Attitudes to recreational use of rural properties A Report for the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation by Elaine Barclay October 2004 RIRDC Publication No 04/123 RIRDC Project No UNE-84A INCORPORATING THE FORMER RURAL DEVELOPMENT CENTRE University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351 © 2004 Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation. All rights reserved. ISBN 1 74151 031 7 ISSN 1440-6845 Attitudes to recreational use of rural properties Publication No. 04/123 Project No. UNE-84A The views expressed and the conclusions reached in this publication are those of the author and not necessarily those of persons consulted. RIRDC shall not be responsible in any way whatsoever to any person who relies in whole or in part on the contents of this report. This publication is copyright. However, RIRDC encourages wide dissemination of its research, providing the Corporation is clearly acknowledged. For any other enquiries concerning reproduction, contact the Publications Manager on phone 02 6272 3186. Researcher Contact Details Elaine Barclay The Institute for Rural Futures, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351 Phone: (02) 67735141 Fax: (02) 67733245 Email: [email protected] In submitting this report, the researcher has agreed to RIRDC publishing this material in its edited form. RIRDC Contact Details Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation Level 1, AMA House 42 Macquarie Street BARTON ACT 2600 PO Box 4776 KINGSTON ACT 2604 Phone: 02 6272 4539 Fax: 02 6272 5877 Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.rirdc.gov.au Published in October 2004 Printed on environmentally friendly paper by Canprint ii Foreword Attitudes of landholders are of fundamental importance in determining the area available to the general public for outdoor recreation. These attitudes are determined by landholders’ personal values and beliefs; legal, economic, social and ecological concerns; national, local and family traditions; government incentives; the type and volume of recreational activities; and past experiences with recreationists. In particular, illegal trespassers and shooters on farms cause considerable damage to properties and concern for landholders with the result that many will close their properties to recreationists. Through focus groups and interviews, this study examined attitudes towards recreational access to private rural lands from the perspective of farmers but also from the point of view of hunters and other recreationists who desire access to private land for recreation purposes. The aim was to identify the primary concerns of each group and seek some solutions that may lead to some cooperative ventures between all stakeholders. This project was funded from RIRDC Core Funds, which are provided by the Australian Government. This report is an addition to RIRDC’s diverse range of over 1000 research publications, forms part of our Human Capital, Communications and Information Systems R&D program, which aims to enhance human capital and facilitate innovation in rural industries and communities. Most of our publications are available for viewing, downloading or purchasing online through our website: downloads at http://www.rirdc.gov.au/reports/index.htm purchases at http://www.rirdc.gov.au/eshop Simon Hearn Managing Director Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation iii Acknowledgments The research that forms the subject of this report has been supported by a grant from the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation. The views expressed are the responsibility of the author and are not necessarily those of the funding body. My sincere appreciation goes to the Country Women’s Association, New South Wales Farmers’, the Four-Wheel-Drive Association and the Sporting Shooters’ Association in Queensland and New South Wales and in particular those farmers and recreationists who participated in the focus groups and interviews conducted. Thank you also to those who also participated in interviews including NSW and Queensland Police, and officers from National Parks and Wildlife, Oueensland Department of Primary Industry and NSW Rural Lands Protection Boards. I would like to thank my colleagues at the Institute for Rural Futures for their advice on drafts of this report. Special thanks to Jean Harris for her assistance in the preparation of this report. All errors and omissions remain the responsibility of the author. About the Author Elaine Barclay is a Project Director at the Institute for Rural Futures at the University of New England. Elaine has conducted research in areas such as farm succession and inheritance, information technology, welfare services for farm families and crime in rural communities. Elaine has a degree in Social Science and postgraduate qualifications in Psychology and is currently undertaking a PhD into crime on farms in Australia. iv Contents Foreword............................................................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgments ................................................................................................................................................ iv List of Figures and Tables ................................................................................................................................... vi Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................................ vii Chapter 1: Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Objectives of the study .......................................................................................................................... 2 1.3 Structure of the report............................................................................................................................ 2 Chapter 2: Background........................................................................................................................................ 3 2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 3 2.2 Outdoor recreation in Australia ............................................................................................................. 3 2.3 Hunting in Australia .............................................................................................................................. 4 2.4 Pest management on farms .................................................................................................................... 5 2.5 Illegal trespassing and shooting on farms.............................................................................................. 8 2.6 A review of the literature....................................................................................................................... 9 2.7 Summary ............................................................................................................................................. 15 Chapter 3: Methodology..................................................................................................................................... 17 3.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 17 3.2 The study area...................................................................................................................................... 17 3.3 Focus Groups....................................................................................................................................... 17 3.4 Other sources of information............................................................................................................... 20 3.5 Summary ............................................................................................................................................. 20 Chapter 4: The Farmers..................................................................................................................................... 21 4.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 21 4.2 Feral animal control in the study area.................................................................................................. 21 4.3 Focus groups........................................................................................................................................ 22 4.4 Interviews with police officers ............................................................................................................ 32 4.5 Summary ............................................................................................................................................. 34 Chapter 5: The Hunters ..................................................................................................................................... 36 5.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 36 5.2 Hunting