Exploring agents of change to peri-urban weed management

Citation

Land & Water Australia. 2008. Exploring agents of change to peri-urban weed management. [Online] (Updated April 28th, 2009)
Available at: http://lwa.gov.au/node/2583 [Accessed Sunday 1st of August 2010 07:53:43 AM ].

Summary

This project aims to undertake a social research study in the Upper Murrumbidgee catchment, targeting rural lifestyle landowners, to determine the driver to land use change in relation to invasive weeds. The results from this research will provide important input to weed management strategies and aid in the development of efficient methods for surveying and eradicating emergent weeds.

The research will primarily follow methods used by Aslin & Mazur in their 2005 study “Bio-security awareness and peri-urban landholders: a case study approach”. These methods were found to be the most appropriate for collecting qualitative and quantitative data when undertaking a social survey of rural lifestyle landowners.

Aims

This project aims to undertake a social research study in the Upper Murrumbidgee catchment, targeting Rrural Lifestyle Landowners, to determine the drivers to land use change in relation to invasive weeds. The results from this research will provide important input to weed management strategies and aid in the development of efficient methods for surveying and eradicating emergent weeds.

Outcomes

The research team are currently reviewing the findings from this study to develop a series of recommendations including engagement of Rural Lifestyle Landholders (RLLs) in weed management and NRM in general. These findings will be incorporated into the final printed report. The findings will be used to develop and pilot a public weed identification workshop specifically designed for RLLs in the case study areas. Results from this event will be included as an appendix to the final printed report.

Background

Rural Lifestyle Landowners are a key stakeholder in future landscape management, and can be viewed as potential threats or possible allies in natural resource management (Hollier at. al. 2004). Lack of knowledge, different values and time limitations combine to make rural lifestyle landowners a potential source of increased emergent weeds, weed spread and general poor land management (Aslin & Mazur 2005). However, rural lifestyle landowners are also typically well educated, have high incomes and value natural landscapes (Buxton et. al. 2006).

Aslin & Mazur (2005) have noted that rural lifestyle landowners have been identified as a potential bio-security risk group, and that concerns have been expressed about how information and awareness campaigns are reaching this part of the rural population. One of the most common bio-security risks associated with this segment of the rural community is the risk of introducing and spreading weeds. It is important that weed management strategies, and efficient methods for surveying and eradicating emergent weeds consider lifestyle / peri-urban lands and the different values, culture and knowledge levels of rural lifestyle landowners.

There have been a number of social studies undertaken on peri-urban areas (Aslin & Mazur, 2005; Hollier et. al. 2004; Buxton et. al. 2006; Mackenzie et. al. 2006; Curtis et. al. 2000). These studies have, however, focused on developing a broader understanding of natural resource management issues. There is little social data on rural lifestyle landowners in relation to weeds and land use of rural lifestyle landowners in areas of the Upper Murrumbidgee catchment.