School of Geography - Theses
Permanent URI for this collection
Search Results
1 - 3 of 3
-
ItemIdentifying the real monetary cost of Eildon's water( 1999)In order to understand the real monetary cost of water supply from an impoundment like Eildon Dam there needs to be clear definition of the various costs and benefits associated with it's supply. Some costs, relate to downstream environmental impacts and are difficult to define whilst some benefits like recreational benefits are deemed "non marketable" and are not normally accounted for. This study attempted to explore the different costs and benefits associated with Eildon's water over various time periods, and analyse key cost benefit factors asset value and recreational costs and benefits. An attempt was made to investigate the real monetary cost of Eildon's water and also determine the feasibility of charges being set for recreational use. Review of the costs of Eildon's water revealed that prior to 1994 only maintenance and operational costs had been covered by water tariffs and currently full environmental and recreational costs were not being charged. The real monetary cost of Eildon's water was found to be $3.12/ML and the value of recreation was found via the Travel Cost method to be worth $8.73million / annum although it is important to recognise that their are many non marketable recreational benefits like social and community benefits that make the lake far more valuable than just this. The study concluded that recreational users should pay for their use of Lake Eildon based on the user pays system, with charges weighted towards high impact users like water skiers. It was felt that a charge of $10 per day was affordable by water skiers and would not restrict this activity.
-
ItemA study of the integration of science and park management in Victoria with reference to scientific mandates for national parks agencies in the United States and Canada( 1999)Managing for competing uses within national parks has become increasingly difficult. Recreation and preservation are two uses for which national park managers must provide, however, to provide for both presents a dilemma. Recreational uses often lead to degradation of a park's natural resources, and therefore, compromises the preservation of the park. How should managers make their decisions? This thesis proposes that managers should formulate their management strategies using a scientific framework of data gathering and monitoring in the decision-making process. Management decisions should be based upon what provides the least amount of degradation to the park's natural resources. True knowledge upon which managers can make their decisions comes from a (1) scientific understanding of the park's ecosystems and (2) the impacts upon those ecosystems. Science provides the necessary information that leads to better knowledge of the parks resources. However, science has not always been incorporated in the management process. This thesis details why science is important and the reasons it has not been thoroughly integrated into the park's management process. It critiques the present-day integration of science in Victorian national park management, as well as Parks Victoria's management strategies. The thesis also examines the history of science and its integration into national park management by Victorian, the United States and Canadian agencies and the current attitude toward the integration of science and national park management within the three agencies. Several key figures in national park management were interviewed, and from these interviews, a story detailing the state of science in national parks developed.
-
ItemMorphodynamics of a small inlet on the southwest coast of Victoria: a study of the Hopkins Inlet, Warrnambool (1996-97)( 1999)Tidal inlets are one of the most dynamic features of the world's coastlines (Dyer, 1995; Davis Jr, 1996). Since the 1960s, the majority of inlet studies have focused upon the variability, or morphodynamies, of larger features over many years and decades. But recent findings by Kench and Parnell (1991); Hume and Herdendorf (1992) and Kench (1996) show that the temporal variability of small inlets (<100m in diameter) is extremely short compared to the rate of physical change experienced in larger features. This evidence has serious implications for the existing knowledge of inlet morphodynamics. In Australia, the existing knowledge of tidal inlets is limited to the study of larger features occurring along the coasts of New South Wales, Western Australia and Victoria. Although there are a number of studies on smaller inlets, this research has largely concentrated on the geological evolution of the barrier-island coasts of south east Australia. This represents a serious gap in the knowledge required to adequately understand the stability of small-scale inlets under Australian conditions. Therefore, the aim of this thesis is to analyse the morphodynamics of a small-scale inlet on the south west coast of the Victoria, Australia.