Regulatory design for water quality management in urban catchments. This project aims, through empirical research (i) to evaluate the effectiveness of current regulatory, quasi-regulatory and other policy strategies for water quality management in urban catchments (including total/integrated catchment management); (ii) to provide practical policy prescriptions concerning how through judicious regulatory and institutional design, those problems may be best addressed for the future; and (iii) adva ....Regulatory design for water quality management in urban catchments. This project aims, through empirical research (i) to evaluate the effectiveness of current regulatory, quasi-regulatory and other policy strategies for water quality management in urban catchments (including total/integrated catchment management); (ii) to provide practical policy prescriptions concerning how through judicious regulatory and institutional design, those problems may be best addressed for the future; and (iii) advance regulatory theory by developing a framework for understanding the relative effectiveness of different regulatory regimes in the context of urban catchment management. Its empirical focus is on the Swan-Canning river in Western Australia.Read moreRead less
Institutional transitions to sustainable agriculture: An inter-disciplinary analysis of a novel common-property resource governance system. Efforts to overcome the severe degradation of land resources supporting agriculture and human communities continue to be constrained by institutions and social norms. The knowledge needed for a transition to sustainable agricultural landscapes through institutional change is inadequate. A collaboration between specialists in economics, politics, sociology, ....Institutional transitions to sustainable agriculture: An inter-disciplinary analysis of a novel common-property resource governance system. Efforts to overcome the severe degradation of land resources supporting agriculture and human communities continue to be constrained by institutions and social norms. The knowledge needed for a transition to sustainable agricultural landscapes through institutional change is inadequate. A collaboration between specialists in economics, politics, sociology, ecology and soil science at the University of New England and graziers in an upper Murray-Darling subcatchment will analyse the transition to a common-property institution on this subcatchment. It will make a distinctively Australian contribution to international efforts to understand such transitions, and serve as a model for progress towards sustainability elsewhere in Australia.
Read moreRead less
Toward a political ecology of risk in river basin development: The case of the Mekong. This project is designed to examine the distribution and redistribution of risk associated with environmental change and large scale development interventions in the Mekong Region. The research aims to make a theoretical contribution to the rapidly emerging field of political ecology, by moving beyond an analysis of winners and losers based on certainty and post-facto impacts. The study will work toward an ana ....Toward a political ecology of risk in river basin development: The case of the Mekong. This project is designed to examine the distribution and redistribution of risk associated with environmental change and large scale development interventions in the Mekong Region. The research aims to make a theoretical contribution to the rapidly emerging field of political ecology, by moving beyond an analysis of winners and losers based on certainty and post-facto impacts. The study will work toward an analysis driven by the inherent uncertainties that underlie both the social construction and social distribution of environmental risk. The research also has important practical implications for environmental and social assessment methodologies in and beyond the case study region.Read moreRead less
Impact of Native Title on Local Government in Australia. This project will consider in detail the Integrated Planning Act 1997 (Qld) (IPA) and how the implementation IPA Planning Schemes will impact upon native title rights to land and sea. The project will also look at the impact of IPA on development applications made by native titleholders themselves. It will provide for identification and analysis of the relevant legal arrangements affecting native title, and the creation for taxonomy of imp ....Impact of Native Title on Local Government in Australia. This project will consider in detail the Integrated Planning Act 1997 (Qld) (IPA) and how the implementation IPA Planning Schemes will impact upon native title rights to land and sea. The project will also look at the impact of IPA on development applications made by native titleholders themselves. It will provide for identification and analysis of the relevant legal arrangements affecting native title, and the creation for taxonomy of impacts arising out of the interaction of the two legal regimes. The project will indicate strategies to facilitate cooperation between local planning authorities and indigenous stakeholders within existing legal structures.Read moreRead less
States, Coalitions and Climate Change Governance. Australia will suffer a greater adverse effect from climate change than most other developed countries, yet it is also placed to do well as part of an effective global mitigation effort. The success of this mitigation effort will be crucially dependent on the co-operation of lead states. This project analyses the dynamics of climate change co-operation. It will have national benefit in helping Australia to understand the emerging coalitions that ....States, Coalitions and Climate Change Governance. Australia will suffer a greater adverse effect from climate change than most other developed countries, yet it is also placed to do well as part of an effective global mitigation effort. The success of this mitigation effort will be crucially dependent on the co-operation of lead states. This project analyses the dynamics of climate change co-operation. It will have national benefit in helping Australia to understand the emerging coalitions that will shape the future of climate change and how Australia might best mediate its influence internationally in order to secure effective climate change mitigation.Read moreRead less
