GSE813 Semi-Arid Land Management
About this Unit
Semester 1, 2008
Offered: E1 - Evening; First Half-Year (3 x evening sessions, plus a 7-day field trip)
Convenor: Dr Patricia Fanning
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Completion of 4 GSE units
Credit Points: 4
The unit focuses on managing the dry 70 per cent of Australia. It describes the features of arid areas and examines the pastoral industry in some detail. This unit will be taught as a block of seven days in Western NSW.
Rationale
This unit is listed as an optional unit in many of the GSE programs. It provides opportunities for students to advance their understanding of the Australian environment, and to apply skills and knowledge acquired in the core units of their program to environmental management issues in semi-arid and arid Australia (70% of the continent). The principles and practices covered may also be applicable to land management elsewhere in the world.
Introduction
Although over 80% of Australians live in a very few coastal cities, over 70% of the country is semi-arid and arid. Most Australians have little knowledge of the nature of these vast landscapes and how they are managed. In this unit we will travel to White Cliffs in far western New South Wales and spend several days on grazing properties. Here we will examine land management in semi-arid rangelands and consider present approaches to management and possible alternatives.
The theme of the unit is CHANGE: Community change and land use change in a changing landscape. Because we will be in the Western Division of NSW, we focus on this area. However, similar changes of similar magnitude are taking place right across semi-arid Australia.
The Western Division was established in the Crown Lands Act 1884. Basically, the government of the day recognised that the land was of inherently low productivity, and that it would never be able to sell it. At the time, the colonial governments did not raise money from income taxes, instead, land sales ("alienation") were the primary source of government revenue for infrastructure development. The semi-arid lands certainly attracted squatters and pastoralists, but none were prepared to purchase the land they used. The government decided that the solution was to establish an administrative division, the Western Division, where the bulk of the land would remain in government hands, and would be available for rent.
The Crown Lands Act 1884 merely formalised an existing situation. Land was already available as pastoral lease for very short periods. Some extremely large properties were developed, e.g. MOMBA between White Cliffs and Wilcannia was over 850,000 ha, and in 1884, was the largest property to ever exist in NSW. The legislation allowed the government to resume half of these large properties, and offer them for selection in smaller parcels, typically 10,240 acres (4144 ha).
In the late 1890s, both the landscape and the lessees were in a parlous condition. Drought, falling prices, a general economic recession, and massive overgrazing by both domestic stock and a burgeoning rabbit population were all to blame. In 1901, the state government held a Royal Commission to "enquire into the condition of crown tenants in the Western Division" (Note that the Royal Commission was into the condition of the tenants, not the landscape).
The major outcome was the Western Lands Act 1901 which completely changed the way the government administered the Western Division. Rents were reduced, leases were lengthened, and an attitude of sympathy to lessees was established. The Act has been one of the few constants in the Western Division over the last century while everything else has changed: legislation, community attitudes to farming, Aboriginal land rights, attitudes to conservation, technology, and the landscape itself. Another "constant" has been the ever-changing, usually downward, economic environment of pastoralism.
In this unit, we will examine landscape, land use and community change in the rangelands of western NSW over a variety of timescales, and how lifestyles and the environment might be sustained and managed in the future.
Teaching Staff
Convenor: Dr Patricia Fanning
Contributors:
Dr John Pickard, Visting Fellow, GSE
Geoff Cullenward, NSW Department of Lands, Western Region
Staff from NSW DECC (PWD Broken Hill Region)
Barry and Annette Turner, Polpah via White Cliffs
Mark Etheridge and Mog Davies, Kalyanka via Wilcannia
Classes
Contact hours: 3 x 3 hours classes plus a 7 day field trip. The schedule for this unit can be downloaded from the "Timetable" link at the top left of this page.
Unit web page
There is no web page for this unit.
Learning Outcomes
Educational
- integrate information from other units to understand the complexities of land management,
- to learn about the physical and social environment of the semi-arid zone,
- to consider realistic options for managing the semi-arid landscape for sustainable production while allowing off-reserve conservation of natural and cultural heritage, and
- to consider the challenges associated with changing land use from pastoral production to various types of formal conservation reserve (e.g. national park).
Professional Development
- as a field-based unit involving close interaction with other students, develop personal and professional networks, and
- have more practice at working in small groups under somewhat unusual circumstances.
