Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Landscape Preferences, Amenity, and Bushfire Risk in New South Wales, Australia

  • Published:
Environmental Management Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper examines landscape preferences of residents in amenity-rich bushfire-prone landscapes in New South Wales, Australia. Insights are provided into vegetation preferences in areas where properties neighbor large areas of native vegetation, such as national parks, or exist within a matrix of cleared and vegetated private and public land. In such areas, managing fuel loads in the proximity of houses is likely to reduce the risk of house loss and damage. Preferences for vegetation appearance and structure were related to varying fuel loads, particularly the density of understorey vegetation and larger trees. The study adopted a qualitative visual research approach, which used ranking and photo-elicitation as part of a broader interview. A visual approach aids in focusing on outcomes of fuel management interventions, for example, by using the same photo scenes to firstly derive residents’ perceptions of amenity and secondly, residents’ perceptions of bushfire risk. The results are consistent with existing research on landscape preferences; residents tend to prefer relatively open woodland or forest landscapes with good visual and physical access but with elements that provoke their interest. Overall, residents’ landscape preferences were found to be consistent with vegetation management that reduces bushfire risk to houses. The terms in which preferences were expressed provide scope for agency engagement with residents in order to facilitate management that meets amenity and hazard reduction goals on private land.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abrams J, Gosnell H, Gill N, Klepeis P (2012) Re-creating the rural: reconstructing nature: an international literature review of the environmental implications of amenity migration. Conserv Soc 10:270–284

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alwin DF, Krosnick JA (1985) The measurement of values in surveys: a comparison of ratings and rankings. Public Opin Quart 49:535–552

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andrews M, Gatersleben B (2010) Variations in perceptions of danger, fear and preference in a simulated natural environment. J Environ Psychol 30:473–481

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anonymous (2014) Editorial: Life near the bush has its obligations. Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/comment/smh-editorial/life-near-the-bush-has-its-obligations-20140118-311gh.html. Accessed 5/2/15

  • Appleton J (1975) The experience of place, vol London. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Australian Bureau of Statistics (2011) 2011 Census of population and housing; Basic Community Profiles, Catalogue Number 2001.0. Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra

  • Banks M (2001) Visual methods in social research. Sage, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Baxter J, Eyles J (1999) The utility of in-depth interviews for studying the meaning of environmental risk. Prof Geogr 51:307–320

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beilin R (2005) Photo-elicitation and the agricultural landscape: ‘seeing’ and ‘telling’ about farming, community and place. Vis Stud 20:56–68

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bjørnholt M, Farstad GR (2014) Am I rambling? On the advantages of interviewing couples together. Qual Res 14:3–19

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blanchi R, Leonard J, Haynes K, Opie K, James M, Dimer de Oliveira F (2014) Environmental circumstances surrounding bushfire fatalities in Australia 1901–2011. Environ Sci Policy 37:192–203

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bradstock RA et al (2014) Social construct of fuels in the interface (project one) final report. Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre, East Melbourne

    Google Scholar 

  • Brenkert-Smith H, Champ PA, Flores N (2006) Insights into wildfire mitigation decisions among wildland-urban interface residents. Soc Nat Resour 19:759–768

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brickell K (2011) Visual critiques of tourist development: host-employed photography in Vietnam. Tour Geogr 14:98–116

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brunson MW, Shindler BA (2004) Geographic variation in social acceptability of wildland fuels management in the Western United States. Soc Nat Resour 17:661–678

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burnley I, Murphy P (2004) Sea change: movement from metropolitan to arcadian Australia. University of NSW Press, Sydney

    Google Scholar 

  • Cotrell A, Bushnell S, Spillman M, Newton J, Lowe D, Balcombe L (2008) Community perceptions of bushfire risk. In: Handmer J, Haynes K (eds) Community bushfire safety. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Melbourne

    Google Scholar 

  • Dandy N, Van Der Wal R (2011) Shared appreciation of woodland landscapes by land management professionals and lay people: an exploration through field-based interactive photo-elicitation. Landsc Urban Plan 102:43–53

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daniel TC (2001) Whither scenic beauty? Visual landscape quality assessment in the 21st century. Landsc Urban Plan 54:267–281

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daniel TC, Weidemann E, Hines D (2002) Assessing public tradeoffs between fire hazard and scenic beauty in the wildland–urban interface. In: Jakes PJ (ed) Proceedings of the 9th international symposium on society and resource management, 2–5 June 2002, Bloomington, IN, General Technical Report NC-GTR-231. USDA Forest Service, North Central Research Station, St. Paul, MN, pp 36–44

