Motivating Change: key to protecting farming systems

The handbook, Motivating Change in the Catchment: A Guide to Revegetation Design and Incentives for Catchment Management Bodies, will be launched today by CSIRO and the Australia New Zealand Society for Ecological Economics (ANZSEE) at the ANZSEE Conference, Noosaville, Queensland.

“This practical and easy to read handbook encourages catchment managers to assess environmental problems confronting their regions and to consider if revegetation is the appropriate remedy,” says Dr Wendy Proctor, CSIRO Land and Water.

“If so, the handbook encourages managers to consider various forms of incentives available to them to encourage landowners to provide effective revegetation strategies.”

A range of incentive schemes that support revegetation and other conservation management actions on private and public land have been developed in recent years.  The handbook provides a thorough overview of the various incentives, including stewardship payments, auctions and suasive instruments.

“Different types of incentives work better for different purposes, different contextual situations and different communities,” says Dr Proctor.

“As it is important to get a good understanding of the type of community that will be involved in the scheme, we have included a community assessment survey to assist catchment managers to tailor appropriate incentives. This is backed up by a range of principles to test if the chosen scheme is suitable for the purpose.”

There is a growing awareness that farming systems do not always fit with landscape needs, and may cause dryland salinity, poor water quality, a loss of native fish, and threats to biodiversity and native habitat.  Reintroducing trees and other vegetation is often an important part of what needs to be done to address these problems and protect farming systems.

To increase both uptake and cooperation when the scheme is implemented, the handbook provides suggestions for including key stakeholders and the community in the decision making process.

The Handbook was prepared by the CSIRO and the Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines, and funded by the Australian Government Department of the Environment and Water Resources.
A copy of the report can be found at Motivating Change.