An unusually rapid and widespread increase in apparently new and changing infectious diseases has occurred globally over the past four decades. This has also been a time of accelerated global ecological change. Associations between the two phenomena are unclear: emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) are reported more frequently in wealthy countries, with greater capacity for resources for surveillance and detection than less affluent centres, even though the latter are often undergoing accelerated socioecological change. Here, a series of transdisciplinary studies is reviewed that test the hypothesis that specific ecological change accounts for a significant component of the rise in EIDs in the Australasian region. Amongst the range of mechanisms, factors such as wildlife adaptation to changing landscapes and selection for antimicrobial resistance appear to be of major significance. However, exploring multi-scale complex relationships is a challenge to epidemiology. The importance of framing the scale of relationships and limitations of available data are discussed. Despite obstacles, insight into approaches to mitigating disease risk at a landscape level is expanding.