    Google Scholar 

  • Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water (2010) NSW climate impact profile: the impacts of climate change on the biophysical environment of New South Wales. Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water, NSW, Sydney

    Google Scholar 

  • Ellis S, Kanowski P, Whelan R (2004) National inquiry on bushfire mitigation and management. Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra

    Google Scholar 

  • EM-DAT (2014) The OFDA/CRED international disaster database. Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED), Université Catholique de Louvain Brussels

  • Eriksen C (2014) Gender and wildfire: landscapes of uncertainty. Routledge, New York, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Eriksen C, Gill N (2010) Bushfire and everyday life: examining the awareness-action ‘gap’ in changing rural landscapes. Geoforum 41:814–825

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eriksen C, Prior T (2013) Defining the importance of mental preparedness for risk communication and residents well-prepared for wildfire. Int J Disaster Risk Reduct 6:87–97

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Evans J, Jones P (2011) The walking interview: methodology, mobility and place. Appl Geogr 31:849–858

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Everett MC, Barrett MS (2012) “Guided tour”: a method for deepening the relational quality in narrative research. Qual Res J 12:32–46

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fabbris L (2012) Measurement scales for scoring or ranking sets of interrelated items. In: Davino C, Fabbris L (eds) Survey data collection and integration. Springer-Verlag, Berlin and Heidelberg, pp 21–43

    Google Scholar 

  • Ford RM, Williams KJH, Bishop ID, Hickey JE (2009) Public judgements of the social acceptability of silvicultural alternatives in Tasmanian wet eucalypt forests. Aust For 72:157–171

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gatersleben B (2008) Humans and nature: ten useful findings from environmental psychology research. Couns Psychol Rev 23:24–34

    Google Scholar 

  • Gill AM, Stephens SL (2009) Scientific and social challenges for the management of fire-prone wildland–urban interfaces. Environ Res Lett 4:034014

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gill N, Waitt G, Head L (2009) Local engagements with urban bushland: moving beyond bounded practice for urban biodiversity management. Landsc Urban Plan 93:184–193

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gill N, Klepeis P, Chisholm L (2010) Stewardship among lifestyle oriented rural landowners. J Environ Plan Manag 53:317–334

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hagerhall C (2000) Clustering predictors of landscape preference in the traditional Swedish cultural landscape: prospect-refuge, mystery, age and management. J Environ Psychol 20:83–90

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harper D (2002) Talking about pictures: a case of photo elicitation. Vis Stud 17:13–26

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herzog TR, Kropscott LS (2004) Legibility, mystery, and visual access as predictors of preference and perceived danger in forest settings without pathways. Environ Behav 36:659–677

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herzog TR, Kutzli GE (2002) Preference and perceived danger in field/forest settings. Environ Behav 34:819–835

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaplan R, Kaplan S (1989) The experience of nature: a psychological perspective. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Lincoln YS, Lynham SA, Guba EG (2011) Paradigmatic controversies, contradictions and emerging confluences, revisited. In: Denzin NK, Lincoln YS (eds) The sage handbook of qualitative research. Sage, Thousand Oaks, pp 97–128

    Google Scholar 

  • Lothian A (2004) Amenity value of scattered and isolated trees. Report to South Australian Native Vegetation Council. Scenic Solutions, Unley

    Google Scholar 

  • Luck GW, Race D, Black R (2010) Demographic change in Australia’s rural landscapes. CSIRO, Collingwood

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • McCaffrey SM, Stidham M, Toman E, Shindler B (2011) Outreach programs, peer pressure, and common sense: what motivates homeowners to mitigate wildfire risk? Environ Manage 48:475–488

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCaffrey S, Toman E, Stidham M, Shindler B (2013) Social science research related to wildfire management: an overview of recent findings and future research needs. Int J Wildland Fire 22:15–24

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McCormick B (2002) Bushfires: is fuel reduction burning the answer?. Parliamentary Library, Canberra

    Google Scholar 

  • McGee TK (2007) Urban residents’ approval of management measures to mitigate wildland–urban interface fire risks in Edmonton, Canada. Landsc Urban Plan 82:247–256

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nelson KC, Monroe MC, Johnson JF, Bowers A (2004) Living with fire: homeowner assessment of landscape values and defensible space in Minnesota and Florida. USA Int J Wildland Fire 13:413–425

