Sense of place in rural planning: an analysis of attitudes, motivations and environmentally responsible behaviours in the Lake Baroon Catchment

Abstract

This research examines the role of attitudes towards water quality; motivations to live in a drinking water supply catchment and the conduct of environmentally responsible behaviour in defining Sense of Place. A survey of 100 residents living within the Lake Baroon catchment in South East Queensland revealed that motivations to live in the catchment contributed to residents overall Sense of Place. Attitudes, environmentally responsible behaviour and socio demographic variables did not contribute to overall Sense of Place in this catchment.

This research concludes that the reason a person lives in the Lake Baroon catchment is heavily dependent upon the quality of the environment. People who had moved to the Lake Baroon catchment, like their American ‘urban refugee’ counterparts, chose rural areas to seek refuge from the perceived negative impacts of an urban based lifestyle. Implications for contemporary planning methods and practices include: how to cater for the infrastructure needs of these refugees without compromising the experiences sought from the locale, how to best protect water quality within waterways and how to approach readdressing land use strategies in urban areas.