Enabling the Market: Incentives for Biodiversity in the Rangelands: Report to the Australian Government Department of the Environment and Water Resources by the Desert Knowledge Cooperative Research Centre

Enabling the Market: Incentives for Biodiversity in the Rangelands: Report to the Australian Government Department of the Environment and Water Resources by the Desert Knowledge Cooperative Research Centre Report

DKCRC Research Report

• Author(s): Smyth, AK, Davies, J, Gorddard, RJ, Whitten, S, Brandle, R, Coggan, A, Edwards, R, Fleming, J, Gambold, N, Maloney, J, Read, J, Yunus, F
• Published: 2007
• Publisher: Desert Knowledge CRC
• Volume: 18

Link to resource Report broken link

Abstract: In August 2005, the Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage (now Department of the Environment and Water Resources) commissioned the DKCRC to inform department decisions about market-based incentives for achieving biodiversity conservation outcomes in the rangelands. The title of the commission was ‘Enabling the market: incentives for biodiversity in the rangelands’ (DKCRC project 1.806). It had a whole-of-rangeland focus and it specifically targeted information on market-based incentives. The motivation for this study was largely driven by the large body of work on conservation incentive programs for biodiversity conservation on private lands in the intensive land use zone of coastal Australia. The extensively managed rangelands which cover some 80% of the continent have received little investment largely because the landscapes are perceived to be relatively intact. However, recent State of the Environment reports suggest that rangeland ecosystems are in slow decline and extremely vulnerable to inappropriate land uses, fire management practices and invasive weed species. Biodiversity conservation options in the rangelands are likely to be highly cost-effective and could alleviate the need for large remedial investments in the future. Because there has been less exposure for market-based delivery of conservation outcomes in the rangelands than in the intensive land use zone, it is unknown how transferable they are; this must be understood before embarking on any new investments. The expected outcomes of this study were: • The scientific basis necessary to support the development of a market-based approach to biodiversity conservation in the rangelands • A better understanding for investors of the depth of any potential incentives markets • Improved regional and organisational ability to plan for and implement incentives programs to protect biodiversity.

• Urls: http://www.nintione.com.au/resource/DKCRC-Report-18-Enabling-the-Market_Incentives-for-Biodiversity.pdf, https://web.archive.org/web/20120402075635/http://www.desertknowledgecrc.com.au/resource/DKCRC-Report-18-Enabling-the-Market_Incentives-for-Biodiversity.pdf
• Publisher Location: Alice Springs
• Keywords: Stony Plains