Challenges facing green space: is statute the answer?

Against a backdrop of austerity, characterised by public-sector funding cuts and a devolutionary agenda, this paper explores how legislation might address two, inter-related challenges which face public urban green space ('greenspace') in England and Wales; namely, responsibility for provision, and identification of supporting funds. It focuses on two proposals; first, the introduction of legislative powers to enable local authorities to create user-charging schemes, and secondly, the imposition of a local authority statutory duty to provide greenspace

Using choice experiments to value river and estuary health in Tasmania with individual preference heterogeneity

Choice experiments (CE – otherwise known as Choice Modelling) have become a widespread approach to environmental valuation in Australia, with many examples assessing the tradeoffs between river catchment management and socio-economic impacts. There is, however, limited information on the values of Australian estuaries. Furthermore, none of the existing valuation studies address catchment management changes in Tasmania. The CE study reported in this paper aims to elicit community preferences for the protection of the rivers and estuary of the George catchment in north-eastern Tasmania. Results from conditional and mixed logit models show that respondents are, on average, willing to pay between $2.47 and$4.46 for a km increase in native riverside vegetation and between $9.35 and$10.97 per species for the protection of rare native plants and animals, ceteris paribus. The results are ambiguous about respondents’ preferences for estuary seagrass area. This study further shows significant differences between logit models when accounting for individual heterogeneity and repeated choices made by individual respondents.River condition, Estuary condition, Environmental values, Non-market valuation, Choice Experiments, Tasmania,

Investigating the Effects of Attribute Level Framing and Changing Cost Levels in Choice Experiments

Choice experiments (CE) are increasingly used to estimate the values of non-market goods and services. A cost attribute is typically included in a CE questionnaire to estimate monetary values for changes in the non-market attributes presented. Although the cost attribute is centrally important, there has been limited research into the impacts of varying cost attribute levels on respondents’ choices in CE surveys. The context in which non-market attributes are presented to respondents (the ‘attribute frame’) may also affect value estimates. The challenge for CE practitioners is to identify the ‘appropriate’ attribute frames and cost level range. Results from a CE study in Tasmania show that respondents’ preferences are not impacted by describing an attribute in ‘presence’ versus ‘loss’. The absolute attribute levels, therefore, were most important in this study. Comparisons between different split samples are evidence that changing the cost attribute level does affect respondents’ preferences – higher levels lead to significantly higher estimates of willingness to pay for one of the three environmental attributes.Choice experiments, Mixed Logit models, Environmental valuation, Attribute framing, Cost bias, Environmental Economics and Policy, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,

Using Choice Experiments to value River and Estuary Health in Tasmania with Individual Preference Heterogeneity

Choice experiments (CE), also known as choice modelling (CM), are now used widely in environmental valuation in Australia. Many examples assess the trade-offs between river catchment management and socio-economic impacts. There is, however, limited information about the values of Australian estuaries and none of the existing valuation studies addresses catchment management changes in Tasmania. The CE study described in this report aims to elicit community preferences for protecting the rivers and estuary of the George catchment in north-eastern Tasmania. Results from conditional and mixed logit models show that respondents are, on average, willing to pay between $2.47 and$4.46 for a one kilometre increase in native riverside vegetation, and between $9.35 and$10.97 per species for the protection of rare native plants and animals, ceteris paribus. The study results are ambiguous about respondents’ preferences for estuary seagrass area. It also shows significant differences between logit models when accounting for individual heterogeneity, and repeated choices made by individual respondents.Choice experiments, Preference heterogeneity, Mixed Logit models, River health, Estuary health, Tasmania, Environmental valuation, Environmental Economics and Policy, Land Economics/Use, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,

Integrating economic values and catchment modelling

Integrated catchment policies are widely used to manage natural resources in Australian catchments. Decision support tools available to aid integrated catchment management are often limited in their integration of environmental processes with socio-economic systems. Fully integrated models are required to support assessments of the environmental and economic trade-offs of catchment management changes. A Bayesian Network (BN) model is demonstrated to provide a suitable approach to integrate environmental modelling with economic valuation. The model incorporates hydrological, ecological and economic models for the George catchment in Tasmania. Information about the non-market costs and benefits of environmental changes is elicited using Choice Experiments, allowing an assessment of the efficiency of alternative management scenarios.Integrated catchment modelling, Bayesian networks, Uncertainty, Environmental values, Non-market valuation, Choice Modelling.,