Can paddock scale data integration achieve more cost effective outcomes in the Great Barrier Reef? A case study in the Fitzroy Basin

Star, Megan; Rolfe, John; East, Miriam; Beutel, Terry; McCosker, Kevin; Ellis, R H; Darr, S.; Coughlin, Tom

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.04.034

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…More conservative stocking rates tend to avoid major land-degradation events that occur during drought periods, and underpin economic benefits in maintaining lower stocking rates or reducing forage utilisation rates (Landsberg et al 2002;O'Reagain et al 2011). Bio-economic modelling (Star et al 2013(Star et al , 2015(Star et al , 2017 and long-term grazing trials (e.g. O'Reagain et al 2011;O'Reagain et al 2014;Koci et al 2020) have shown that profitability can be maximised and land condition maintained or improved by using a conservative stocking rate which is adjusted as seasons change.…”

Section: The Economics Of Grazing Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can extension programs improve grazing management in rangelands: a case study in Australia

Rolfe¹,

Star²,

Curcio³

2020

Rangel. J.

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A key challenge in reducing sediment moving from grazing lands into the Great Barrier Reef in Australia is to encourage beef cattle producers to improve management practices. Excessive grazing pressures cause land degradation, leading to both increased sediment runoff and lower future profits. Although higher grazing rates may be possible (and profitable) in better seasons, slow rates of adjustment to poorer seasons can lead to overgrazing and negative impacts on land condition. For policymakers the challenge is to find mechanisms that encourage or signal producers to be more precise in their management and avoid overstocking. Some of the most common options include extension programs, grant programs that use financial incentives, and regulation. In this paper we outline a conceptual framework that shows why extension may be a more powerful driver of management change than incentive programs, and then test this through an evaluation of a case study program conducted with beef cattle producers in catchments of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. The pathway involving landholders to implement management change was through improved efficiency and productivity, as these are the issues that drive ongoing participation in broader environmental programs. The results present multiple lines of evidence to infer positive outcomes of an extension program in terms of changed management practices, which may be expected to generate improved productivity and better water quality outcomes. These can be grouped into three key areas. First, outcomes show positive improvement relative to the Grazing Water Quality Risk framework for the Great Barrier Reef catchments, which is designed to assess the links between land management and water quality. This indicates that resource condition is likely to improve and sediment emissions should be reduced over time. A second outcome is increased landholder engagement and improved understanding of their business and engagement in future programs, which should underpin ongoing adoption. A third outcome is improved management of risk and developing the skills to do this through data collection and monitoring, which should improve management responses in drought years.

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Section: The Economics Of Grazing Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can extension programs improve grazing management in rangelands: a case study in Australia

Rolfe¹,

Star²,

Curcio³

2020

Rangel. J.

Self Cite

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“…As a result, a number of costing exercises to improve our understanding of specific practices, increased adoption, and meeting pollutant reductions targets have been undertaken (Alluvium, 2016;Kroon et al, 2012;Star et al, 2015a). The analyses have however often been completed for different purposes and often with different audiences (i.e landholder or state government), time scales, and spatial scales within the catchments (paddock, sub catchment, catchment) (Rust and Star, 2016;Star et al, 2017;Van Grieken et al, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the cost for pollutant load reductions in the Great Barrier Reef: a case study

2017

Syme, G., Hatton MacDonald, D., Fulton, B. And Piantadosi, J. (Eds) MODSIM2017, 22nd International Congress on Modelling and Si

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The slow progress of pollutant reduction towards the Great Barrier Reef water quality improvement plan targets has increased the pressure to achieve more cost effective outcomes. Consistency in how costs are captured for different policy mechanisms from the paddock scale to the catchment scale would allow more robust evaluation of achieving overall pollutant reduction targets. Progress in the Paddock to Reef monitoring and modelling program (P2R) in the areas of landholder adoption, ground cover and monitoring the program have improved decision making. However, the costs involved in current optimization approaches have data paucity, and could be improved with more consistent, and comprehensive data to evaluate investments. This paper provides a framework on how economic data could be collected to integrate into Paddock to Reef program to optimise investments.

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Do outcome or input risks limit adoption of environmental projects: Rehabilitating gullies in Great Barrier Reef catchments

Star

Rolfe

Barbi³

2019

Ecological Economics

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Can paddock scale data integration achieve more cost effective outcomes in the Great Barrier Reef? A case study in the Fitzroy Basin

Cited by 5 publications

References 25 publications

Can extension programs improve grazing management in rangelands: a case study in Australia

Can extension programs improve grazing management in rangelands: a case study in Australia

Assessing the cost for pollutant load reductions in the Great Barrier Reef: a case study

Do outcome or input risks limit adoption of environmental projects: Rehabilitating gullies in Great Barrier Reef catchments

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