This research addresses the fundamental question of how rural and remote communities in Australia's rangelands value the contribution of the natural environment to their wellbeing and how these community values differ from the environmental values ascribed by natural resource managers and policy makers. Based on ethnographic theories of social constructivism and complex adaptive systems, the research develops a methodology for a better way of understanding how community's value the environment and draws on the National Reserve System in Far Western New South Wales as a case study for its application. Protected areas are special places on land and sea which are managed for conservation purposes. They are considered to have biodiversity and/or cultural values that require protection and preservation. In Australia they are often designated national parks, nature reserves or state recreation areas, whilst most are public, some are privately owned. As the provision and management of protected areas is strongly influenced by the perceptions of managers and policy makers from outside host communities, it is crucial that managers and policy makers ensure that there is a fusion of interest between their own perceptions of the benefits of environmental conservation and those experienced by the host community. This common purpose is necessary to ensure that conservation is accepted and fostered by host communities and the wider public. By identifying and ameliorating the divergence between these 'internal' community ascribed values, and the value ascribed by managers and policy makers, the research has provided the basis for policies to enhance the effectiveness of environmental conservation planning and management. The research methodology utilises collected and compiled secondary data to establish central themes and values that are being represented both by the 'internal' community and 'external' policy makers. It then develops and tests a device that provides an example of how community values can be elicited. The results provide new insights into the capacity of current Australian environmental management mechanisms to build productive and resilient social - ecological relationships, as well as an assessment of the condition of these relationships.
Date of Award | 2009 |
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Original language | English |
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- rural development
- New South Wales
- conservation of natural resources
- protected areas
- environmental management
- environmental policy
Improving the contribution of protected areas to quality of life in rural and regional communities
Wolnicki, M. (Author). 2009
Western Sydney University thesis: Doctoral thesis