Noel Richards

PhD Candidate

Previous Degree

• Bachelor of Environmental Management (Honours) (Flinders)

Research Thesis

Prescribed Burning in Peri-urban Temperate Australia: How and Why is the Decision to Burn Made?
Thesis Supervisors:
Dr Tiffany Morrison
Professor Iain Hay

About my Research

My research is investigating the problematic issue of prescribed burning in peri-urban regions, particularly in temperate Australia, where conflict exists between the values of human safety and biodiversity conservation. Specifically I am interested in developing an understanding of how responsible agencies arrive at the decision to conduct prescribed burns given the complexity of the issues involved and the apparently competing objectives of bushfire hazard reduction and biodiversity conservation. The fragmented peri-urban landscape adds further complexity and the issues of human safety and protection of remenant biodiversity are also sharply contrasted.

The aim of the research is to provide a descriptive theory of how and why prescribed burning decisions are made and contribute to a normative theory of how such decision processes may be improved. The research will explore possibilities for a more deliberative and inclusive policy process.

Method
Qualitative methods will be employed, predominantly semi structured interviews, participant observation and documentary reviews to gather data for analysis. Two case study locations will be researched, firstly the Mt. Lofty Ranges region near Adelaide and secondly areas around Melbourne. Findings will be compared and contrasted along with other data gathered via literature/document review for other locations, so that a comprehensive analysis of the prescribed burning decision process may be presented. Participants in the research will be sought from entities with an interest in prescribed burning in each case location such as government agencies and utilities (Commonwealth, state and local), indigenous communities, NGOs, community groups, private sector (insurance companies, farmers federation etc.) and other entities revealed during the research.

Time line
Data collection for Mount Lofty ranges case study has commenced and is to be concluded through 2005. It is hoped that data collection for the second case study in Victoria will take place through early 2006.

Current Academic Program

• Research Higher Degree thesis
• Co-lecturer ENVS1701
• Tutor ENVS1702 and GEOG1002

Research Interests

• Natural resource management, particularly in peri-urban areas and how to make sustainable decisions in the face of value pluralism.
• Political ecology.
• Fire ecology.
• How ‘nature’ fits in the 21st century.
• Invasive species.

Awards and Prizes

• School of Geography, Population and Environmental Management inaugural Postgraduate Award for Teaching Excellence 2006
• John Lewis Prize, 1st and 2nd Year
• University Medal 2002

Memberships

• Weed Management Society of South Australia - member
• Adelaide National Parks and Wildlife Consultative committee - member
• Inaugural IAG Political Geography Study Group - member
• International Association of Wildland Fire - member

Publications

• Richards, N.W. in press, 'Prescribed burning in temperate peri-urban Australia': how and why is the decision to burn made? Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland.
• Richards, N.W. and Hay, I.M. 2007, 'Prescribed burning', in P. Robbins (ed.), Encyclopedia of Environment and Society, Sage, Thousand Oaks, pp. 1419-1421.
• Richards, N.W. 2006, ‘Prescribed burning in the Southern Mount Lofty Ranges: how and why is the decision to burn made?’ Life in a fire prone environment: Translating science into practice, Proceedings of the Bushfire 2006 conference, 6-9 June 2006, Brisbane, South East Queensland Fire and Biodiversity Consortium and Griffith University, Brisbane.
• Virtue, J.G., Crossman, N.D. & Richards, N.W. 2004, ‘Future directions for managing perennial grass weeds in South Australia’, Plant Protection Quarterly, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 84-89.
• Richards, N.W. 2004, Introductory Weed Management Manual, Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage, Canberra, Cooperative Research Centre for Australian Weed Management, Adelaide.
• Richards, N.W 1999, ‘Maps, are they instruments of power?’, GEOView The Journal of GEOS (online)