Educational Outcomes
- discuss the range of options for land management in the semi-arid zone,
- understand the complexities of land management in a social and political context,
- better appreciate the key role of history in understanding the Australian landscape
Teaching and Learning Strategy
The central component of this unit is a field trip to White Cliffs, in far western New South Wales, some 1000 km from Sydney. In addition, there will be two meetings to provide background information, briefing, etc. prior to the field trip, and one post-field trip debriefing/summary meeting (see Timetable of classes and assessment).
During the field trip we will meet and talk with local graziers and their families who will guide us around their properties, and describe and explain their operations and management. Personnel from government agencies will participate to explain the role of government in semi-arid land management.
Students are responsible for their own transport to and from White Cliffs (car pooling arrangements are the best option), and some off-road driving at White Cliffs will be required of those with suitable vehicles. The University will not provide any transport to and from White Cliffs/Wilcannia, although a few seats will be available in the GSE vehicle whilst on the properties.
Schedule of classes and assessment
Classes are scheduled for 1830h to 2130h and are held in E8A 360A. Attendance at all classes and the field trip is compulsory: failure to attend without prior discussion with the Unit Convenor may result in a grade of Fail being awarded.
| Date | Topic | Assessment Due |
|---|---|---|
| Monday 25 February | Introduction to GSE813 Distribution of material for Essay and Abstract/Oral topics Introduction to the Australian rangelands |
|
| Monday 31 March | Landscape, prehistory and history in western NSW Briefing for field trip. |
Abstract due Monday 31 March 6:30pm Submit by email attachment (Word doc or pdf) to unit convenor prior to evening class. |
| Sunday 27 April to Saturday 3 May | Field trip to White Cliffs. Teaching commences 1500h, Sunday 27th April |
Oral presentation due at an appropriate time during the field trip |
| Monday 12 May | Post-field trip debriefing | |
| Tuesday 13 May | Essay - Submit to the ELS Centre by 9:00am Tuesday 13 May | |
| Tuesday 3 June | Report - Submit to the ELS Centre by 9:00am Tuesday 3 June | |
The Field Trip to White Cliffs
Transport and vehicles
Students must provide their own transport to White Cliffs and for visiting the various sites around White Cliffs. Except for a couple of days after heavy rain, unsealed roads around White Cliffs are suitable for conventional vehicles, even rather small cars with minimal clearance. Car-pooling is obviously a good idea. How to do this will be described to you in the first class. Neither the unit convenor nor the GSE will provide transport to White Cliffs. However, there will be some seats available in the GSE vehicle while at White Cliffs.
Driving to White Cliffs
Allow at least one and a half days to drive to White Cliffs.
Kangaroos are a driving hazard on the roads west of Nyngan, especially at dusk and at night. Spending the night in a caravan park or motel is a far safer option than night driving. There are good caravan parks in Nyngan and Cobar, as well as several motels and hotels. A car-load of people sharing an on-site van, cabin or motel room is quite cheap. Check the web and/or NRMA travel accommodation guides for details and phone numbers. Advance booking is a good idea.
Daily schedule
The daily schedule is indicative only: changes can and do occur for a variety of reasons. Rain is possible at any time and presents challenges for a trip like this. Or property owners and/or government agency people may require a timetable change. Just remain flexible and remember the motto: adapt, improvise, and overcome! I will inform you by email of any changes as they arise.
