| By: |
Spencer-Cotton, Alaya;
Kragt, Marit Ellen;
Burton, Michael |
| Abstract: |
This is a report from the Kimberley Research Node Project 2.1.2 “Human values
and aspirations for coastal waters of the Kimberley” research project funded
by the Western Australian Government and administered by the Western
Australian Marine Science Institution. The study area is the Kimberley
coastline and waters extending from south western part of Eighty Mile Beach to
the Northern Territory border. This research supports the management
intentions of the State Government to establish a network of marine parks in
the State waters along the Kimberley coast. This report presents the findings
of an online choice experiment survey conducted with a range of participants
and stakeholders. The online survey comprised of two parts, it was a
collaboration with Murdoch University. In the choice experiment, respondents
were presented with two active management options, and a third ‘no-action’
option. A particular research focus of this choice experiment is the impact of
making the choice experiment questions spatially explicit. Researchers were
interested in people’s choices for management options that were linked to a
specific region (or ‘management zones’) of the Kimberley coast. In this study
the Kimberley region was divided into six management zones, determined in
consultation with key stakeholders. The management options contained four
spatially specific attributes and an associated management cost. The spatially
specific attributes were: percentage of State waters zoned as sanctuary areas;
number of Aboriginal rangers, level of average recreational facilities in the
region, and whether additional development (as defined using a description and
photograph) would occur in the region. Mixed logit models were estimated to
account for random taste differences across respondents. Interactions between
socio-economic variables and the choice attributes were included to account
for systematic heterogeneity. Separate models were estimated for each sample
as preliminary analysis suggested there is unlikely to be a single unifying
model of preferences, Results suggest that hold values and preferences for the
choice attributes presented. Focussing on the key management question of
providing marine sanctuary zones in State waters, all models confirmed that
increasing the area of sanctuary zones is valued by WA residents. Increasing
recreation facilities to a relatively high level was generally not valued or
valued negatively. This change reduces welfare especially in the four northern
more remote zones (Dampier Peninsula, Buccaneer Archipelago, Camden Sound, and
North Kimberley). The same pattern emerges for the coastal development
attribute. Coastal development was defined as a relatively small change,
representing impact on the sense of remoteness. There was a strong aversion to
this change, particularly in the northern zones. Although there was some
heterogeneity in preferences, the overall picture that emerges from the
analysis is that respondents are prepared to pay to increase environmental
protection in coastal waters and wish to avoid development along the coast,
even where this would improve current public access. |
| Keywords: |
Non-market valuation, Choice experiments, Kimberley, Coastal management, Sense of place, Existence values, Environmental Economics and Policy, Public Economics, Q26, Q51, Q57, |
| Date: |
2016–07–01 |
| URL: |
http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:uwauwp:240693&r=dcm |