Australia ICOMOS Plan for Contribution to World Rural Landscapes

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Jane Lennon Presentation to US ICOM Philadelphia, 5 April 201 AUSTRALIA ICOMOS plan for contribution to World Rural Landscapes Pro

Transcript of Australia ICOMOS Plan for Contribution to World Rural Landscapes

Page 1: Australia ICOMOS Plan for Contribution to World Rural Landscapes

Jane LennonPresentation to US ICOMOSPhiladelphia, 5 April 2014

AUSTRALIA ICOMOS plan for contribution to World Rural Landscapes Project

Page 2: Australia ICOMOS Plan for Contribution to World Rural Landscapes

The World Rural Landscapes (WRL) initiative

launched by the International Scientific Committee on Cultural Landscapes ICOMOS-

IFLA to foster the worldwide cooperation in the study, management and protection of

rural landscapes.

http://www.worldrurallandscapes.org

Proposed Initial Project Actions:

•Define the geographic scope: our continent – Includes all rural areas that produce food on and underground, water, woodlands, pastures as well as agriculture –fish farming, forestry, hunting.

•Note: Although Rodney Harrison estimated in ‘Shared Landscapes’ (2004) that some

98% of NSW after 1788 used for pastoral purposes (i.e., to produce wool as well as

meat and dairy), the WRL, as explained by Dr Lionella Scazzosi at our AI Canberra

meeting last October, intended to apply to the present and the extent of food-producing

landscapes

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ACTION TO DATE

•Form an Australian Committee of interested ISC/CL members, experts on cultural landscape programs and experts on different geographic regions.

•Share information on the WRL project through the NSC email site and Dropbox.

•Prepared a task list, an implementation schedule and identify proposed leads for each of the WRL Outputs (Australian Bibliography, Glossary, Landscape Classification Types or Categories, and Case Studies)

• Finalized an agenda item for the NSC meeting proposed for 8 March, 2014 in Canberra to review drafts Outputs.

•Request an extension for the Outputs until the end of April to incorporate NSC members input.

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Issues to date

• Categories outlined in the WRL doc relate poorly to Australian agriculture.

• Continental scale –yet productive lands concentrated in wetter areas

• Little application of landscape analysis to majority of rural landscapes –few contributors

• Not many case studies by our members –planners on city edges; archaeologists on mining sites, corridors; architects on rural buildings

• Government reports tend to be about rural produce, biodiversity and water conservation

• Not enough interest or debate about rural heritage applied to landscapes

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The South West Victoria Landscape Assessment Study :detailed insight into landscape character types and most significant landscapes of the region.

The Battle for Bowering Hill:Landscape evaluation andits influence on

policy making for the Willunga Basin, South Australia.

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95% of Australianslive within 50 kms of the coast

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ISSUES

• Rural landscapes differ by zone

small scale around cities, vast in

grain belts

• Aesthetic values arising from

seasonal changes cannot be protected through planning controls

• Cattle rather than sheep dot

the landscape.

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ISSUES

• Rural planning schemes value

significant biodiversity

• Heritage protection –only small

percentage of colonial estates.

• Little discussion of what is a ‘traditional

farm’ and how much change is acceptable

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Where are the agricultural lands in Australia?

•Climate in the driest continent and soils determine where agricultural activities occur.

•Choice of crop and pasture species return nutrients to the system, maintain soil structure,

■ Pastoral — 5400 farms

■ Wheat–sheep — 54 300 farms

■ High rainfall — 57 800 farms

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Rural landscape characteristics

•Wooded hilltops

•Single paddock trees

•Cropping on creek flats

•Cattle grazing taking over from sheep

•House located on slope above any flood level

•Corrugated iron outbuildings

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Intensive agriculture in valley bottom, Boonah, Qld

Extensive grazing in well watered Border Ranges, Qldand outback WA, 2012

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Irrigated crops, 2012

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Laidley , vegetable growing landscape

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Plantation forestryon former marginal farmland, northern NSW

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From redundant technology to certified

organic

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National –all of Australia 977/2232

NSW 151

Victoria 91

Tasmania 109

Queensland 465

South Australia 43

Western Australia 68

Northern Territory 3

Number of

‘farm’ associated

places listed in

the Australian

Heritage Places

Inventory

2012

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Heritage Listing and protection

• Built components identified

• Designed colonial farms and estates, many convict built, protected; many now relict landscape features.

• Associated agricultural landscapes - not protected under heritage controls, but Rural Use zone in planning schemes.

• Local Environment Plans [LEPs] identify heritage items, mostly buildings, and aim to protect the visual character of distinctive farming areas with controls on windfarms, power lines etc

• Rural landscapes are key images in Australian Impressionism art and much admired.

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Australian Alpsrelict features in national park landscape devoid of pastoral activity,

with natural regeneration

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Trends

• Lifestyle farming on small acreages increasing close to cities; emphasis on organic products.

• Weekend farmers markets often in parks selling direct to consumers.

• Aggregations and large scale farming in grain belts• Average farmer is 56 years old - family farm model evolving

into a more corporate business structure• Huge increase in productivity in dairying, grain production• No till farming of grain paddocks protects soil but changes

landscape• Cattle are predominant over sheep -Australia is still world’s

largest producer of fine wool. • Marginal farmlands being added to conservation reserves

and parks.

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Farming trends

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Changing scales and uses in Australia’s rural landscapes

Thank you