*These meal arrangements apply every day, unless otherwise indicated*
Day 1 |
1500h | Meet at Polpah Station (Barry and Annette Turner), approx 25 km east of White Cliffs; formal introductions, explanations of housekeeping, etc Introductory description of history, landscapes, management, etc. |
|---|---|---|
| 1900h | *Dinner* | |
Day 2 |
0700h | *Breakfast* |
| 0800h | All day inspection of Polpah Station: management, operations, research sites, Soil Conservation Service Range Assessment Program sites, etc *Smoko and lunch at suitable times and places* |
|
| 1900h | *Dinner* | |
Day 3 |
0800h | All day inspection of Peery, Arrowbar and Mandalay sections of the Paroo-Darling National Park, including examination of landscape features, Aboriginal artefacts and paintings, Peery Lake, artesian mound springs and rare plants, accompanied by DEC (NPWS) staff; opportunities for discussion of management issues including transition from pastoralism to conservation, feral animals, neighbour relations, indigenous co-management, etc. |
Day 4 |
0800h | All day inspection of southern part of Peery and western part of Mt Jack Station, including operations, management, conservation of European heritage, the Paroo River, the natural gas pipeline from Moomba to Sydney, etc. |
Day 5 |
0800h | Clean up quarters and depart Polpah.Visit White Cliffs to examine landscape impact of opal mining, water supply, solar power plant, telecommunications centre; discuss the future of outback towns. |
| Afternoon | travel to Kalyanka Station, near Wilcannia. Dinner and overnight in the shearers' quarters at Kalyanka. |
|
Day 6 |
0800h | All day inspection of Kalyanka Station (Mark Etheridge and Mog Davies): management objectives, Total Grazing Pressure trial, history of settlement, Darling River, impact of floods, blue-green algae, upstream river management issues, etc. |
| 1800h | Sundowners on the Darling River (BYO) | |
| Day 7 Saturday 3 May |
Clean up quarters and depart for Sydney (you can drive back in one day if you change drivers). |
Accommodation
For the first part of the trip, we will stay on Polpah Station, about 25 km east of White Cliffs, as the guests of Barry and Annette Turner. Accommodation will be in comfortable shearers' quarters (2 to a room) with overflow in the homestead. For the last two nights, we will be using the more traditional shearers' quarters at Kalyanka, about 10 km north of Wilcannia, as guests of Mark Etheridge and Mog Davies. Both sets of quarters have 240 V electricity. Beds and mattresses will be available, but bring your own bedding or sleeping bag, pillow and towel. You may also bring a Thermarest mattress or equivalent if you have one or a swag. Both sets of quarters have showers with ample hot water (as long as you put a fire under the donkey!) and the toilets flush (well, most of the time!).
Mobile phone coverage
Pretty much all of Polpah and Kalyanka have good mobile coverage (Next G). Coverage is patchy on Peery and non-existent on Mt Jack. "Normal" (i.e. non-Next G) mobiles should work OK on some of Kalyanka close to Wilcannia.
Food and catering
We are self-catering for the whole trip. There are fully equipped kitchens with refrigerators, stovetops and ovens at both Polpah and Kalyanka, but no microwave. A group effort is preferable to individual cooking; in fact this is impossible, given the limited kitchen facilities. However, this does NOT mean that I will take any responsibility for organising shopping or cooking: you are all adults and should be able to organise yourselves into several groups to take care of these arrangements. Keep it simple – frozen precooked meals are the easiest. Make sure you cover smoko and lunch as well as breakfast and dinner. I will supply the billies etc. for smoko. Rain water is used for cooking and drinking and does not need any purification.
Costs
Accommodation at Polpah (4 nights): $88 per person (including GST), cash only but tax invoices/receipts are provided. Accommodation at Kalyanka: gratis. Food: entirely up to you. Transport and petrol: by arrangement with car pool. Total? - you should get change from $250.
Important Safety Warnings
The field trip will require walking variable distances between 0 and 5 km away from the vehicles, over rough ground.
All participants will be required to submit a Risk Assessment form prior to the field trip, including brief information regarding level of fitness and any potential health problems, and contact details for Next of Kin. Information supplied in the Risk Assessment will remain confidential, to be used only in an emergency.
The climate and weather at White Cliffs pose a couple of heath hazards. In April/May, temperatures can drop towards zero at night, and overcast windy days are VERY cold. Or it can warm up to a pleasant 25 degrees. Be prepared for all possibilities by layering your clothing: vest, T-shirt, long sleeved shirt, wool jumper, wind-proof jacket. Then you can progressively strip it off as the day warms up.
What you need to bring (in addition to the above)
- Hat with brim (NOT baseball caps without neck covers) and block-out: the autumn sun still burns!
- To minimise risk of mosquito bites: long-sleeved shirts, long pants, mosquito repellant.
- A 2 litre water bottle to be refilled every day. Vehicles should also carry extra water.
- A warm sleeping bag – the quarters are not heated!
- A rain jacket and water/windproof overpants – Murphy's Law says it will always rain if you don't bring them!
- Sturdy boots – steel caps are not necessary.
- Camera, notebook, pens, pencils.
