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Sea- and Tree-Change Phenomena in Far North Queensland , Australia: Impacts of Land Use Change and Mitigation Potential

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Demographic Change in Australia's Rural Landscapes

Part of the book series: Landscape Series ((LAEC,volume 12))

Abstract

The landscapes of Far North Queensland , in particular in the Wet Tropics bioregion, are increasingly attractive places for people seeking a sea- or tree-change . However, as more people move to the region, settlement density increases in sea-change locations as well as demand for acreage blocks in tree-change settings. These changes along with infrastructure and service requirements impact upon the landscape values, which may have attracted sea- and tree-changers to move to these locations in the first place. Based on qualitative interviews and community workshop s with local residents in selected coastal and hinterland areas, this chapter explores the sea- and tree-change phenomena in the Wet Tropics bioregion and the potential long-term environmental, social, cultural and economic effects . Based on this analysis the authors discuss emerging strategies, such as urban development footprints, minimum lot size, transferable development rights, master planning and conservation partnerships and incentives, to protect sea- and tree-change landscapes. The chapter concludes with some practical recommendations for policy-makers and planners on how to better protect the character features of these highly desirable landscapes to ensure that they will remain attractive places well into the future. To achieve these recommendations will require major policy changes and greater collaboration between local, state and federal government agencies with responsibilities in land use planning and natural resource and asset management.

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Abbreviations

ABC:

Australian Broadcasting Commission

ABS:

Australian Bureau of Statistics

DEWHA:

Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts

DLGPSR:

Department of Local Government, Sport and Recreation

EPBC:

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

FNQ:

Far North Queensland

GIS:

Geographic Information System

GQAL:

Good Quality Agricultural Land

IPA:

Integrated Planning Act

MCC:

Manningham City Council

NSCT:

National Sea Change Taskforce

SPP:

State Planning Policy

TDR:

Transferable Development Right

WHA:

World Heritage Area

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank all community members who participated in the empirical research that contributed to this book chapter for their time, insights and local knowledge they provided, Karl Haug and Clarence Kinjun for field work assistance, Petina Pert for map preparation and Steve Turton, Brian Roberts, Isla Grundy, Bruce Taylor and Anne Leitch for their valuable comments on earlier drafts of the book chapter. The research was funded by CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems and the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre through the Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility in North Queensland.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, Cairns, QLD, Australia

    Iris C. Bohnet

  2. Centre for Tropical Urban and Regional Planning, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD, Australia

    Nicky Moore

Authors
  1. Iris C. Bohnet
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  2. Nicky Moore
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Iris C. Bohnet .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Inst. Land, Water & Society (ILWS), Charles Sturt University, Albury, 2640, New South Wales, Australia

    Gary W. Luck

  2. Inst. Land, Water & Society (ILWS), Charles Sturt University, Albury, New South Wales, Australia

    Rosemary Black

  3. Inst. Land, Water & Society (ILWS), Charles Sturt University, Albury, New South Wales, Australia

    Digby Race

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Bohnet, I.C., Moore, N. (2010). Sea- and Tree-Change Phenomena in Far North Queensland , Australia: Impacts of Land Use Change and Mitigation Potential. In: Luck, G., Black, R., Race, D. (eds) Demographic Change in Australia's Rural Landscapes. Landscape Series, vol 12. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9654-8_3

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