Prospects for sustainable use of the pastoral areas of Australia’s southern rangelands: a synthesis

Abstract

There is growing recognition of the need to achieve land use across the southern Australian rangelands that accommodates changing societal preferences and ensures the capacity of future generations to satisfy their own preferences. This paper considers the prospects for sustainable use of the pastoral lands based either on continued grazing or emerging, alternative land uses. After an overview of the southern rangelands environment, the status of the pastoral industry, its environmental impacts, and key issues for pastoral management, we propose four principles and 19 associated guidelines for sustainable pastoralism. Although some continued withdrawal of land from pastoralism is anticipated, we expect that pastoralism will continue throughout much of the region currently grazed, particularly in the higher rainfall environments in the east. Within these areas, sustainable pastoral land use should be achievable by the application of four broad management principles, as follows: (1) manage grazing within a risk management framework based on the concept of tactical grazing, (2) develop infrastructure to allow best management of both domestic and non-domestic grazing pressure, (3) incorporate management of invasive native scrub, where required, into overall, ongoing property management and (4) manage grazing to enhance biodiversity conservation at landscape scale. Application of these principles and guidelines will require the development of appropriate policy settings, particularly in relation to kangaroo management, climate change, and natural resource governance, together with innovative approaches to research, development and extension. Policy development will also be required if the new industry of carbon sequestration is to deliver socio-ecological benefits without perverse outcomes. Other emerging industries based on renewable energy or ecosystem services appear to have considerable potential, with little risk of adverse ecological consequences.

A Rangelands Conundrum – the Division Within and Among Producers and Stakeholders Regarding Climate Change: Addressing the Challenge to Promote and Gain Consensus of Perception

“…In agricultural industries outside the rangelands, such extremes have had calamitous effects (for example, in the 2007-2008 southern hemisphere summer, there was a 98% failure of the Australian rice crop owing to the effects of low rainfall [drought] and low streamflow discharge). Rangelands are also susceptible to such climatically extreme events (Garnaut, 2008(Garnaut, , 2011Hacker & McDonald, 2021;Lloyd & George, 2008;McKeon et al, 1988McKeon et al, , 2004Stern, 2007;Stokes & Howden, 2010;World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), 1987).…”

“…Such impacts occurring at 'local' level, particularly in the form of droughts and floods, cause severe hardship (Davis, 2009;Grains Research andDevelopment Corporation (GRDC), 2009, 2015). The abilities of graziers to deal with different forms of risk, as well as changes to their frequency, severity and duration that exceed the historical experiences and risks associated with seasonal climate varia bility, will become ever more crucial and will demand a greater focus on education and implementation processes concerning climate and risk (Farmers for Climate Action, 2021; George et al, 2019;George, 2020;Hacker & McDonald, 2021).…”

“…(i) the drought's severity, extent and duration; and (ii) the inability of previously successful actions and adaptations that failed when experiencing extremes -impacts that are now being associated with climate change (Hacker & McDonald, 2021;Sattler, 2020).…”

“…Even when considering these singularly or collectively, those in positions of influence, including government and industry, were (at the time of the Rangelands Dialogue) doing nothing differently than supporting standard extension and allied processes, and deeming them sufficient (George, 2020;Hacker & McDonald, 2021).…”

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“…Such impacts occurring at 'local' level, particularly in the form of droughts and floods, cause severe hardship (Davis, 2009;Grains Research andDevelopment Corporation (GRDC), 2009, 2015). The abilities of graziers to deal with different forms of risk, as well as changes to their frequency, severity and duration that exceed the historical experiences and risks associated with seasonal climate varia bility, will become ever more crucial and will demand a greater focus on education and implementation processes concerning climate and risk (Farmers for Climate Action, George et al, 2019;George, 2020;Hacker & McDonald, 2021).…”