Relationship between Assessment and Learning Outcomes
| Assessment | Max. Length | Marks | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract | 1 page | 15% | Monday 31 March 1830h Submit by email attachment (Word doc or pdf) to unit convenor prior to evening class. |
| Oral Presentation | 10 minutes | 15% | Due at an appropriate time during the field trip |
| Essay | 12 pages, 3000 words | 30% | Tuesday 13 May, submit by 9:00am to the ELS Centre |
| Report | 12 pages, 3000 words | 40% | Tuesday 3 June, submit by 9:00am to the ELS Centre |
Abstract
Format of Abstract
- Title of paper: Centred, caps, bold, 12 point font.
- Leave one line blank
- Author: Centred, lower case, 12 point font.
- Author affiliations and email address: Centred, lower case (first letters of affiliation caps), not bold, 10 point font.
- Leave one line blank.
- Text, 12 point font, single spaced, justify right and left hand margins.
- Use paragraphs for clarity. Leave one line between paragraphs. Do not indent start of paragraph.
- Do not include references in the abstract, nor a reference list / bibliography.
- Footer (or bottom lines on page, immediately above bottom of page NOT just at the end of the text) to contain text as follows: "GSE813 Semi-arid land management, First Semester 2007" right justified, 10 point font.
Abstracts MUST follow the format specified. Abstracts deviating from the specified format will be penalised 50%. Please follow the format and see the example below.
Example (box is solely to separate the example from the text)
WIND EROSION IN THE AMAZON BASIN
Graduate School of the Environment, Macquarie University NSW 2109
(fred.mcgurk@gse.mq.edu.au)
Detailed research using airborne geophysics and intensive ground truthing by freshwater submarine have demonstrated conclusively that contrary to popular opinion there is in fact no wind erosion in the Amazon Basin. However, it has also been shown that strong diurnal currents are capable of moving sand-sized grains in sheets over considerable distances, eventually producing a range of dune formations very similar to those which have been identified in the Sahara, using similar methods .......
Oral presentation
At the first meeting, each student will be randomly allocated a topic relevant to the objectives of the unit. The topics are not transferable nor tradeable with other students. Please accept your topic as a learning experience. A one (1) page Abstract and a ten (10) minute Oral Presentation on this topic are required. Copies of all abstracts will be distributed at the start of the field trip. The Oral Presentation will be given at an appropriate time and place during the trip. This may be in a paddock, or in a building, and local graziers and agency personnel may be present. These paddock venues mean that you will be unable to use slides, overheads, or PowerPoint.
Each oral presentation will be assessed using the following criteria.
Feature |
Marks |
|---|---|
| NOT ANSWERING THE TOPIC SET WILL LEAD TO A ZERO MARK FOR THE PRESENTATION | |
| Opening Attention-getting, leads into the topic | 10% |
| Organisation A clear statement of the structure of the talk at the outset, structure clear during the presentation | 15% |
| Content Logical flow of ideas as the argument develops, ideas supported by facts, clear separation of fact and opinion. | 20% |
| Data used Quantitative where appropriate, correct units, analysed rather than just raw numbers, appropriate range of sources. | 20% |
| Conclusions Based on data presented, reasonable in social, environmental and economic terms. | 15% |
| Timing Used the total time available effectively, appropriate time on each section. | 10% |
| Questions Answered the question that was asked; replies brief, comprehensive; willing to say "I don't know" | 10% |
Essay
Page limit 12 pages Word limit 3000 words. Topic to be advised in first class.
Report
Page limit 12 pages Word limit 3000 words
Topic: What changes and challenges face land managers in semi-arid Australia? How would you address these challenges in ways that are environmentally, politically and socially acceptable?
For this assignment I expect you to present a fully reasoned and well-argued report which clearly demonstrates analytical thinking at a graduate level. You must incorporate information from the literature (texts, research papers, grey and web) and information gathered while on the field trip. This means that you must think about the question during the field trip and ask appropriate questions of the various people we meet. The graziers and agency personnel are very happy to answer your questions and share their immense knowledge and experience with you.
Assignment Submission
Unless otherwise stated above, all assignments must be submitted to the appropriate assignment box for your unit. Assignment boxes are located in the reception area of the ELS Centre (Room 101), which is on the ground floor at the western end of building E7A.
The Centre opens from 8.30am to 5.30pm on Monday to Friday. There is also an after-hours assignment submission box at the door of E7A which faces the central university walkway. You can access a campus map to assist in locating the building.
All assignments are to be submitted by 9.00am on the date specified and must include a completed and signed coversheet stapled to the front cover. You can download an Assignment Cover Sheet. Please note that ELS Centre staff have requested that assignments are NOT placed in folders or plastic covers.
