Emerging amenity landscapes: Invasive weeds and land subdivision in rural Australia

The Paradox of Engagement: Land Stewardship and Invasive Weeds in Amenity Landscapes

“…With differing socio-economic and cultural backgrounds, high rates of property turnover, often distinct attitudes about rural life and nature, and a high degree of absenteeism among exurbanites, however, social capital and the opportunity for knowledge sharing it provides may be weak in areas undergoing rural to exurban transitions (Klepeis et al, 2009). …”

“…Amenity migration to the area is creating a diversity of owner types and a complex mix of land-uses, including livestock production (sheep, cattle, and alpaca) and vineyards, but also a host of consumptive uses, such as recreation, rural retreat, and land investment. Large-scale subdivisions of grazing properties in the town started in the 1970s as real prices for wool declined, farm families began to seek alternative career paths, and property values began rising due to easy access to both Sydney (two-hour drive to the north) and the country's capital city, Canberra (one-hour drive to south) (Barr, Karunaratne, & Wilkinson, 2005;Klepeis et al, 2009). In contrast to the stereotypical amenity landscape in Australia-"sea change" along the coast-Windellama is a mosaic of rangeland and woodland, representing an area of "tree change" (Figure 3.2).…”

“…The approaches used in the Windellama and Jamberoo Valley case studies are described in detail elsewhere (Klepeis et al, 2009;Gill et al, 2010). In brief, both projects rely primarily on semistructured, in-depth interviews with a mix of exurbanites and ranchers (totaling 36 interviews in Windellama and 25 in Jamberoo) as well as state-level regulators at the Department of Primary Industries and regional weeds officers (charged with inspecting properties and ensuring management of particular invasives as required by law).…”

“…Dispersed by wind up to 15 km seeds easily cross property boundaries. If one landowner controls the grass but her neighbor does not then the attempt, along with a considerable investment in time, money, and effort, is likely to be ineffective (Graham, 2013;Klepeis, Gill, & Chisholm, 2009). If land productivity and Chapter 10 -The Paradox of Engagement 7 biodiversity are not of concern, however, managing serrated tussock may be deemed unimportant.…”

“…In our research on the towns of Windellama and Jamberoo Valley -representing inland and coastal amenity landscapes (respectively, about 234 km southwest and 114 km south of Sydney) -we interviewed both exurbanites and ranchers (Figure 3.1) Klepeis et al, 2009). The research explores qualitatively the land management activities and perceptions rural landowners have of nature, invasives, and land-use.…”