Land and water management are major geographic issues facing Australia. The amount of European settlement in 1788 led to land management practices being focussed on production of food crops, urban growth, transport networks and industry. This often led to damage to the environment (land degradation).
Approaches to Land and Water Management in Australia:
- Traditional Approach - Before European settlement aboriginal people occupied the continent. They were nomadic hunters and gatherers. They often used fire to manage the landscape. The lifestyle they practised was in harmony with the landscape. It was a sustainable way of life.
- Early European Approach - Land management practices by the early european settlers was very damaging to the environment - trees cleared, sheep, cattle, horses, goats all damaged the fragile landscape. The natural environment was to be exploited for the benefit of people.
- Contemporary approach - Today many farmers are adopting form management practices that promote sustainable use of their land and minimise land degradation. Many community based groups such as landcare are helping to repair the degradation caused by past land management practices.
Spatial inequality -
In Australia, growing social and economic division have given rise to increasing spatial inequality, that is, distinct geographical divisions between poor and affluent populations. The poor are increasingly living together in one set of neighbourhoods and the rich in another set.
- Urban Sprawl - the growth of housing and infrastructure that encroaches upon land previously used for agriculture or left in its natural state. It produces increased costs and reduced efficiency
- Urban decay - (or urban decline) involves the deterioration in the general condition of an urban area. Often brought about by economic and technological advances.
- Urban renewal - involves re-building or re-designing an urban area to be used for a different purpose, i.e. housing where there was once wharves/docklands.
Urban consolidation - involves increasing populations in existing areas by constructing high density housing (apartments) in an abandoned industrial estate.
