PhD Scholar

Realising rural community capacity to sustain strategic local landscapes on behalf of Australian Society

E-mail: David.Eastburn@anu.edu.au

The basis of my research is the assumption that members of rural bioregional communities have a rich base for interpreting the past, are highly sensitive to current climatic, environmental, market and policy changes, and have a strong interest in a sustainable future for the landscapes in which they live and work. They should, therefore, have greater involvement in decision-making and management processes that relate to the sustainability of their 'places' so that they can respond with local knowledge, imagination and passion, rather than being forced to react to distant decisions or inappropriate prescriptions.

The research will examine the 'politics' of sustaining landscapes, and the values that different groups within society ascribe to different landscapes at different times (with special reference to wetlands). In particular, it will investigate current and historical policies relating to river regulation which impact/ed on the sustainability of landscapes. The research will identify attributes that rural communities, and natural resources management institutions, may benefit from in order to effectively contribute to ecologically and socio-culturally sustainable future landscapes. It will also explore the roles of community, intergenerational equity, and communication in sustaining landscapes.