The New Collaborative Environmental Governance: Natural Resource Management in Australia. This project will evaluate the new regional natural resource management arrangements that have been established across Australia. The project outcomes will enable policy-makers nationally to identify opportunities for innovative policies and programs which can achieve better results for the environment (reducing environmental degradation), and for the economy (reducing costs to rural industries and to regul ....The New Collaborative Environmental Governance: Natural Resource Management in Australia. This project will evaluate the new regional natural resource management arrangements that have been established across Australia. The project outcomes will enable policy-makers nationally to identify opportunities for innovative policies and programs which can achieve better results for the environment (reducing environmental degradation), and for the economy (reducing costs to rural industries and to regulators) while substantially increasing effective community participation. The project will also provide principles with the potential to reshape environmental strategy and establish Australia as a leader in collaborative environmental governance internationally.Read moreRead less
Local Capacity Regulation: Facilitating Participatory Environmental Policy. This project aims to develop a participatory strategy capable of substantially improving the environmental performance of small and medium sized enterprises. Its outcome will be to show how local knowledge and capacity can be mobilized to fulfill regulatory and other environmental goals. Its significance will be (i) to develop principles for, and a broader model of local capacity regulation that is robust, sustainable an ....Local Capacity Regulation: Facilitating Participatory Environmental Policy. This project aims to develop a participatory strategy capable of substantially improving the environmental performance of small and medium sized enterprises. Its outcome will be to show how local knowledge and capacity can be mobilized to fulfill regulatory and other environmental goals. Its significance will be (i) to develop principles for, and a broader model of local capacity regulation that is robust, sustainable and easily reproduced, and capable of being applied to a wide range of other environmental and regulatory contexts and (ii) to develop an institutional framework that can facilitate effective community intervention in other domains of governance.Read moreRead less
Natural resource management and enterprise development: can they improve Indigenous livelihoods? High on the Australian agenda is the removal of disadvantage faced by Indigenous groups and the sustainable use of biodiversity on Indigenous land. In terms of Eastern Indonesia, the Australian agenda relates to poverty eradication, with fewer threats to Australian borders in terms of illegal fishing and migration. This project provides fundamental knowledge on household resource use patterns, and th ....Natural resource management and enterprise development: can they improve Indigenous livelihoods? High on the Australian agenda is the removal of disadvantage faced by Indigenous groups and the sustainable use of biodiversity on Indigenous land. In terms of Eastern Indonesia, the Australian agenda relates to poverty eradication, with fewer threats to Australian borders in terms of illegal fishing and migration. This project provides fundamental knowledge on household resource use patterns, and the constraints and opportunities for natural resource activities, as a step towards identifying ways in which natural resources can be mobilised to improve livelihoods. Read moreRead less
Integrating economics and science for land, water and biodiversity policy. Australian government programs for land and water conservation involve expenditure of billions of dollars, combined with much larger contributions from program participants. However, various problems with these programs have been identified. This research will assist program investors to better target funding, to employ more appropriate policy mechanisms, and to operate in a cost-effective way, achieving the most highly v ....Integrating economics and science for land, water and biodiversity policy. Australian government programs for land and water conservation involve expenditure of billions of dollars, combined with much larger contributions from program participants. However, various problems with these programs have been identified. This research will assist program investors to better target funding, to employ more appropriate policy mechanisms, and to operate in a cost-effective way, achieving the most highly valued environmental outcomes that can be achieved with the available budget. The project will develop improved theories, frameworks and economic models, integrating information from physical, biological and social sciences, and decision tools for use by environmental decision makers.Read moreRead less
Supporting or sabotaging sustainable development? State policy responses to environmental certification schemes. Almost everywhere, forests and fisheries are experiencing degradation and biodiversity loss. Since 1990, governments, industry and civil society organizations have expressed growing interest in market-based instruments for environmentally sustainable development. However, while states support the use of market-based instruments in general, serious problems arise with specific schemes. ....Supporting or sabotaging sustainable development? State policy responses to environmental certification schemes. Almost everywhere, forests and fisheries are experiencing degradation and biodiversity loss. Since 1990, governments, industry and civil society organizations have expressed growing interest in market-based instruments for environmentally sustainable development. However, while states support the use of market-based instruments in general, serious problems arise with specific schemes. This is particular true of environmental certification schemes, several of which have been opposed. Our study will explore the underlying factors that shape government responses to certification schemes in the forestry and fisheries sectors, thereby providing practical policy advice to ensure state institutions support rather than sabotage environmentally sustainable development.Read moreRead less