Case study of status and change in the rangelands of the Gascoyne - Murchison region
Australian Collaborative Rangeland Information System: Reporting Change in the Rangelands
Ian Watson, Jeff Richardson, Philip Thomas and Damian Shepherd
Department of the Environment and Heritage, 2005
ISBN 0 6425 5184 7
PDF file
About the report
The ACRIS pilot project in the Gascoyne-Murchison region of Western Australia showed that it was possible to use a range of indicators, from a number of disparate data sets, to address the ACRIS questions about change in rangelands. Not surprisingly, because the indicators covered such a broad range of attributes and the area is so large (nearly eight per cent of Australia), the results were mixed. There was also a large range in the data for most indicators, providing both favourable and unfavourable results. This limits the number of generalisations that can be made and also suggests that a 'one size fits all' policy response will be insufficient.
The region experienced an increased capacity for change during the period of the pilot project. This was assessed in a number of ways including the perceptions of pastoral managers, their confidence in the future, and the financial health of many pastoral businesses and a range of on-ground actions. These on-ground actions include better control of grazing animals, relatively rapid and comprehensive de-stocking during drought conditions and improved landscape and ecosystem management.
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