Why have a Communities project?
Australia's forest industries are undergoing
rapid change, as are the perceptions held about forestry by
different groups. It is essential to understand the social and
economic implications of ongoing change within the forest industry,
as well as the impact of changes in rural and regional areas on the
forest industry.
Increasingly, many stakeholders at local,
regional and national level want to be involved in and informed
about forestry planning and management. Effective community
engagement can be challenging, and research is needed to better
understand what types of engagement are needed and what methods and
approaches to community engagement are most effective for different
stakeholders.
The CRC for Forestry is investing in research
into the social dimensions of Australia's forest industries to
ensure our forest and plantation management is socially as well as
environmentally sustainable.
The four sub-projects of the
Communities project are examining:
Outputs of the Communities project
are:
- Information enabling development of strategies to maximise the
positive and minimise the negative impacts of commercial
forestry;
- Improved understanding of changes in community attitudes to
forestry over time;
- Practical community engagement strategies enabling effective
dialogue between all stakeholders with an interest in the forest
industry; and
- Practical tools to assist informed dialogue between
stakeholders.
Timeframe and research
locations:
The Communities project will undertake time
series research from 2006-2012. Currently, research is focussed in
four regions:
- Tasmania
- South west Western Australia
- The Green Triangle region of south west Victoria and south east
South Australia
- The upper Clarence catchment in northern New South
Wales
Research activity of the Communities
project is co-ordinated by Jacki Schirmer, and research is
conducted at:
Scholarship
opportunities:
For an overview of scholarship opportunities
with the Trees in the Landscape research programme, click here.
