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Abstract
The Moore Catchment, which lies to the north of Perth, WA, suffers from a number of
problems related to water management. Farmers want to manage salinity and waterlogging
problems through the use of drains, but this has negative off-farm impacts on both the
environment and flood risk. Views on responsibilities for managing water within the
catchment differ between farmers, local communities and government agencies. This paper
reports the results from surveys of attitudes towards catchment management, for two
community groups: residents of Perth and residents of rural towns in the catchment. A
parallel study of farmers has been undertaken but is not reported here. These surveys
elicited general attitudes towards the environment and agriculture, and views on
responsibilities for managing the catchment. It also included a choice modelling section,
where the attributes under consideration included the area of land under salt and trees,
ecological risks to off-farm wetlands and risk of flooding, farm incomes and personal
financial contributions to a management fund. Preliminary results indicate that residents of
both rural towns and Perth are willing to pay to avoid damage to the natural environment,
both on and off-farm, as well as the risk of flooding. Perhaps more surprisingly, whether
farmers' incomes were being negatively affected in a choice set has a very strong impact on
the choice made.