Part 2: Case Studies in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland Order with and without the law Institute for Rural Futures: University of New England 2 Order with and without the law Contents CONTENTS .......................................................................................................................................................3 1 STUDY TWO: THE CASE STUDIES ..............................................................................................................7 1.1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................... 7 1.2 BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................................................... 7 1.2.1 Managing the environment within rural communities ..................................................................... 9 1.2.2 Conflict resolution at the local community level ............................................................................... 9 1.2.3 Defining environmental crime ........................................................................................................ 10 1.3 STUDY OBJECTIVES ................................................................................................................................... 11 1.4 METHOD ................................................................................................................................................ 12 1.4.1 Interviews ........................................................................................................................................ 12 1.4.2 Sample selection ............................................................................................................................. 12 1.4.3 Focus groups ................................................................................................................................... 13 1.4.4 Questionnaire ................................................................................................................................. 13 1.5 REPORT STRUCTURE ................................................................................................................................. 14 2 THE MOIRA SHIRE .................................................................................................................................. 15 2.1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................ 15 2.2 POPULATION AND SETTLEMENT .................................................................................................................. 16 2.3 AGRICULTURE IN THE REGION ..................................................................................................................... 16 2.4 CLIMATE ................................................................................................................................................. 17 2.5 ECOLOGY ................................................................................................................................................ 18 2.6 ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES FOR THE MOIRA SHIRE ............................................................................................. 21 2.6.1 Participants’ views of environmental issues ................................................................................... 21 2.7 FARM MANAGEMENT: ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION AND INNOVATION ......................................................... 25 2.7.1 Farm innovation and conservation: community initiatives ............................................................. 28 2.8 PRESSURE ON FARMERS TO DO MORE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT .......................................................................... 29 2.8.1 Pressures related to water .............................................................................................................. 29 2.9 ORDER WITHOUT LAW: MANAGING PROBLEMS IN THE COMMUNITY ................................................................... 30 2.10 ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME: PARTICIPANT’S PERCEPTIONS .................................................................................... 36 2.11 ATTITUDES TO ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS ......................................................................................................... 38 2.11.1 Good laws identified by participants .......................................................................................... 39 2.11.2 Bad laws identified by participants ............................................................................................ 39 2.11.3 Costs identified by participants .................................................................................................. 42 2.11.4 Other good activities by government identified by participants ................................................ 43 2.12 PARTICIPANT’S SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVING ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS ............................................................... 43 2.13 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: LOCAL CO-REGULATION ................................................................................ 46 Institute for Rural Futures: University of New England 3 Order with and without the law 2.14 TALKING POINT: WATER TRADING ................................................................................................................ 48 2.14.1 Water trading: COAG and state legislation ................................................................................ 48 2.14.2 Commonwealth buybacks for environmental flows and relaxation of the 4% cap .................... 49 2.14.3 Trade within the Moira shire ...................................................................................................... 51 2.14.4 Enforcement of water provisions ................................................................................................ 52 2.14.5 Water policy and water crime: silent informal order ................................................................. 52 2.14.6 The informal order in Moira: concern for communities and the environment ........................... 53 2.14.7 Community survival .................................................................................................................... 53 2.15 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS .................................................................................................................... 54 3 THE WALGETT SHIRE .............................................................................................................................. 55 3.1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................ 55 3.2 POPULATION AND SETTLEMENT .................................................................................................................. 56 3.3 AGRICULTURE IN THE REGION ..................................................................................................................... 56 3.3.1 Western land leases ........................................................................................................................ 58 3.3.2 Catchment management areas ...................................................................................................... 58 3.4 CLIMATE ................................................................................................................................................. 61 3.5 ECOLOGY ................................................................................................................................................ 61 3.6 ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES FOR THE WALGETT SHIRE ......................................................................................... 63 3.6.1 Participants’ views of environmental issues ................................................................................... 65 3.7 FARM MANAGEMENT: ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION AND INNOVATION ......................................................... 67 3.7.1 Farm innovation and conservation: individual initiatives ............................................................... 68 3.7.2 Farm innovation and conservation: community initiatives ............................................................. 71 3.8 PRESSURES TO IMPROVE FARM MANAGEMENT ............................................................................................... 71 3.9 ORDER WITHOUT LAW: MANAGING PROBLEMS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY ........................................................... 72 3.9.1 Damage to the commons and neighbourhood watch .................................................................... 75 3.10 ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME: PARTICIPANTS’ PERCEPTIONS .................................................................................... 76 3.11 ATTITUDES TO ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS ......................................................................................................... 79 3.11.1 Good laws identified by participants .......................................................................................... 79 3.11.2 Bad laws identified by participants ............................................................................................ 80 3.11.3 Costs identified by participants .................................................................................................. 84 3.11.4 Other good activities by government identified by participants ...............................................