Late submission procedures and penalties
Penalties of 10% per calendar day apply for late submission without PRIOR discussion with the Unit Convenor. Due to the tight pre-field schedule, NO extensions will be given for submission of Abstracts. With exception of the Abstract, electronic submission of any of the assignments is not permitted: please submit a hard copy before the due time/date - see details below. Retain a copy of all submitted assignments.
Required and Recommended Texts/Materials
Reading list and web sites
Since 2000, the primary source of information has shifted to innumerable reports on web sites. Two basic URLs are given below, following three books that have been placed in Reserve in the library. There is no single book that covers all the subject matter of this unit. The first book summarises two decades of rangeland research by CSIRO:
Ludwig, J., Tongway, D., Freudenberger, D., Noble, J. and Hodgkinson, K. (1997) Landscape ecology, function and management. Principles from Australia's rangelands. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood.
Despite its primary focus on woody weeds, the next book has a vast amount of information on the environmental history of the Western Division.
Noble, J.C. (1997) The delicate and noxious scrub. CSIRO studies on native tree and shrub proliferation in the semi-arid woodlands of eastern Australia. CSIRO Wildlife and Ecology, Lyneham.
The best single textbook is showing its age, but is still worth a look:
Harrington, G.N., Wilson, A.D. and Young, M.D. (eds), 1984. Management of Australia's rangelands. CSIRO, Melbourne.
National Land and Water Resources Audit 2001 Rangelands – tracking changes
http://audit.ea.gov.au/ANRA/rangelands/docs/tracking_changes/track_change_Contents.html
NSW Department of Natural Resources web sites includes information and links regarding the structure and function of the Western Division of NSW
http://www.dnr.nsw.gov.au/western/index.shtml
Plagiarism
The University defines plagiarism in its rules: "Plagiarism involves using the work of another person and presenting it as one's own." Plagiarism is a serious breach of the University's rules and carries significant penalties. You must read the University's practices and procedures on plagiarism. These can be found in the Handbook of Postgraduate Studies or on the web at: http://www.student.mq.edu.au/plagiarism/
The policies and procedures explain what plagiarism is, how to avoid it, the procedures that will be taken in cases of suspected plagiarism, and the penalties if you are found guilty. Penalties may include a deduction of marks, failure in the unit, and/or referral to the University Discipline Committee.
The GSE recommends that students familiarise themselves with the information contained on the Georgetown University Honor Council website which discusses plagiarism in an easy to understand and comprehensive manner.
University Policy on Grading
Academic Senate has a set of guidelines on the distribution of grades across the range from fail to high distinction. Your final result will include one of these grades plus a standardised numerical grade (SNG).
On occasion your raw mark for a unit (i.e., the total of your marks for each assessment item) may not be the same as the SNG which you receive. Under the Senate guidelines, results may be scaled to ensure that there is a degree of comparability across the university, so that units with the same past performances of their students should achieve similar results.
It is important that you realise that the policy does not require that a minimum number of students are to be failed in any unit. In fact it does something like the opposite, in requiring examiners to explain their actions if more than 20% of students fail in a unit.
The process of scaling does not change the order of marks among students. A student who receives a higher raw mark than another will also receive a higher final scaled mark.
For an explanation of the policy see:
http://senate.mq.edu.au/rules/Guidelines2003.doc or
http://senate.mq.edu.au/rules/detailedguidelines.doc
Student Support Services
Macquarie University provides a range of Academic Student Support Services. Details of these services can be accessed at http://www.student.mq.edu.au.
Advice for Students with Disabilities/Health Conditions
The Equity Support Unit (ESU) provides support and assistance to students with a disability/health condition in aiming to ensure that they do not experience disadvantage in reaching their academic potential. Service provision is determined on a case-by-case basis following an assessment of a student's needs and the provision of supporting documentation. Service provision is also dependent on the availability of resources.
To register with ESU, download an Advice of Disability/Health Condition form from http://www.reg.mq.edu.au/academic-index.html. This form must be completed annually, irrespective of whether a disability/health condition is temporary, long-term or permanent. Students wishing to request support services from the ESU should make an appointment to see a Disability Advisor immediately after enrolling at Macquarie University.
Phone: (02) 9850 6494/7497
Fax: (02) 9850 6063
TTY: (02) 9850 6493
Email: equity@mq.edu.au
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