of agricultural landuses with softwood plantations. Large tracts of pastoral land have been purchased and are now being developed as pine plantations. This is having significant impacts on the rural community, resulting in a negative relationship between Forests NSW and the local Adjungbilly community. The second case study examines a rural community within the Bourke district of western NSW. While the region is still dominated by large grazing properties, since 1996 the NSW NPWS have purchased three former grazing properties to create Gundabooka National Park totalling over 60,000 hectares. Gundabooka National Park was proclaimed under a state government initiative to protect natural systems in the Western Division considered under-represented in the reserve system and to protect cultural values. The landuse change in this region is far less visually obvious than that of Adjungbilly, but still represents a significant change in management philosophies, goals and priorities, from one of economic production to one of ecological conservation. In contrast to the Adjungbilly case study, the Bourke community have responded to the transition to national park positively. It is therefore possible to learn from this to better inform the management decisions and philosophies that influence future landuse change decisions. To introduce policy-driven landuse change in a way that contributes to a community's long-term sustainability, and offers economic and social opportunities for the community, this thesis has proposed a community landuse policy approach, combining social impact assessment, public participation, and social capital enhancing strategies into a practical policy framework. This approach is encapsulated within five management philosophies: • Place-based management; • Managing landuse change at a local and regional level; • A triple-bottom-line approach; • Adopting a participatory approach; and • Whole-of-government decision-making. These management philosophies lay the foundations for all decision-making surrounding landuse change. By planning for change, and introducing it in a sensitive manner, communities and governments can influence the social outcomes and the ongoing sustainability of communities. Policy-driven landuse change can, therefore, be a positive experience for communities, enhancing their long-term sustainability. Show more