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Not in our park! Local community perceptions of recreational activities in peri-urban national parks
journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-19, 15:30 authored by Rossi, SD, Pickering, CM, Jason ByrneJason ByrneIncreased pressure to allow more recreational activities in peri-urban national parks may impact local communities. We surveyed residents living in local communities near six peri-urban national parks (IUCN Category II) in Queensland, Australia. We assessed their sense of place, their perceptions of different types of visitors’ activities, and interactions between attitudes and perceptions. Most respondents, including national park users and non-users, perceived non-motorised recreational activities as appropriate but perceived motorised activities negatively. Overall, negative perceptions were related to a respondent's sense of place. Respondents with a stronger sense of place had more positive perceptions of non-motorised activities but more negative perceptions of motorised activities than respondents reporting a weaker sense of place. Results suggest that people identifying with their local national park may have a small ‘latitude of acceptance’ for motorised activities. We found limited displacement due to recreational conflicts; most respondents still visited these parks. The methods used here, if applied to other peri-urban national parks, could help determine a local community's recreational activity thresholds, offering park managers a way to potentially diminish conflict and enhance visitors’ experiences.
History
Publication title
Australasian Journal of Environmental ManagementVolume
23Pagination
245-264ISSN
1448-6563Department/School
School of Geography, Planning and Spatial SciencesPublisher
Taylor and FrancisPlace of publication
United KingdomRights statement
© 2016 Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand Inc.Repository Status
- Restricted