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nelson KC, Monroe MC, Johnson JF (2005) The look of the land: homeowner landscape management and wildfire preparedness in Minnesota and Florida. Soc Nat Resour 18:321–336

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • NSW Rural Fire Service (2006) Standards for asset protection zones. NSW Rural Fire Service, Granville

    Google Scholar 

  • Pain H (2012) A literature review to evaluate the choice and use of visual methods. Int J Qual Methods 11:303–319

    Google Scholar 

  • Paton D, Wright L (2008) Preparing for bushfires: the public education challenges facing fire agencies. In: Handmer J, Haynes K (eds) Community bushfire safety. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, pp 117–126

    Google Scholar 

  • Patton M (2002) Qualitative research and evaluation methods, 3rd edn. Sage, Newbury Park

    Google Scholar 

  • Penman TD et al (2013) Defining adequate means of residents to prepare property for protection from wildfire. Int J Disaster Risk Reduct 6:67–77

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Penman S, Price O, Penman T, Bradstock R (2014) The role of surroundings on the likelihood of house destruction in wildfires. In Preparation

  • Prior T, Eriksen C (2013) Wildfire preparedness, community cohesion and social-ecological systems. Glob Environ Change 23:1575–1586

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ritchie J, Lewis J, McNaughton Nicholls C, Ormiston R (2014) Qualitative research practice: a guide for social science students and researchers. Sage, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Ryan RL (2006) The role of place attachment in sustaining urban parks. In: Rutherford HP (ed) The humane metropolis: people and nature in the 21st-century city. University of Massachusetts Press, Cambridge, pp 61–74

    Google Scholar 

  • Ryan RL (2012) The influence of landscape preference and environmental education on public attitudes toward wildfire management in the Northeast pine barrens (USA). Landsc Urban Plan 107:55–68

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stamps AE (2004) Mystery, complexity, legibility and coherence: a meta-analysis. Environ Psychol 24:1–16

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tahvanainen L, Ihalainen M, Vuorela N, Kolehmainen O (2001) Forest management and public perceptions—visual versus verbal information. Landsc Urban Plan 53:53–70

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thomas M, Bloor M, Frankland J (2007) The process of sample recruitment: an ethnostatistical perspective. Qual Res 7:429–446

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tyrväinen L, Silvennoinen H, Kolehmainen O (2003) Ecological and aesthetic values in urban forest management. Urban For Urban Green 1:135–149

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van der Jagt APN, Craig T, Anable J, Brewer MJ, Pearson DG (2014) Unearthing the picturesque: the validity of the preference matrix as a measure of landscape aesthetics. Landsc Urban Plan 124:1–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Waitt G, Gill N, Head L (2009) Bushland walking: performing and managing nature in suburban Australia. Soc Cult Geogr 10:41–60

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whittaker J, Mercer D (2004) The Victorian bushfires of 2002–03 and the politics of blame: a discourse analysis. Aust Geogr 35:259–287

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wigfall VG, Brannen J, Mooney A, Parutis V (2013) Finding the right man: recruiting fathers in inter-generational families across ethnic groups. Qual Res 13:591–607

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams KJH, Cary J (2002) Landscape preferences, ecological quality and biodiversity protection. Environ Behav 34:257–274

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Winter G, Fried JS (2000) Homeowner perspectives on fire hazard, responsibility, and management strategies at the wildland-urban interface. Soc Nat Resour 13:33–49

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Winter GJ, Vogt C, Fried JS (2002) Fuels treatments at the wildland–urban interface: common concerns in diverse regions. J Forest 100:15–21

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre as part of the ‘Social Construction of Fuels in the Interface’ Project. It benefitted from the advice of Mike Wouters of the South Australian Country Fire Service as well as from the assistance and advice of NSW Rural Fire Service brigade leaders and members at Bilpin, Mount Wilson, and Wamboin. Thanks to Helen McGregor for assistance with figures one and two.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography and Sustainable Communities, Australian Centre for Cultural Environmental Research, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia

    Nicholas Gill, Olivia Dun, Chris Brennan-Horley & Christine Eriksen

Authors
  1. Nicholas Gill
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Olivia Dun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Chris Brennan-Horley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Christine Eriksen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nicholas Gill.

Electronic supplementary material

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Gill, N., Dun, O., Brennan-Horley, C. et al. Landscape Preferences, Amenity, and Bushfire Risk in New South Wales, Australia. Environmental Management 56, 738–753 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-015-0525-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-015-0525-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation