Mapping community values for regional sustainability in the Lower Hunter region of NSW (2012-13)
Strategic Research Area
Social research for Regional Natural Resource Management
Funding
National Environmental Research Program (NERP) Landscape and Policy Hub, $175,000
Investigators/ Researchers
Dr. Christopher Raymond and Prof Allan Curtis
Description
The Lower Hunter region (defined as the area covered by the Cessnock, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Newcastle and Port Stephens LGAs) is located in Eastern NSW and covers approximately 430,000 hectares, 60% of which is covered in native vegetation. Population growth and demand for residential dwellings is increasing pressure on the region's natural environment. Regional planning authorities have recently commissioned a number of biophysical investigations to examine the impact of new dwellings on the natural environment; however, no studies into community values and preferences have been conducted. The current project addresses this knowledge gap.
This project has three key objectives
- Identify and map the values assigned by multiple community types to natural and built features in the Lower Hunter region.
- Develop a robust methodology for eliciting community values for natural and built features which can be applied in multiple regional planning contexts.
- Provide information and a series of policy recommendations to inform the Lower Hunter regional strategy, including a reliability check of sites tagged for conservation and regional development.
Outputs
A survey instrument and standardised methodology for mapping community values for regional sustainability in other land-use contexts. The journal paper Brown, G and Raymond, C.M. Methods for identifying land-use conflict potential using participatory mapping. Landscape and Urban Planning is under review.
Outcomes
The project will recommend innovative ways for balancing conservation and development in the Lower Hunter, including maps which show the potential for conflict between development and conservation proposals.
CONTACT
Dr Christopher Raymond
CSU Albury
chris.raymond@enviroconnect.com.au
May 2013