The economy of Australian rangelands — myth or mystery?

Abstract

Australian rangelands have been perceived as supporting mainly a pastoral economy for more than 150 years. This perception originated from colonial expansion in a frontier economy, with State and Commonwealth institutions established to support rangeland pastoralism. As Australia's economy shifts in focus towards sustainable development within a free and unprotected market, a new economic and social paradigm is needed for the rangelands. This is essential for strengthening regional economies in the rangelands that can survive in a globalised economy, preservation of environmental values in Australian rangelands, development of new land-use opportunities, as well as to facilitate a dignified change for those enterprises that are increasingly marginalised from the mainstream Australian and global economies. This paper explores the significance of rangelands in the Australian economy at national and regional scales, and the significance of grazing in the rangeland economy. It then considers how the grazing industry should be viewed within an alternative economic and social paradigm for rangelands in the 21st century – a paradigm that focuses on regional instead of sectoral economic opportunities and constraints.